24 Dec. 1943 To Club Presidents and Secretaries 4 The News Letter From the R. |. Secretariat (Central Office) 35 E. Wacker Dr., Chicago |, Ill., No. 12—1943-44 So Cuban Christmas Present Upon the initiative of the presi- dent of the Rotary Club of Havana, a campaign was inaugurated to raise a fund of $100,000.00 to be used for the purchase of cigars and other Cuban products to be sent the sol- diers of the Allies on the fighting fronts, as a Christmas gift from Cuba. The Rotary Club of Havana re- cently sent caramels and other sweets to the soldiers in combat as an evidence of sympathy and sup- port. Liverpool Rotarians Entertain American Servicemen The Rotary Club of Liverpool, England, invites members of the American Armed Forces as guests in the homes of its members—for a meal, for a fireside chat, or to put them up for a night or a weekend. The club secretary in pores on the activity said: These young men are conscious of. our food problems and the many war restric- tions, and consequently do not look for lavish entertainment but for the homely atmosphere of a British home and a chance of getting to know us better. Those Rotarians who have already participated in the scheme have found these men de- lightful fellows who are most grateful for the few hours respite from army life. .. . As a help to greater intimacy and under- standing, the selection of visitors is in the capable hands of American Army chaplains who endeavor to link visitors and hosts whose business, sports, interests and hobbies are identical. The club posts notices headed “British Homes for Americans—A Home Away from Home” where servicemen will see them, and would welcome the opportunity to enter- tain Rotarians and sons and friends of Rotarians. - Rotary clubs may want to advise their members and sons of mem- bers who are in the Armed Forces “somewhere in England” of the hospitality which awaits them in Liverpool, and suggest that they contact their chaplains about get- ting in touch with the Rotary Club of Liverpool. ——> ae L. y y 5,235 Rotary Clubs 220,500 Rotarians {Of these, 214 clubs with 7,500 members in war-affected countries are inactive) 65 New Clubs in 18 Countries Since July 1, 1943 U.S. Servicemen in Chungking Many Rotarians in the United States are entertaining students from China in their homes. Accord- ing to the “News Bulletin” of the Institute of International Education, in Chungking, China, American servicemen are being entertained in Chinese homes. The bulletin says: “A master list of all United States army and navy personnel in Chungking has been prepared and every man in uniform is assured of at least one invitation from a Chinese family.” “Hutch” Apologizes A. J. Hutchinson, genial “inter- national correspondent” of the Ro- tary Club of Auckland, New Zealand, has discovered to his great dismay that letters to a number of Rotary clubs in the United States were sent from his office without sufficient postage. He deeply regrets this error, and his apologies are hereby ex- tended to those clubs which may have been obliged to pay the post- age due on such letters. ° Bus Service for Native Patients As a result of the efforts of the Rotary Club of Pretoria, South Af- rica, arrangements were made for a bus service for native patients to and from the hospital. The absence of such a service had been a cause of considerable hardship to natives who were requiring medical atten- tion but were unable to pay taxi fares. Te Calcutta Rotary Feeds the Poor Guenther Stein, special corre- spondent for “The Christian Science Monitor,” under date of October 9th, 1943, wrote: The most outstanding work I saw was a free kitchen from Calcutta’s Rotary Club, run by an Indian barrister. Under the trees in a big square of one of the city’s residential quarters, more than 1,000 destitutes grouped in a dozen “wheels” squatted on the lawn awaiting the moment when volunteer workers would start la- dling two and a half pounds of nourishing lentil, onion and vegetable gruel into everybody’s eating pots. ... Feeding takes place every noon, when they gather from their pathetic temporary | homes on Calcutta’s pavements. Rotarians know well this is no solution to the funda- mental problem even for the limited num- bers they are able to serve. But mere comparison of the appearance of these fortunates with the destitution of others shows clearly how much one regular daily meal helps. Rotarian wards, especially the children, put on some weight, are livelier, and frequently have some expression of hope and cheer on their faces. All communal and caste prejudices are overcome. Moslems, Hindus, and various castes distribute food in unity on one side, eating together on the other, which is equally exceptional. “The disappearance of our communal differences, at least in this small spot, is itself a worthwhile re- sult of our work,” said one former volun- teer. Calcutta Rotarians report that over 40,000 adults have been fed and 6,000 babies have been provided with milk during recent months through the efforts of the Rotary Club of Calcutta. That club has been as- sisted in its work by Rotary clubs and Rotarians in all parts of India whose spontaneous gifts have amounted to more than 25,000 rupees, or approximately $7,500. Clapham Aids Stalingrad Participating in a campaign to equip a new hospital in Stalingrad, the Rotary Club of Clapham, Lon- don, England, raised £310 for the provision and maintenance of two beds. The Rotary wheel will be placed over the beds.