LETTERS TO THE EDITOR'

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3095, 28 May 1917, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR'

CHURCH ARMY HUT NEWS

A. HUGE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

GRANT. \ Sir,—The Church Army Executive hafl agreed upon tlio annual expenditure o£ XIO.OOO iu the purchase of weekly papers for the men of H.H. Forces using their recreation huts at the Western and! other oversea fronts and bases.

These papers get passed alons thetrenches from raau to man, till hardly: two pages of them will hold together*, and are unspeakably appreciated. ■

More .Magazines for Mighty Need.—* Amongst the latest consignments for. the. Church Army R&creation Huts "out: there" are. 20,000 monthly magazines' which have been purchased by thoChurch Army i'or the men's reading, in. addition to the many thousands of magazines given to the society by friends. Queen Alexandra Nurse's Tribute.—A! sister of the Q.A.1.M.N.5.R., who has been on active service since 19U, writes: "It is impossible to speak too highly ofl the Church Army Huts, they are indeed indispensable for our brave troops. Amongst ourselves, too, if we are want~ ing anything we say: 'Oh, you'll get it in the Church Army Hut.' Could thosein the Homeland and colonies realms their value they would enable the, Church Army to send out a good many. Scottish Ladies' Hut Fund Gifts'-—The Dowager-Countess of Strathmore aud her. daughter, Lady Maud Lyon, have each, sent .£l5O to the Church/Army as their "joint Christmas gifts to the-society's recreation huts. From Balaclava to the Sommfi.—A sn-< perintendent of a Church Army Recreation Hut on the Somnie front, who is iff. England on a month's leave after six. months "out there," has brought back: with him, as a memento, the historic stick carried by his grandfather in the Charge of Balaclava, referruled <tt its much-worn end by two German cartridges and a German bullet, ■ and. remounted with a band made out of a' piece of German shell. The Huns' items were giftsl from soldiers ho been helping to'cheer. Bluejackets! Birthday Greeting.—Th6i sailor, patients of the Church ArmyNaval Auxiliary Hospital in Scotlandi sent a birthday telegram of grateful congratulations to Prebendary Carlile. on the 70th anniversary of his birth, on Sunday, Jamiaiy H." Prebendary Carlile founded the Church Army iu 18S1.)

A Few Statistics. Average number of men using . our huts daily 2A0.000 Number of letters written weekly 200,000 Services held weekly ...: 100,000

Prayer cards aud other literature 100,00 ft Pocket Testaments and Gospels ' distributed 50,00(f. The London "Times," November 28, 1916, says:,"Recreation huts are a necessity, i'he soldiers must have rest, warmth, and above all. amusement when, they come back from the trenches for rest. They look, then, like men who will never smile again, dazed, and done.. Erect a hut—the effect is magical. It act? like a talisman. Strained nerves, pass from the abnormal to the normal in a few days, when the boys are_ laughing again. As is befitting the National Church, the huts are open to all, and facilities are given for religious services to -ill denominations." , „ This comment in the London ' Times on our hut work emboldens me to expect aid for Huts from aU Christians—l am, etc., 1\ W. WHIBLEY, Hon. Sec, • Church Army in N.Z The Vicarage, Ormondville, H.B. I'Any contributions in aid of the splendid work which is being done for our soldiers and sailors by the Church Army organisation, should be sent to the Rev'. F. W. Whiblcy, at the address siren above.]