RED CROSS DELEGATE WRITES FROM ENGLAND

Chronicle (Levin), 11 June 1946, Page 7

RED CROSS DELEGATE WRITES FROM ENGLAND

■» 3 Mr. C. G. White, chairman of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Red Orogs Society, writiug from Eng land in Alay, where lie is to attend the Interuational Red Cross Conference at Oxford, imentions that he left Sydney by air ofi a Friday and arrived at his destinati'on on the foilowing Tuesday, after a pieasant, uneventful journey. ' 1 The days go by, and 1 appear to be going liard ali day long', ' ' he states. ' ' I visited the Fernleaf Club with Brigadier Parlc and was greatly imXiressed with its efficicncy and general cleaniiness and comfort. ' I can frankly say our boys get as good food aud as well served as many of the better restaurants in London and at ,a much cheapei-j price. Also," there is not the appalling: crush and the situation is quiet and restful. " Mr. White asked if it would be possible to-get large fruit cake or eveu a two-deeker, in time for the Red Cross conference in Juiy. Immediate steps were taken to have a two-tier cake made in Wellington. Icing sugar not being procurable through the Food Controller, headquarters staff contributed the required ainount of this commadity and the executive is indebted to Mrs. White for vaiuable aid in packing the cake, which has left for England. It will be iced and suitably inscribed by an expert in London and it is hoped that this gesture will bear eloquent testimony to the fact that the thoughts and best wishes of the New Zdaland Red Cross Society will be with all who foregather on such an historic occasion in Oxford. Mr. White mentioned that the meeting in Oxford promised to have a very compreliensive agenda, which would call for careful planning. They exxiected up to 100 delegates and the arrangements for billeting in sonie of the colleges seemed niost satisfactory. He had sat in on a discussion vvitli the heads of the jUnior aud youth departments jvlio hoped. to stage a sliow with assistance from national societies (New Zealand has dispatclied a sinail junior exliibit). Giviug his impressions of Londou, Mr. White urrote that the wounds were many and the scars -were still visible, although the tender sxiring foliage of the many thousands of beautiful trees went far to cover up the ugliness. The parks were a joy forever — tulips in hundreds of thousands in full bloom, aud oue never tired of the trees. He had vvandered round the streets and seen coinplote houses wixied out and all around windows of otliers compJeleJy gutted. The task of reeoiistrirction would be enormous but the great people of England wero ' buckling down to it aud the value of; exporls todav was aliuost 88 per Cent. of what they were in 1988. The many conferences going on were; of tremendous importaiice. He had not'found out about L'urru matters but hoped to get iirsthaud information immediately from someone just back from Eurox>e. He hoped to get to the Cmrtinent later on but his time was fully occuxiied witli ab J,w, had.tp ,do. , .. . Life was not easy for anyonc who went there without a * reasouabiy settled place of abode, Mr. White declared. Roonis were hard to coiue by and food and eating places a matter oi constant discussion. Epgland was, as usual, stauding the siege vvdtli calmness and fortitude, and tlie wriler felt priviloged to be there at such a time.