FAR EAST RELIEF FUND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23362, 30 November 1937, Page 10

FAR EAST RELIEF FUND

GOVERNMENT GIVES £IOOO MINISTER'S APPEAL FOR SUPPORT (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Nov. 29. A decision by the Government to contribute £IOOO to the Far East Relief Fund was announced by the Minister of Health (Mr P. Fraser) in an appeal for assistance. Mr Fraser said the amount raised in New Zealand already for this purpose was nearly £3OOO and the Government's donation would bring the total to £4OOO, which was £6OOO short of the amount aimed at. " This is not an occasion to discuss the merits of the dispute between China and Japan," Mr Fraser said. " The Government of New Zealand is acting in close co-opera-tion with the British Government in regard to all these matters. The Far East fund, which is being raised at the request of the International Red Cross headquarters at Geneva, has received the moral and financial support of the British Government."

Mr Fraser recalled the prompt assistance rendered by New Zealand to the Japanese victims of the earthquake that wrecked /Tokio and Yokohama. In the same way, he said. New Zealand should lead in extending help to the victims of the present calamity in China. When it became evident some weeks ago that an attack upon China appeared inevitable, New Zealanders were shocked and protests of various kinds, which might have involved serious reactions, were threatened. The Far East relief fund presented an unique opportunity of showing sympathy and goodwill.

THE LOCAL APPEAL MEETING OF COMMITTEE Ai a meeting of the Red Cross Far East Appeal Committee, held last night it was reported that the sum in hand had reached £585. The committee recorded its thanks to all who had assisted in the street day on Friday, and in the procession that night, particularly the Highland Pipe Band, the Port Chalmers Shipwrights Union, the Girl Guides. Toe H, the students of St. Margaret's College, and the Youth Peace Movement, and also to I.lr P. Pinder for his address and his organisation of the night collection. It was decided to continue the appeal until next Saturday in the hope that the objective of £IOOO would be reached by that date. A report from Roxburgh, whose allocation was £lO, stated that 200 oneshilling subscriptions were being sought to meet that amount, and that the funds were coming in steadily THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES LIST Previously acknow-

ledged £112 9 9 Members and friends, St. John Ambulance Sewing Guild 11 0 0 " Christian Democrat" 5 0 0 Sir J. R. Sinclair 2 2 0 " McDonald " 2 0 0 Misses J. and W. R. Reid 2 0 0 Rev. Dr E. N. Merring1 11 0 L. D., N.E. Valley 0 10 0 " Roslyn " 0 10 0 0 10 0 " A Friend " .... 0 5 0 M Thankful" .... 0 2 8