COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16253, 12 June 1916, Page 6

COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS.

CONDITIONS IN FRANCE.

DOMINION GIFT SCHEME. -.

Since advice was received that New Zealand troops had gone to France, there has been a great deal of conjecture as to ■what variation would be necessary in the Dominion gift scheme comforts sent forward each month- A letter written by an Imperial officer who has served many months in France has been received by the Mayoress, Mrs. J. H. iGunson, from Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool, which will serve as a guide to the requirements of the men in France. .The officer writes as follows: — "As second in command to my- battalion, part of my many duties was to ascertain what was essential and what was valueless, in order that those at home might send us things we required. The Supply Service in France is most excellent—butter, jam. tobacco, cigarettes, etc., etc., being issued from the Supply Department. In addition to this, troops are now seldom in the trenches for more than a week at a time, and when back in billets can generally get whatever " luxuries' they require. Every week or ten days all ranks can get a good hot bath and a complete change of underclothing. The old clothes are left on one side of a huge bath and clean ones are issued on the other side. This being so, it would seem almost unnecessary to send shirts, etc., to individuals, although a man might prefer to keep his own and put up with the difficulties of washing them himself. - The only things I would ask to have sent to my men were I still at the front, would be as follows: Cigarettes and tobacco, t chocolate, electric torches and refills, a fixed size of which should be supplied in order that the question of refills can bo simplified; socks, hand-knitted are infitely preferable to machine-knitted; writing materials, the best solution is for everyone who writes to a soldier, to enclose a couple of envelopes and sheets of paper; soup squares, bovrilcake. Woollen waistcoats and mufflers: France just now is pleasantly warm; I always found, however, that a woollen waistcoat was appreciated at night. The Government issue .quite a good one, but a hand-knitted one is preferable. My advice is to concentrate on those things which a man can either eat, smoke, or carry. In France a man's " all" has to travel on his back. His equipment already weighs between 401b and 501b, and he cannot cany much more without a reduction of fighting efficiency." Miss B. Spedding, hon. secretary of the Women's Patriotic League, states that practically all the things mentioned, with the exception of the electric torches, will be included in future consignments, the gifts varying slightly each month to meet climatic conditions. As far as possible everything sent will be of Dominion manufacture, while donations of socks and handkerchiefs forwarded to the league will always be most welcome.