REFUGEE RELIEF

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21138, 13 June 1940, Page 8

REFUGEE RELIEF

APPEAL FOR FUNDS LADY GALWAY GUILD VICE-REGAL APPEAL MADE (By TelegTupli.—Special to Times, WELLINGTON, Thursday Her Excellency, Lady Galway, in an address last night, appealed for practical assistance to relieve the hardship and suffering of the refugees in Europe, whose countries have been overrun by Nazi aggression. She asked for donations to the Lady Galway Patriotic Guild, which will despatch comforts to the proper quarters. Our first care must be for our own men in the danger zone, Lady Galway said. Their needs were being provided for by various bodies, and appeals had met with a magnificent response. It was to help extend the effort to another field that the guild had been established. It was hoped to have branches in every town in the country. There would also be central branches in the chief centres and they would keep in touch with guild headquarters at Government House, Wellington. Long Planning Necessary Lady Galway expressed gratitude to the Red Cross, which was undertaking work for refugees in addition to its other activities. The task of providing for the huge number of refugees from invaded areas was putting an impossible strain on French families, and clothing, food and comforts of all sorts were urgently needed. The High Commissioner, Mr W. J. Jordan, had said the greatest need at the moment was for underwear and footwear, but it was necessary to plan months ahead, and good use could be made of all types of clothing and comforts.

Details of the organisation would be worked out at a meeting at Government House in Wellington shortly of the central committee with the Mayoresses of the various towns. The central committee consisted of the Dominion presidents of women’s organisations, representing a total membership of 130,000 New Zealand women. Lady Galway said she would like to feel that every woman in New Zealand might provide for one refugee, and she would appeal to them to see which of their belongings they could spare. Christian Duty The co-operation of tradespeople was also invited. Many had large supplies of slow-moving stock. They could help by stocktaking and giving anything that could be spared, or selling at lowest possible prices to those wishing to give to the guild. Window displays would help fn this direction. Action now was a Christian duty, and an immediate response would mean comfort and help to countless thousands.

It had been proposed to handle the appeal for comforts for men of the small-craft fleet in the North Sea through the guild, but the task of providing for refugees had assumed such proportions that the plan had been changed, Lady Galway said. The war council of the New Zealand Navy Legaue was now actively engaged in the work of providing for the needs of the men who were doing such magnificent work off the coasts of Britain. Those wishing to make donations should send them to the league’s headquarters at 212 Lambton Quay, Wellington.