BELGRAVIA WORKROOMS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."1 Stn,—Will you allow me to put briefly before your readers the claims of the Belgravia Workrooms and War Hospital Supply Depot? Sir Edward Ward, Director-General of Voluntary Organizations, in a recent letter.to our President, H.R.H. Princes. Christian, reports his inspector's " admiration of the excellent :system in force and of the good work which is turned out is the workrooms." Sir E. Ward adds : " It is of .considerable assistance to us that so well regulated an organization has joined . us." Besides those (an average of 120) who give their services daily.in our rooms, we have over 250 shop assistants who come in the evenings, 150 women who take cut-out garments to make at home, tailors who give their time on Saturday afternoons, and skilled carpenters and cabinetmakers giving us the best work- manship on crutches, splints, bed-tables, &c. In the last three months we have sent out .to hospitals at home and abroad 65,097 bandages -and dressings and 15,076 garments. Unfor- tunately our funds are insufficient to continue the work on its present scale. Yet how curtail it in the face of appeals such as these ? From French hospitals : " Can you extend your kind- - nees to — ? It -has now 330 beds and not enough shirts to go round " ; " The sleeveless vests are a great help. The French soldiers like them . . . only a few had them, and they would not give them up to be washed" ; " Blankets are so short they have to take them off the other beds for the patients who are operated upon." From Italy : " . . able to cope with difficulties which without such timely assistance it would be well-nigh impossible to overcome." From Salonika : " Every- thing is full of soldiers and nothing to do it with." I wish I had space to quote more. The need is indeed pressing. To women especially we look with confidence for help in this matter. In happier times just about now women would begin to think about getting " something decent to wear." This, alas ! is what in the spring of 1916 wo are driven to beg for hundreds of thou- sands of siek and wounded men. Such a conflict of claims one feels has only to be stated to be solved. Our workrooms at 4 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W., are open all day, and visitors will be gladly welcomed. For monthly subscribers we shall be most particularly grateful.—I am, Sir, &c., ELEANOR Cecil.. [We have endorsed so many urgent claims in these columns, and our readers have responded so magnificeritly, that we are -afraid of urging the willing horse,to death. And yet we cannot resist -Lady -Robert -Cecil's appeal. It is harassing to think of such gallant workers sterilized for want of material to work on. Any help given will be twice blessed. It will set flowing a noble stream.—ED. Spectator.]
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