FOR MEN OF THE SEA

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9998, 15 June 1918, Page 8

FOR MEN OF THE SEA

Last year Mrs Kimmo, organising secretary ifor tie W.C.T.U. throughout iNecw Zealand for work among seamen,, collected and cent both money and goods to tlie Guild of British and Foreign Sailors' Society in London, through the Higia Commissioner. Those, goods were for the benefit of the minesnveepera and men of the merchant sen-ice and auxiliary fleet. ,Mrs Nimmo has reoeived tho. following letter of thanka from the Dowager Lady Dunsdale, president of the Ladies' Guild in London, who says-.

' April Bth was a memorable day for the officials of the Ladies' Guild of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, for on that day the 26 cases of comforts for the mmesweepers, which had been sent over by the W.C.T.U. of New Zealand (through uhe superintendent, Mrs Hamilton Nimimo), having been safely deposited at the society's warehouse in Commercial road, were opened, and the great process of unpacking commenced. And. what a magnificent contribution it is I Those quantities of socto. Jerseys, cardigans, pants, shirts, underveste, etc., all of the best quality and beautifully made, sent to those splendid men of our .mercantile marine wlio are engaged in their work eo full of deadly perai. and yet who go forth so cheeriuUy and uncomplainingly, day in and day out, in order that our troops slvali ibe emerged safely from all parts of the! .Empire to tho various .battle-fronts, and that articles of food and commerce, w-hich are so important to our very existence as a nation, shall be taken eaifely to their destination. Lord Beresford voices the feeling 0 f the whole Empire when he .says. 'Without their aid the war could not have oontinued; tlhey ihave fed the people of this country land our Fleets and Armies, liacing death on every voyage and leaving 10,000 of their shipmates at the bottom of tho sea, who have given their live.s for the State.' I» addition to this splendid gift a sum of JHoQ has been reoeived. To be \ised for these men, of wihich JJIOO has been sent to the High Commissioner for New Zealand to be used for the New Zealand sailors and firemen who are prisoners of war in Germany or elsewhere, and of this sum we learn JH7 10s waa collected by the Maoris of New Zealand to be cabled Home. In this year of 1918, when cmr great society celebrates its hundredth lanniversary, this gift from overseas comes as a great encouragement, and seems part of the great scheme of things wo are undertaking throughout the i/aipire. Nothing has been of happier augury during the war than the marvellous way in which our Overseas Dominions have rallied to the ihelp of the Mother Country, and have made hor cause their own. We knew they would <nofc fail us, and yet oven wo hardly realised tho length to which they would ■go. The very outbreak of war seemed do be tho fulfilment of God's own good time to use to tho uttermost the means wo had garnered up in all these long •years of work—years of preparation to meet in a smaQl way the needs of the .sailors for wlhoin we had always worked. And how great the needs of theso mon ihave been—men w - ho were not trainedifor fighting, but whose ways were tho tpaa&iful .ways of commerce—and yet whoso marvellous bravery and devotion to duty furnish an epic of heroism which can never bo Bill-passed. In the ye;ir 11H7. ovor 32,000 torpedoed men were brought into the homes. while 90,744 free nioals were given to .them, and 62,523 articles of clothing supplied, and the work is still going on, and will do till these terrible tunes are over and peace O noe more reigns over the land. Tho work wo are doing is, indeed, an Imperial one, and wo welcome the help and co-operation, of out sisters throughout tho Empire, whilo our 'thanks go out to those in far away New Zealand who have done so much to dhow their active support and sympathy for our work, and thus' prove to all the world what the word Empire means. —Beatrice Dunsdale."

The J2IOO nieationed was sent by liady Dunsdale to the High Commissioner at Mrs Nimmo's request, and in his letter of acknowledgment Sir Thomas Mackenzie says: "I desire to express to .you my appreciation of the kindness of your eoniaiiitJtee in allocating for the .relief of the Now Zealand seamen and engineers who are prisoners of war tho sum of .£IOO. Lady Dunsdale asked itlhat tho recipients of parcels shall be informed that tho (fifts como from your iiinion. It may bo that tho recipients imay not bo able to send direct acknowledgments, but I will ask each of the officers and men to do so if possible. In any case, I Shall advise you as tho acknowledgments come to hand." Sir Thomas Mackenzie also sends names and addresses of New Zealand sailor prisoners. Mrs Ninmio is making another appeal ia view of the groat

need expressed. She lias circularised the unions in other centres and napes too have a good response. Judging from 'the replies already received she will have, and our sailors .will receive more of the comforts they require. Help is asked from anyone, and the goods most required are "woollens, heavy underpants, Shirts, singlets, jerseys, Books, •mittens, wristlets, balaclavas, and mufflers. All goods should be large sizes and must be new. As the sending bf large consignments is somewhat risky, Mrs !N>imrno hopes to have large cash donations, as these are urgently needed. Assisting the crew of one torpedoed ship alone cost JJIOOO, and the society's work requires £3OO a day, so that money is much needed. It should be noted that the registered name of the fund theso collections are being made for is ''The British and Foreign Sailors' Society's ."War Fund, Wellington, for Minesweepers and Torpedoed Crews," aU money (being sent through, the High Commissioner to the headquarters in London. Mrs Nimmo, of Kent terrace, is tile 'superintendent,"* and ali donations will he welcome, as the need is great.