AID TO RUSSIA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 26, 21 November 1944, Page 7

AID TO RUSSIA

NEW ZEALAND'S CONTRIBUTION MRS CHURCHILL'S FUND The following letter lias been received by Mr Atmore. secretary of the New Zealand Society for Closer Relations with Russia from Mrs Clementine S. Churchill wife of the British Prime Minister ac'knowlcdging receipt of a further donation of £100 from this country:— "I have, just returned to London from my visit to Canada and write at once to tell you how delighted I was to receive your cable which arrived during my absence, and advise that the New Zealand Society for Closer Relations with Russia had remitted a further donation of £400 to my Aid to Russia Fund. A cheque, for this amount has now been received from the. High Commissioner for New Zealand. I enclose my official acknowledgment. Your Society has been most generous in responding to my appeal and 1' think it wonderfully kind oj you all to raise this further substantial sum. to help forward the work of my fund in providing our Russian allies with surgical and medical supplies together with warm clothing and comforts of which they are still in the direst possible need. The unstinting generosity of the people of this -country and subscribers abroad lias enabled my fund to provide vast quantities of surgical equipment and medical supplies of all kinds to our Russian Allies-. You can best judge the extent of this aid we have so far rendered when f tell you that the. Red Cross lias shipped no less than 36 consignments weighing 13,000 tons and containing amongst other tilings 19 mobile X-ray units and 700 portable X-ray sets. In addition one and three-quarter million garments and half, a million blankets have, been dispatched. Russia appreciates and is deeply grateful for the help we have already sent them. Some little time, ago I discussed with the Soviet Red Cross representative in this country a proposal that our gratitude to his valiant countrymen should take some, more permanent form than that of supplying their current needs in drugs and surgical instruments. The suggestion was warmly welcomed by the Red Cross in Moscow who told me that, they would very much like, equipment for two five hundred bed hospitals at Ros-tov-on-Don. It is estimated that the cost of the hospitals will be in the neighbourhood of £480,000 to £500 ? - 000. This of course, is in addition to the supplies that, we shall con- - tinue to send to meet the needs of Russia's sick and wounded. I wish that I could tell you how warmly I personally appreciate the sympathy and interest which your committee lias already extended to the. work of my fund. Thank you so ver3 r much, and Avili you please thank your subscribers on my bc-i half for this and for the previous gifts they have sent to mc, bringing the sum total of. their contributions to £778 y