Central Europe Distress Fund

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 45, 12 November 1924, Page 23

Central Europe Distress Fund

(Contributed.) It will be remembered that in 1921 the distress in Central Europe caused by the war was brought under the notice of the world and an appeal made for assistance. Collections were made in New Zealand, but the special collection made in the Wellington archdiocese was sent to the Westminster Catholic Federation by his Grace Archbishop O’Shea, This amount—£B7l—-was supplemented by the sum of £4B 19s lOd, being the balance held by the Westminster Catholic Federation on behalf of the N.Z. Catholic Federation, bringing the total of New Zealand’s contribution to £919 19s lOd. The report of tho Westminster Catholic Federation’s Central Europe Distress Fund is now to hand, and in the receipts New Zealand’s contribution compares more than favorably with the other contributions received. For instance the total collection from all of the dioceses in England came to £1570 11s Id Scotland £467 18s, Ireland £ll. The British Treasury grant of £1 for each £1 collected brought the total of the fund to £6890 17s lid. With this amount the Westminster Federation, through the agencies of his Eminence Cardinal Piffl, the Vienna Emergency Relief Fund, and the Friends’ Relief Mission m Vienna, was able to render aid to 4400 Viennese children and 443 nursing and expectant mothers. The relief principally took the shape of nourishing food and the following quantities were distributed: —1485 cases of condensed milk (about 70,000 tins), 11,673 half-pints of fresh milk, 11,046 eggs, 44261bs of butter and fat, 62481bs of potatoes, 2421bs of apples, 12,2101bs of cocoa, 37,7861bs of sugar, 99261bs of bread flour, 65,4631bs of fine flour, 75301bs of rice, 24041bs of soap, and 4951 pairs of boots. 1500 letters of thanks were received by the Westminster Federation from the recipients, expressing gratitude for the assistance rendered. . Those in New Zealand who contributed to this fund will have much pleasure in the knowledge that the donations which they have made have been the means of relieving untold hardship and misery amongst Catholics and non-Oatholics alike.