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Evening Star, Issue 16782, 10 July 1918, Page 4

A iteetixo is to be held to-morrow afternoon by business men

An Appeal.

and others to consider what steps should be

taken in this City and Ota<-o towards answering the appeal which has been issued by the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. Th-: 1 sum asked for by the society is £250,000, .and its purpose is to help the more than 22,000 victims of Germany's U boat campaign. Ths pocietv havo taken these men into their rests and homes and clubs, and in order that they may continue their work they urgently need money.

The question the meeting of citizens will in part consider to-morrow is: How much do this City and Province propose to give towards it? Happily, .even, in these days of many appeals, there has rarely been ono that needs so few words to bo *aid on its behalf. The work and perils of the. British mercantile marine are known of all men. What those raHant fellows have done- and continue doing has evoked tho wonder and admiration of mankind. By their consistent daring they have effectually tuoken the back of the most sinister menace that the biubirian foe have launched against the freedom of the nations. "Without the mercantile marine the Navy, and indeed the nation.'' Lord Jellicoe has said, "could not exist." The " assassin of the seas" has not deterred British merchant seamen from going down to the sea in ships as usual. " Is thsre a danqer of British sailors and firemen refusing to go to sea in consequence of Germany's threat?" ww a question put to a p.-rmanent official of the National Sailors and Firemen's Union in England. "Not a bit of it," was the reply. "British sailors are- not to ba intimidated bv German threats of f-risrhtM-ness. They have confidence in the Navv's power to cope with the submarine menace, "and in their view nothing that the' Potsdam pirates can do in luturc holds any worse terrors than have been experienced fn the p ast - If 20 ship? vrer» signed on to-dav there would not be the slightest difficulty in petting the men. They are made of the right stuff." The speaker was wholly right in his assertion. The merchant seamen have not failed us. They are emphatically "of the right stuff." They have continued thair course in all weathers and in spite of all threats: and they have personally suffered in the doing of it. Over 22,000 are now in charge

of the British and Foreign Seamen's Society as a direct result of the Huns' esa piracy, and it is for them and theirs that the society now make their appeal. We are assured it will not lie ma.de to irresponsive hearts.