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IN EXTREMIS

CRY FROM CENTRAL EUROPE WELLINGTON RELIEF FUND FOUNDED At the request of a committee of citi*pns the Mayor (Air. ,T. i\ Luke) called a meeting lor yesterday atterpoon lor (Jib purpose of taking steps locally to alleviate the stress and Buffering that hold ■Central Europe in an iron grip, ihe Council Chamber was well filled, lhe Mayor said that ho hull received ail apology far absence from tho Bishop of Wellington, who was in tho northern part ot his diocese, hut was sending a representative (Archdeacon Johnson), lhe Bishop mentioned that the Anglican clergy had been collecting since last Chnstnuw for the object the meeting was concerned with, in response to a direct appeal lrom the Archbishop of Canterbury, and had already dispatched several hundred pounds. Archbishop 0 Shea also regretted his inability to attend, but stated that for several months past, the Catholics had been collecting for the distressed people of Central Europe at the behest ot the Westminster Catholic Federation. Already a sum of ifc&OO had been sent to London. An apology from the Hon. G. J. Anderson was also read, Tho Mayor said he had hesitated over calling the meeting until the citizens gavo the movement some backing. They had done so, and ho was sure that thero would bo a generous response from the people. At the same time, quite a number of citizens considered that tho people they wero concerning themselves about had no claim on them. That could hardly be said of tho children, who wore suffering worst of all. There was, in hia opinion, no reason why they shoiild hold back their' sympathy and substance. The. Hon. Dr. W. E. Collins, M.L.C., moved: "That it is desirable flat the public in this district should be given an opportunity to subscribe to a fund for the alleviation of the distress and ■ disease among the children of Central Europe, and -that the money bo remitted through the British Red Cross to the authority administrating the general fund." Dr. Colling said that according to the latest pamphlets issued by the Imperial' War Relief Fund, a fund had been raised to combat disease and distress in the war-striiken areas of Europe and Asia. That fund was attempting to raise .£2,000,000. Any funds Bent from this country could bp earmarked for the "Save tho Children Fund." and.should be remitted through the British Red Cross. , Central Europe's Travail,

Quoting irom u pamphlet issued by the Imperial War lieliet fund,. l)r. Collins read: "Why bother our heads about what )s happening at this moment halftoJ' acruis Jiurope? Surely we have Jiuite enough troubles and obligations of our own. \Ve are taxed almost to tlie breaking point. Our hospitals are fightins ior dtar life. Disabled soldiers and 6ailors, widows and orphans, war memorials, and a score of other compelling* causes, knock insistently at the doors of tho charitable public. Why, then, complicate matters still further with an appeal for sufferers who are not our own; in relief of distresses which, however genuine and deplorable, offer at least tlio vantage point of distance should we cure to hold ourselves excused? Tlie answer is that human suffering varies widely in its manifestations and degrees of intensity. A tragedy is being enacted here and i*uw, over immense area 9of Central Europe, about which men of British birth mercifully know nothing. Search our hospitals through and through, and you will scarcely find trace,s of a horror, which has become the lot of so many of our fellowmen. We Britishers are, on the whole, a humane people. We are out to prevent cruelty to children; even to dumb, animals. We rather pride ourselves, too, mi our line sporting spirit; and if the facts-are as stated, or'anything, like theni, we are the last nation on earth to stand .quietly; by, and acknowledge ourselves beaten by monstrous circumstances which lie within the power of man to control—at any rate until we have put our last ounce into it. "The following statements from the latest reports of the League of Red Cross Societies, of Uoverniuent officials, and of American experts, may be taken us gospel truth: 'Wholesale, starvation th Poland. .... No words can do,scribe the appalling misery of the famished population of Vienna. Death stalks through the streets in broad midday, and takes •unhindered toll. j\n examination of 187,000 school-children made in Decomber, 1919, showed that 20,000 were well nourished, 70,000 were .under-nourished, and 97,000 were under-nourished and sick. Tlio, general death-rate has risen 46-' per cent, since 1913. The mortality from tuberculosis has risen 250 per cent, in tho same period. Many ohildren of one year havo not surpassed their weight at birth, i Budapest is one va«t eitv of misery and suffering. In 1913 there vera 2.1,000 births and 17.300 dentils; in 3918 there were 14,700 births and 29.900 deaths, (lie number of deaths double that of the births. - Poland—From the present indications (February, 1920) tlio population is threatened with one of l.h» worst types of fever epidemics in the history of the world, which, unless checked, will prove a dsuizcr that will threaten the whole of Eurooe. - There are now approximately 2")0,000 cases of typhus."

Dr. Collins pointed out that gigantic as this tragedy was, it could b? met, lind cured. Tho, history of Serbia in, the 1 wir had proved that. ' Hp hoped -flint the U olliiißtfln public would respond in a manner worthy of the eiiv. Miss Iceland. in fronding tile tiimtion. emphasised the dreadful condition of the many peonies in Hint'povertystricken corridor between Danzi" in Odessa. Returned Soldiers' Attitude, Mr. J nnicß Hannah, representing tho lwturncd Soldiers' Association, said that a rumour had gone abroad that his ciation was working against the fund, and he had been-naked to attend tho iuieetuig to give that report an unquahtied denial. Mr. 'I'. Young said the Returned Soldiers (Association was quite right to inake all inquiries as to how funds were to reach their objective. In this ens* it was through, the Imperial AVar Belief Fund Committee. I/iiko proposcxl that a committee be set up with the following as members: The. Mayoress, Mesdnmes Nathan, Wright, Fordo and Mis s -England (with power to add the names of other ladies), the Mayor (to be chairman), Hon. Dr. \A. ]j. Collins (viw-clminnani, Messrs. L. Hunt, J, Tf. Howell, Fl. I*. Hay, U. CODenton, R, and R ]) erir . ™ n ' tt • r Fal £ :ner . T ' : Youne. J. Hannah, AV 11. I;. Foster, ,T. M. Ilott, tho ministers present and lay or other repvefientatives of nil the churches, with power to add to their number. This motion was passed.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19201015.2.6

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 17, 15 October 1920, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,100

IN EXTREMIS Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 17, 15 October 1920, Page 3

IN EXTREMIS Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 17, 15 October 1920, Page 3

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