CENTRE IN LONDON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27345, 22 March 1950, Page 5

CENTRE IN LONDON

Empire And American Students BRITAIN’S GRATITUDE Overseas Food Gifts NZP A—C opy right Rec. 1 a.m. LONDON, Mar. 21. Britain today .launched a £2,000,000 drive to build a four city block centre in London for British Commonwealth and United States students as a permanent memorial to the nation’s gratitude for £80,000,000 wortfo of overseas food gifts since 1940. The drive, the “Lord Mayor’s Thanksgiving Fund,’’ is nation-wide and aims to be the largest ever in Britain. The Lord Mayor of London, Sir Frederick Rowland, opened the appeal this afternoon. The Prime Minister, Mr Attlee, Mr Churchill, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, are patrons of the fund. In addition, the King tomorrow will give a message on its behalf—unprecedented of any appeal conducted in Britain—and Princess Elizabeth will broadcast to the nation. The British Government and Britons in all walks of life are supporting it. They include every principal business group, civic and religious authority, and major sporting body in the country. From tomorrow Britain’s 25.000 Post Offices and 15,000 banks will open special accounts —the Post Offices to sell “thanksgiving” stamps and the banks to receive contributions. ’ For their part the sporting bodies have scheduled special matches and appeals. The principal object of the fund is to endow a 27J-acre centre in London adjacent to the London University and British Museum for Commonwealth students. It will accommodate 1000 single and married students irrespective of colour who are studying in commerce, their profession, or at the universities. The nucleus of the planned centre is London House, ah existing collegiate • hostel for men which at present accommodates 220 Commonwealth students. Extensions and new buildings are to being immediately. In addition, an overseas students’ hostel costing £150,000 will be established at Angus (Scotland). New Zealand has sent 5,000,000 gift parcels to the people of Britain since 1940. Others have been Australia 14.000,000, Canada 14.000,000, South Africa 8,000,000, British cblonies and protectorates 18.000,000, and the United States 16,000,000.