COMFORTS FOR TROOPS

Evening Star, Issue 25170, 9 May 1944, Page 6

COMFORTS FOR TROOPS

VAST QUANTITIES DISTRIBUTED IN PACIFIC (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correupondeut.) GUADALCANAL, April 29. In tour months tlie iNational Patriotic Fund Board lias distriouted nearly 1,000,000 cigarettes to New Zeaiand troops in the forward areas in the Pacitic. This perhaps is the most striking exampie which can be quoted of the immense quantities of goods being handed out to the troops overseas through this line organisation. Biscuits are among astronomical ligures, 107,917 packets of American biscuits and 2,132 tins of New Zea.and biscuits having been distributed. Prom the American National Patriotic Fund were obtained 29,375 cakes of toilft soap, 1/1,140 tubes of shaving cream, 1,865 razors, 146,730 razor biades, 12,633 tooth brushes, 11,268 tubes of tooth paste, and 5,738 combs. New Zealand contributed 8,421 sticks of shaving soap and 8,650 tins of foot powder. Two thousand four hundred and twentyone American magazines were distributed, and, m addition to 288 writing tobies and 6U,000 sheets of mail paper from the United States, there was distributed from New Zealand 2,681,620 sheets of writing paper, 691,926 envelopes, 82 gallons of ink, 5,184 pencils, 6,621 sheets of blotting paper, 1,544 penholders, and 12,580 nibs. (Sports' requisites were distributed in a smaller number, the top listings being 7,953 packs of playing cards and 5,250 ping-pong balls.