THE BRITISH SAILOR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16749, 2 January 1915, Page 7

THE BRITISH SAILOR.

TO TIIE EDITOR. Sir, —At the present critical moment, when our national supremacy is more than ever dependent upon our armed forces on land and sea, there is one important unit of our great and glorious Empire who, l>y the' very unobtrusiveness of his services, is liablo to be overlooked, viz., the merchant sailor. To him we turn in peace and' war for the very necessaries of life. By facing unflinchingly the perils that beset him day by day, he has made our vast seaborne commerce the greatest in the world. For the transport to the Mother Country of the splendid colonial offerings of men and stores in the hour of our national need we are indebted to Merchant Jack. Yet there are hundreds of these worthy seamen in bitter distress—old, blind and crippled, who cannot obtain employment, and' whoso case is hopeless in the extreme. Shall these be left to fight unaided their uneven fight with penury and misfortuneP For nearly half a century the Royal Alfred Institution has provided a home or pension for aged and destitute British merchant seamen, and an earnest appeal is made to Britons everywhere to enable the committee to keep the flag flying and to carry on as usual their great national and beneficent work.

We appeal with confidence to our colonial friends as well as to those in the Homeland, for in the past our appeal has not been in vain. Please send your contributions to the Royal Alfred Aged Merchant Seamen’s Institution, 58, Fenchurch Street, E.C. —I am, etc.,

J. BAILEY WALKER. Secretary

London. November 10.