The Wanganui Chronicle "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." TUESDAY, SEPT. 4th, 1917. THE END OF A CHAPTER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17078, 4 September 1917, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." TUESDAY, SEPT. 4th, 1917. THE END OF A CHAPTER.

On the 19bh of May of this year the National Committee for R-elief in Belgium publicly announced that as the United States Government had assumed financial responsibility for the cost of relief, appeals to the British Empire would be suspended; and that after June Ist—tlie date when, the first-pay-ments of the American loan be-came i available —auy donations received would I'"' be held to provide for emergencies I now unforeseen in connection with reS lief in Belgium." Under these circumstances the report submitted to the meeting of the National Committee in London in June last—a copy of which we have just received—was" for the period ending May 31st, 1917, instead of as from April 27th, 1916, to April 26th, 1917, which/in- ordinary conditions would have constituted the second year of the Committee's operations. The meeting at which this report was presented may be said to have closed a. chapter in what must always rank as the supreme national tragedy of the war. It was a chapter of which the people of the British Empire have ho cause to feel ashamed. In a little over two years they have supplied the committee with funds to the amount of all but £2,500,000, the gift of innumerable) sympathisers in all v parts of the Empire. Now that the United States Government has generously taken over the financial responsibility for carrying on the work which from the beginning has been mainly administered by American volunteers, the active operations of the Biitisli Committee are virtually over. But the cause of Belgium and the sufferings of Belgium still irresistibly sppeal to British hearts; the heroic choice sho made in the opening days of the. war will be read with ever-kindling admiration by unending generations of Britons, and the future of Belgium re still the test that will determine the measure of the Allied victory. The National Committee issued their first appeal on April 27th, 1915. His Majesty the King inaugurated the fund with 'a donation of £500. The total collected since then is £2,411,222 18s \ 2d. To this must be added sums approximating £100,000 which have been subscribed through various bi-anch funds. Therefore, during an existence of 25 months the response to appeals lias averaged over £100,000 a month. It is pleasurable to learn from th e report that the British Overseas Dominions, including India and the Crown Colonies, have contributed 73.4 per cent, of the total. In round figures, Australia gave £992,094; New Zealand, £505,811; Canada, £168,256; India^ £38,765; South Africa, £35,254; and the West Indies, £8,478. The generosity of New Zealand may be judged from the fact that their contributions work out at nine shillings and twopence per capita of population." The attitude of the British people towards the problem in its changed phase can be gathered from letters received by the Comjinittee from their helpers. A lady in poor circumstances, who for 22 months has regularly contributed five shilling;, wrote ns follows when she learned ot the American Government's generous action:—

It is -with deep regret 1 learn that the English are to be deprived of the privilege of contributing any further towards the relief of our brave Belgian Allies, and the only consolation is that one feels sure that h>the hands of the American Government they will be well cared for. It is little that one has been able to do individually, but I am sure no one has begrudged anything to the people

who have suffered so much in the cause of honour and right." A woman who, every month^ has sent contributions from the small, salaried staff of the Money-Order Department of the London General Post Office in Lon don wrote :—

"We are all glad to have been able to help, in however small a way, and will again if necessity ever arises, lour kind references to my own eftorts are more than they deserveany J^nglishwoman, standing by her nnviolated hearth, would be proud and glad to .do as much and more." The Agent-General of a grant Overseas British Province wrote:—

The fact that your Committee has been compelled to close its active operations is the only regrettable feature of the entry "of America into the war."

■£hese escerpts are typical of what'is felt throughout the whole Empire. They represent just that spirit of loyal sympathy which has prompted hand reds of women, too poor to son 1 money, to bring their treasured bits of Wellery— old-fashioned hair-rings, bric-slstj!, earrings, watches, all priceless in sentimental value as keepsakes or heirlooms —to be sold to buy bread for the children in Belgium. In the same willing self-sacrU:ice, thousands of British children have given up their pockot-monc.-y and their school prizes in order to bijy the children in Belgium a little more to eat. The gratitude of the people of the British Empire to gallant Belgium, their admirat'.on of hei King, their sympthy with her distress, and their unalterable determination to restore her to independence and prosperity cannot be measured by the mere pecuniary response to the appeal of the Relief Committee. Their generosity has been prompted by whole-hearsed sympathy for the sufferers, and by a clear recognition of the international significance of Germany's invasion and subsequent treatment of her Helpless neighbour. And although for th e time being we are not required to give the Belgium, we can still giye fc- her, by providing to the full our share of'the money required to help win the war; because, as Mr. Balfour very rightly put it in his address to the Committee, " for all Belgium has endured there can be but one true remedy—the utter defeat of her oppressor."