Lives Of Numerous Children At Stake

Chronicle (Levin), 4 May 1948, Page 4

Lives Of Numerous Children At Stake

It was probably the greatest appeal ever %unched m the world, on behalf of" humanity,. said the Ivlayor, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, yesterday, in bringing to the nouc'e of the Levin Rotary .Cub the Bomin-ion-wide appeal which is' to be eonducted during the preseht month for funds to bring relief to countless children facing death in the war-to'rn countries of the world.: He also outlined plans by which Levin will be able to play its part iri the effort, on the success of which the lives of many of these children hang. It waS estimated that in Europe alone some 50,000,000 children, 15, '000, 000 of whom were suffering from tuberculosis contracted bhrough .extreme exposure, were in desperate straits today, said Mr.Burdekin. Clothing and medical supplies were their major and mpst urgent need, while in many cases food was also essential. The United Nations had put forWard the plan for an appeal thiS year in every country of its member; nations, continued the speaker. New Zealand had decided to conduct it during the present month and the target set was £500,000. All the administrative work was being done on a voluntary basis so that the whole of the money raised would be available for this great purpose. It would be speht in New Zealand on the articles so sorely required and these would then be sent overseas. The slogan adopted was "Give a Day to the Children," and it was hoped that everyone" would give one day's salary" or wages. He' was calling a meeting - of ! repr'esentatives of local organisations on Thursday night to organise the appeal' in Levin, said Mr. Burdekin, and a house-to-house collection wopld probably be car'ried out. Meanwhile, he had asked all bodies making appeals for food for Britain to stand these down during the month so that all endeavours could go into the children's appeal, which would touch the hearts and minds of everyone. •