OUR BRAVE FRENCH ALLY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 244, 3 July 1918, Page 3

OUR BRAVE FRENCH ALLY

A NEW ZEALAND TRIBUTE

MEETING OF WOMEN

Owitis to bad weather conditions there was not a large attendance at the meeting of women called by tho JlayorciH (Mrs. J. P. Luke) for the purpose of forming an organisation to assist the appeal which is being made on behalf of our bravo French Ally, but in spite v( this tho object of tho meeting was carried out. In the unavoidable nbsenw of the Mayoress (through illness)' tho Mayor presided for a short time until called away to other duties. Various apologies were received, one being from Mrs. W. F. Massey, who stated thai, although being unable to be present by reason of a bad cold, she was ready to do all that she could to help tho cause. Jin apology was sent from the Mayores-i. together with an olnquent appeal to everyone to do their best for the magnificent Ally who has been so hoav ly tried. Mr. C. E. Smith sent an apology, together with a cheque for .£lO from Mrs. Smith, also Lady "Wilson, of Buils, who accompanied her good wishes for tho cause by a cheque also for ,£lO. Mrs. Hope Lewis for her absence. In opening the mcet-'ng, Mi'. Luke said that already tho movement had met Willi the hearty co-operation of tho public, 'it had been decided to make no spectacular appeal, the losses that Franco had sustained- not calling for such method of aid, but rather for steady, well-directed, ntul generous self-denial on the part of everyone in this country. It was impossible for anyone in Now Zealand to realiso tho terrible Buffering France had gono through. Three years ago thero wero GOO,OOO orphans and three millions of other victims. What the ligures totalled now he could not say. It was not only for us to givo out of our abundance, but if necessary to mako sacrifices so that wo might help to lighten the terrible burden that France wi.s bearing so nobly. The committee had felt that they could not gain the sympathy of the country as a whole without enlisting the assistance of the women. Tho effort they wero making was nut a local one only, but a Dominion effort, and to that end tho Mayors nnd patriotic societies in the. various towns and. districts were being circularised, and askctl to give their aid to tho cause in whatever ways were open to them. Unity of i action was necessary if they wished lo gain the best results. In tho absence of Mrs. Massey, who had stated her willingness lo become president of the Wellington women's organisation, Mrs. J. Italian was voted to tho chair, temporarily, and tho Mayor, having opened tho proceedings, left lo fulfil other engagements. Mrs. Hanan paid a tribute, to ti.o Mayoress (Mrs. J. P. Luke) and her wor* in patriotic movements, and expressed great regret that she was not ablo to be present at the meeting. Speaking of France, Mrs. Hanan said that fne nation was the admiration of the whoie world. Not' only had she been an inspiration ' to art, poetry, science, and literature, but slid stood for liberty ,and freedom. July I'J, the day on which they woro making the appeal for France was Iho commemoration of' the day on which Franco had become a liberated people, and stood before the world as a republic. In tiiis war she had faced overwhelming odds, and had she given in Britain would have been devnsted, and we would havo known all tho bitterness and iintfering that France had been called upon to bear in our plead. It had been said, continued Mrs. Jlanan, that "the place where our kindred lay was the place tha! belonged to us." If that were so, then France did indeed belong lo us, was one of us, and those thousands i.nd thousands of graves ;n which so many of our dear ones lay will in days to come ]>e. the lodcstone to pilgrims from ail parts of the world. Those graves bound Uu to Franco almost more than any other obligation or tie. It wiw for tho people of this country to show by their actions their sympathy and. affection for a gre«>.rly tried nation, and sho was sure that from one end of New Zealand to the other they would vie in doing soCaptain Barclay, who was also present, made a brief speech, and after outlining measures tha? had already been taken, made ,various suggestions a 6 to tho conduct of tho campaign. Ho had arranged for a supply of badges and lings, and ho hail received a letter from Lady Wilson (Balls), in which she staled she was sending n box of lace to be sold for tho cause. The lace had been made in tho war zone hv a" poor woman worker, and had been bought by an officer while in the ruined town, and sent to Lady Wilson. Lady Wilson also stated in her Jotter that the next day a; (lie Red Cios 1 : Shop in Bulls was to be for the beneii'; of the French appeal. It- was decided that all present form themselves into a committee with power to add lo their numbers. Mrs. Hanan <vas appointed lion, secretary, and Mrs. J. Gibbons treasurer. In connection with the forthcoming French Appeal I Jay the following stalls were allotted:—t-'ost Office, Mrs. Waters; Couiit'nav Place, the New Zealand Natives' Association (Mrs. M'Vicar and Mrs. Marmont); Kelbvrn Avenue, Mrs. von Haast; Kirkcaidie and Stains, Mrs. J. Myers; a coster cart. Mrs. ,T. 11. Gibbons. •Mrs. Preston, on behalf of tho St. John Ambuiance Brigade Overseas (Star Boating Shed Depot), has undertaken a stall which will be either at the. Bank uf New Zealand corner 'or Hie Boulcolt Street corner, as circumstances decide, the French Cercie having yet to make its decision as to which of the two stands they will take (through Mrs. Preston's courtesy). Offers for other stations and of further assistance will be very gladly received by the secretary, Mrs. Hanan. •It was moved, and carried, that stallholders be allowed to collect and sell whatever they deem suitable and profitable. Another,, meeting will be held shortly.