HELPING THE BLIND

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 67, 16 September 1918, Page 8

HELPING THE BLIND

EXHIBITION OF FRENCH WAR PICTURES

GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S ADDRESS.

In the course of introductory remarks, in which he invited His Excellency the Governor-General to open the exhibition of French war paintings, etc., at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts on Saturday afternoon, the Mayor, Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P., C.M.G., said: The pictures depicted very ably the harrowing scenes of war in France and' Belgium, and it was the mission of M. Rogers and M. Bigazzi to sell them in order to build up a fund for the relief of the blind soldiers of France. There were, it was said, over 55,000 of these men, and he was sure that in New Zealand they would find that sympathy and generous impulse which generally applied in such cases, not only manifested; in the attendances at the exhibition, but in the sales recorded, which good result would react as an incentive to those in other parts of New Zealand.

His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Liverpool, said he was pleased to attend there that afternoon, as this was really the first opportunity of the kind they had had' of showing their gratitude to their great—perhaps the greatest— ally. ' The exhibition of pictures represented the first stage in the. reconstruction of the nation, which was second only to the problem of winning the war. There were no thinking people who believed that the end of the war would be the end of all difficulty. In the case of France she had to do something for her blind soldiers. There were many great problems which' had to be faced, including the treatment of other classes of war sufferers. No individual who could work liked to depend on charity —But the blind had their claims, as they could' no longer see the beauties of nature, nor could they see their own work, no matter how good it might be. They truly deserved their charity and hearty sympathy. It was one of the big problems the Allies would have to solve, and here they had one of their greatest Allies coming amongst them in the hope of assisting the good work, in which he hoped they would be successful. The purpose of the exhibition brought it near to their hearts, as it was akin to our Red Cross work, and it was well to realise that the French were just as deeply interested in Red Cross work as we were. His Excellency then declared the exhibition open. \ Mt. W. Rogers acknowledged, on behalf of the promoters of the exhibition, the kindness of His' Excellency in assisting the sufferers, who would benefit from the sale of the works of art.

The exhibition will remain open till Saturday next.