LADY GALWAY GUILD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 156, 1 June 1940, Page 12

LADY GALWAY GUILD

FORMATION UNDER WAY. SPECIFIC AIMS QUOTED. Specific aims to he undertaken by the Lady Galway Patriotic Guild, now in the process of formation, are outlined in a circular received by the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) from the officer in charge of the Patriotic Purposes branch of the Internal Affairs Department. “The duties of this guild,” states the circular, “will be the provision of comforts for refugees and those in necessitous circumstances in Great Britain because of the war. An interchange of cablegrams has taken place with the High Commissioner for New Zealand on this question, and we are now advised that the classes of goods required are new or part-worn underwear and footwear of all descriptions, and men’s and children’s clothing. “Her Excellency will very shortly be making a public statement in regard to the formation of this guild. It is not intended by Her Excellency that the Guild should take over the functions of bodies already organised for war work, but rather to use the services of those ladies throughout the Dominion who are so anxiously desiring to help in a voluntary capacity. “It may be thought that the above guild will conflict with the work of the New Zealand Red Cross Society. This is not so. however, and for your information the following is an extract from the fortnightly periodical of the Red Cross and St. John Organisation, London, dated October 22, 1939, which defines the work of the International Red Cross: ‘Under the International Red Cross Convention, the whole of the relief provided under the symbol of the Red Cross is for the sick and wounded of the fighting forces, prisoners of war, interned in enemy or neutral countries, and civilians injured or sick as the result of hostile action. The Convention does not cover relief of any kind to healthy members of the fighting forces or the civil population, neither does it cover normal 6ick population in civilian hospitals nor evacuated men, women and children.’

“It will be noticed from this that the symlxil of the Red Cross cannot, under this Convention, be used for providing the class of goods mentioned in the first paragraph of this ciiv cular.”