Circular ; Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31st December, 1938 ; Report of the Work of the National Joint Committee for Spanish Relief, The British Committee for Refugees from Spain and The Basque Children's Committee

              NATIONAL JOINT COMMITTEE FOR SPANISH RELIEF
CHAIRMAN: THE DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, D.B.E., D.C.L.
VICE-CHAIRMAN: THE EARL OF LISTOWEL
MISS ELEANOR RATHBONE, M.P.
HON. SECRETARIES:
Mr. D.R. GRENFELL, M.P.
LT.-COL. J.R.J. MACNAMARA, M.P.
Mr. WILFRID ROBERTS, M.P.
HON. TREASURER: VISCOUNT CECIL OF CHELWOOD, P.C. K.C.
ORGANISING SECRETARY: DR. BETTY MORGAN.
30, ECCLESTON STREET,
LONDON, S.W.1.
TELEPHONE: SLOANE 9866
Dear Friend,
You will find enclosed a report of the considerable achievements of three committees in Spanish Relief work. It is a record of which we may all be rightly proud, of a great struggle against the misery and suffering which war and tyranny has brought and still inflicts upon the people of Spain.
As secretary of the Committees, I want to thank all those who, by their generosity in money, time or service, have taken part in this work.
Now that we are at war my committee have felt it necessary to cut down our expenditure in every possible way. We have reduced our administrative staff to a minimum both in France and England. Much against our will, we have also drastically reduced our relief work in France, a decision which was difficult to make because the position of Spanish refugees, of whom there are some 100,000 men, women and children, is now even worse than it was before.
Yet there remain some responsibilities which we must continue to meet unless we are to inflict undeserved suffering upon those who are dependent upon us. We have also our own credit to consider. We cannot endure the thought of throwing those who are dependent on us upon Public Assistance, and yet the funds we have available will be exhausted in from six to eight weeks' time unless you do again come to our assistance. Even with reduced scales, and activities restricted to the minimum that is the position with which we are faced.
Who actually are they to whom we are responsible ?
1. BASQUE CHILDREN. It is easy to say that all should return home to Spain. But what of those who have parents fighting or working for France ? To return these might mean permanent separation from their parents for whom return to Spain is impossible. What of those whose fathers (and in many cases,
P.T.O.