WAR WORK IN LONDON

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 November 1939, Page 8

WAR WORK IN LONDON

NEW ZEALANDERS’ EFFORTS

LONDON, October 5.

During the past few days meetings have been held of the committees of the New Zealand Men’s and Women’s Societies in London. The object of the meeting has been to decide upon steps to be taken for New Zealand war work on behalf of the Dominion’s troops when they arrive. The High Commissioner (Mr. W. J. Jordan) presided at the men’s meeting, and, also, by invitation, he addressed the committee of the New Zealand Women’s Society, of which Mrs. Jordan is president. He told of the setting up by the 13 Empire non-political societies in Britain of one organisation, the’ Empire War Hospitality Committee, to represent them all, whose object it would be to see to the welfare of troops from the Empire oyer; seas when in Britain. The chairman of this committee is Field-Marshal Lord Milne, and the deputy-chairman is Sir Alexander Godley. Mr. Jordan also said that the National Council of the Y.M.C.A. had offered to make canteen provision in London or wherever sufficient numbers of New Zealanders were, and to have the canteens entirely of a New Zealand character and staffed with New Zealand ladies. Mr. Jordan suggested that any New Zealand activities decided upon might take into consideratiaon what these two organisations were doing, and endeavour to work in with them, fully realising, of course, that the distinctive character of all New Zealand institutions and work must be preserved. A further meeting was held on October 3, at the High Commissioner’s office, of New Zealand women arid men who had had experience if New Zealand war work in the last war. The meeting was held at the suggestion of the New Zealand Men’s Society. There were present Miss Thurston (late matron-in-chief of the New Zealand expeditionady force), Mrs. Hal Williams, Miss Violet Russell, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Young, Miss T. Hanlon, Dr. Bernard Myers, Mr. C. J. Wray, Colonel E. W. Lascelles, and Mr. C. A. Knowles.

The meeting was more or less formal, the idea being to draw upon experiences of the last war in respect to general war relief work. Those present recalled essential features of the organisations then set up, and the ramifications of the work engaged in. It was generally agreed that activities would follow largely along the lines of the work of the old New Zealand War Contingent Association. It was decided to form an organisation, the name of which should be “The New Zealand War Services Association.” the objects of which should be to iiromote the welfare of the NewZealand fighting forces and the nurses and ancillary services, and to co-oper-ate with other bodies engaged in similar work in Britain.

it was decided to call a meeting of all New Zealanders in London; and of those who could attend from other parts of Britain, at which committees would be appointed, finance arranged, and a programme of work decided upon.

The High Commissioner said that New Zealand House could be the focal centre for all this work. He thanked the gathering on behalf of New Zealand.