CORRESPONDENCE

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1937, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE

Need in Spain (To The Editor). ' sir, —My friend, Mrs. Nettie Palmer, who returned on the “Moldavia’' from Spain last October, has forwarded me some very important information re that very depiessed country. Mrs. Palmer’s daughter, Aileen, who has been an interpreter with the Span, i.sh Government forces for the last eight months and is attached to the mobile hospital on the road between Madrid' and Valencia can vouch for the accuracy of the ire-ports. Mr. and Mrs. Vance Palmer, were in Catalonia when ihe rebels started the onslaught on Re Government forces.

The following extracts fiom a letter received by Miss Helen Baillis irom Mr. Alfred Jacob, representative of the Society of Urge!, .122 Barcelona, February 25th 1937, will prove how tn gent, arc the ne'eds of the people in that devastated country:— “There is need for huge quantities of food and clothing of all sorts. While Madrid' was being evacuated —no small task in itself—the whole population of Malaga and surrounding villages (about 200,000) also hod to be removed. They have been coming here, thousands a day, and they must be maintained somehow, though food was not abundant beforehand. You may believe that the supplying of the refugees and of the normal population of the larger centres is a very grave problem in a country where foreign trade has beM cut off and transport resources are few. Our duty is to help-in what concerns the civil population, with prob, lems that cannot be solved from with, in Spain. Milk is the obvious one, since if. is specially connected with en-ild life and not very subject to mis-

“Acute food Shortage.—At the same time there is a great shortage of flour, sugar, meat, tinned goods and many- other things —shortages which are likely to go on for many months, whatever the course of the war. For our work we can use unlimited quanti. ties of dried and condensed milk. And that is the safest thing to send. Bagged wheat would be very practical. We ai’e at present turning about ten ton of flour into biscuits for children and have facilities for grinding the wheat readily. Tinned meat and fish are very welcome either in large package’s for colonies and institutions. o r small ones for individual families. Sugar is very scarce, but I do not know whether you have ready supplies of it. “Work Impartial. —I should make quite clear that our work is and must remain perfectly impartial. We d 0 not recognise any racial, religious, national or political distinction. We try to go where there is most need and do our work there, and it is essential that when goods arc sent it should be under, stood that they are for suffering people in Spain, that is, in the whole of the peninsula. We do in fact disting’vsh between the military and non. niilitary, and among the latter give first preference to the children, but that is all. I hope very much that Australia will send a really large ship, merit. However, large it is it will g 0 to satisfy a very pressing need. Here in Catalonia there are 350.000 refugee ■ and many moie along the Med'iterran. cen coast. The problems are not likely to diminish in the near future, and as stocks .of food are exhausted it is our responsibility to do our utmost to replace them, at any rate as far as children are concerned, in order to protect them from the consequences of a war in which they have no part nor blame.

(“Need ’for Clothing:—There is _at present an immense need for clothing too. Almost all the refugees - come In clothing which is best suited for buri', ing, but the lack of raw materials makes it -difficult to get cotton and wool sufficient to manufacture in the mills here. We are starting a scheme whereby many of them will make their own clothing. Our present, work con. sists in establishing milk canteens for approved cases of need in small child,l en. We give hot cocoa to all refugees arriving in Barcelona, (after a very long and tiring journey in terribly crowded trains.) We supply the Cato. lan Refugees’ Committee with food in approved eases for Barcelona and sur. rounding towns; we have sent supplies to Madrid when transport was avalable and - to Alcazar d e Sdn Juan. We

r-(. co-operating in the evacuation of Mn’nga refugees from Almeria, and we distribute the clothing sent us. “Issued by the Joint .Spanish Aid C ounc - ;l:—I have also a leaflet issued by the National Council of Labour, Transport House, Smith Square, London, S.W.I. Contributions to Sir Waller Citrine. This leaflet is headed: “A Ravaged By War Needs Your pq. |p»—,si x months of pitiless war has reduced the Spanish people to -destitution and misery-. Many- thousands of families are homeless. Entire towns and villages have been destroyed. Men, women and children alike are suffering hunger and privation. Food, clothing, medical supplies are all urgently- needefl’ The International Fund, called the Solidarity Fund, established by the Labour movement for relief work has spent nearly- all its reserve. Help to replenish the fund. Eveiy penny you can spare will be sent to relieve distress among the brave-defenders q! de. moeracy and freedom in Spain. Your Trade'’Union branch, Trades Council, and Social Labour Partv must organise a shilling fund. “Give your shilling non-”.

Those of us in New Zealand, who are somewhat differently situated than our -unfortunate brothers and sisters in Spain will not let these heart.touching appeals go unleaded. We must behove, with Caballero: “That the grave of Fascism can be dug in Madrid, if the international working class will "give us support.” “Many hands make light work.” It is' up to us to put into practice by deeds, the words we so often express; “An. injury- to one is an injury- t 0 all”. —I am etc. 11. L. EVANS. Stockton.