LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3012, 24 February 1917, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE CHURCH ARMY WAR FUNDS

Sir, —I desire permission first io thank the school children throughout New _ Zealand who contributed ■ their pennies to the Christmas Dinner Func for London poor and Belgian refugee, l in Church Army homes, which rcachoc £132. Last'year £100 was sent throng) the Church Army secretary in Nev Zealand' to maintain' two beds in thei War Hospital in Franco, one of whicl is named "The Now Zealand Bed" am the other "The Hawke's Bay Bed." A the request of the Admiralty this hos pital was removed to Scotland, as ou casualties had so increased. The Duk of Hamilton threw epen Dungave House for the purpose, and the Churcl Army has its hospital nf 100 beds thore During the month of December 90 mei and 10 officers of the Fleet occupied tin beds, the hospital being set aside a a Naval Auxiliary Hospital. The £10( is again urgently required for the yea 1917. Our sailors and trawler men 100,000 of whom are helping to keej down the submarine menace and ar giving of their best to the Empire. I wounded or sick in our service, it ii encouraging for ns to think they cai look up and see tho name of New Zea land on two of their beds. Notwith standing the many appeals from tin Motherland! for help in this time of national danger, the response of Nov Zealand is always good, and I feel sur< thai; tho present appeal to provide more hospital accommodation for the men oi the Fleet—on whose splendid work the safety of our trade routes largely depends—will result iiymofo beds being endowed for another year, or for the duration of the war. In addition to the above patriotic, the following Church Army war works are carried on TTy them entirely from voluntary subscriptions, so that their social work among tho poor, which needs £2o0,00\) a year, is not hindered. Of these army recreation huts, there aio 70 in Egfiw, 12 in Malti) 250 in France—loo close ui> to the firing line, also a. number in WSsopotamia, Sorhra, Salonika, and in i addition 140 more aro now asked! for, the need being so great. Each hut costs £300, and tents £150. ' A; week s working abroad.costs the Church Army £5, if at Home camps £2. Kitchen cars provide 300 cups ot tea at once, or other hot drinks, When our boys aro returning from the tronches, the cars meet them. Munition canteens, rest huts for girl mu nition .workers, recreation rooms u j garrison towns for sailors and soldiers wives, wounded in hospitals far fron home visited by Church Army officers Wives and mothers visiting wounaed u Franco helped and escorted, on journoy wives and widows of sailors and sol dieus and their children given free medical treatment. This work has beer done- quietly since tho war began, in fact so quietly that many a New Zealander knows nothing about it. But I whenthoy do, any help, no matter how ' small, would bo most-welcome for any one of those activities, a few of which only space can be given to speak of. ■A London paper of December .13, 1916, giving an extract of a letter written by Mr. Lloyd George to the Churoh Army, says:-"In tho shell zone these huts aro invaluable. I .heartily wish success to tho effort to obtain 80 more before Christmas." Since that letter, they are ondeavouring to get funds to erect costing £300, and cncli costing tho Church Army £S a weok to run.. Sir John Jellicoe, First Sen Lord, also wrote a Jotter of appreciation of the work of the Church Army. He says: "Tho'war work of tho Church Army, and particularly the,, provision of tho Church Army huts, has been of tho greatest value to thoso who are fighting for their country, and I can assure you it is warmly appreciated by all ranks." Sir William Robertson speaks highly of huts generally, including other organisations that are moro before tho public's eye, and are doing their level best for King and country. This London paper says that tho Church Army lrats have each a corner partitioned off for. quiet retirement. Tho correspondent, on paying a surprise visit,_ witnessed a most moving celebration of tho Holy Communion to a draft of men going out to do their duty. Let us l all do our "little bit" and help to increase these opportunities of doing good to' our boys, far from home. —I am, etc., F. W. WHIBLEY, Hon. Sec. Church Army .in N.Z. Tho Vicarage, Ormondville.