MESSRS. CADBURY AND WAR CHARITIES. [To me EDITOR. or THE
" SPECTATOR.") Ste,—In view of misrepresentation of fact in certain quarters, we hare made out a complete statement of our gifts to War Charities up to date, and submit as cony. We rely on the fair play of the British Press in this matter.—We are, Sir, Ar.,
Bourneille, Birmingham. CADSURY BROS.. LTD.
" CADSCHS BROTHERS, LIMITED, AND WAR CHRRITIES. We make the following statement in reply to sundry critics :—
It has been stated that we have contributed considerable sums of money for tine benefit of German prisoners of war in this country: this statement is untrue. We have not at any time since the com- mencement of the war contributed to German prisoners of war, whilst we have sent, and are sending, gifts to British prisoners of war in Germany and elsewinere. We have, however, contributed to the funds of the Emergency Committee instituted by the Society of Friends. In the early part of the war many German women and children were, with the express approval of the Home Office, assisted to leave the country. Since that time the Society has often befriended English-born wives and children of interned Germans, who in nanny cases are left in a destitute condition because of their German names. The following is a list of our contributions to War Charities up to the present time. It does not include private gifts by members of the firm :—
IVounded British soldiers and sailors, British prisoners of war in Germany and elsewhere, free buffets at railway stations for soldiers and sailors ... £13,000 Fund for employees disabled in the war and dependants £10,000 Prince of Wales's Fund ...' £5,000 Society of Friends' Ambulance Unit (branch of British War Victims' Relief Fund of Society of Friends (for assistance of population of invaded territories) ... .94,050 Y.M.C.A. and Salvation Army, Ac., War Work ... £4,023 Cost of upkeep of Bromyard hospital provided by us for Wounded Soldiers .23,100 Society of Friends' Emergency Fund ... ..e1,750
/1,250
British, French, and Russian lied Cross Societies and 1,937 of our employees have joined the Forces and 1,004 bare gone to Government factories for munitione, Ac. Belginn. Serbian, and Russian Relief Funds ... X1.57.9 £1,503 Blinded Soldiers' and Civilians' Fund .9501/ Birmingham Civic Recreation League (chiefly for munition workers) 3. ... £501 Mine Sweepers' Funds .e20) Y.W.C.A. work in connexion with canteens, hostels, Ac. £101 Women's Farm and Garden Union (for land training) ... X1011
£50,225 Also allowances to date to wives and dependants of our employees who have joined the Forces amounting to .029.09e
tWo hope that Messrs. Cadbury will be able to rely with more satisfaction in the future than in the past on the fair play of some organs of opinion. Many newspapers had nothing to say about those members of Messrs. Cadbury Bros., Ltd., who in one capacity (as proprietors of the Daily News) condemned betting as immoral, and in another °opacity (us proprietors of tile Star) owned what is the equivalent of a public gaming-table. And yet some of those papers rushed into criticism when the cause of complaint against Messrs. Cadbury was by no means clear. It seems to us after reading the letter above that in the matter of War Charities Messrs. Cadbury have been most unjustly abused.— ED. Spectator.]
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