“HAVING IT RATHER TOUGH.”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 August 1940, Page 4

“HAVING IT RATHER TOUGH.”

AT their face value, Y.M.C.A. reports, extracts from which were published yesterday, on the subject ol the need for a. much-improved supply of comforts for our First Echelon, troops in Egypt, call for prompt action by the National Patriotic Fund Board and the Government. New Zealanders in the forward area, according to ti Y.M.C.A. representative, are “having it rather tough.” Unless it can be shown that the accounts given are overdrawn or inaccurate, or that the conditions they describe are beyond remedy, there should be no question as to the necessity of improving greatly and at once on these conditions. If the troops are as poorly off for comforts as these reports declare if follows that parcels sent from this country have not been reaching them. The whole position needs clearing up. In the extent to which conditions incidental to war service and beyond control make it impossible for our soldiers to be supplied' with comforts, there is, of course, no ground for complaint. There should be no question, however, of the supply of comforts being cut off simply on account of failure to make arrangements that are practicable.

From the Y.M.C.A. reports it is clear that so far as the National Patriotic Fund Board is concerned, arrangements thus far made for the supply of comforts to the troops in Egypt have in great part broken down. Goods that were consigned to Egypt went instead to England with the Second Echelon and the resultant deficiency apparently has not been made good by the transmission of funds with which to purchase comforts, on account of the scarcity of suitable goods and articles in the Middle East.

That apart, there is the question of giving what facilities are possible lor the transmission to individual soldiers of goods dispatched by their relatives and friends in this country, and of throwing some clear light on what these facilities amount to. As Ims been said, reason appears lor believing that parcels sent Io soldiers in Egypt either are not reaching them or are doing so only after very long delay. If this stale of affairs (‘annul be improved upon, that fact should be made known. II il can be improved upon no time should be lost in taking action 10 that end. Incidentally, if Egypt declares war on Italy, as 11 seems likely she may do in the very near future, it may be possible to secure the lifting of the ban al present imposed on the dispatch of cigarettes and tobacco Io our soldiers in Egypt. The whole of these questions demand and deserve the immediate and practical attention of the Government and of the other authorities concerned.