Bulletin. No. 5

              H.V.T.
NATIONAL JOINT COMMITTEE FOR SPANISH RELIEF
Chairman: The Duchess of Atholl, M.P. 
Vice-Chairmen: The Earl of Listowel,  Miss Eleanor Rathbone M.P. 
Hon. Secretaries: Mr D.R. Grenfell, M.P.,  Capt. J.R.J. Macnamara, M.P.,  Mr. Wilfred Roberts, M.P.,
35, Marsham Street, S.W.1.   Telephone: Victoria 2168 
Organising Secretary:  Mrs. Mary M. Miller.
Co-operating Societies: Social Service Council of The Society of Friends, The Save the Children Fund, The Spanish Medical Aid Committee, The Scottish Ambulance Unit, The Spanish Women's Committee for Help to Spain, The Women's Committee against War and Fascism, The Spanish Youth Foodship Committee, University Ambulance Unit.
BULLETIN No. 5.    9th April, 1937.
The War in Spain is now in its tenth month. As the warmer weather approaches the shortage of such things as coal, warm clothing and boots becomes less of a hardship, but the need for evacuating the civil population, for feeding and housing the refugees and for providing medical equipment is equally, if not more pressing than it was during the winter months. We welcome the response to our appeals for more money (in particular to the milk appeal) and we are very much pleased with the splendid work that is being done in the provinces, but we would emphasise the fact that a constant flow of finds is needed if our work in Spain is to be maintained on its present scale.
MOTOR 'BUSES IN SPAIN
We have, within the last fortnight, sent out another contingent of motor buses to Madrid - one Ford bought by the Committee in London, two Bedfords from the Leeds Joint Committee and another Bedford from Surrey, the money for which was raised by the efforts of Messrs. Green and Vickery (two driver's recently returned from Spain).
One of our 'buses has been bombed, as it stood in a garage in Tarancon, on the way to Madrid. Luckily no one was hurt, but the 'bus was completely destroyed, A new 'bus costs about £300 and we should like to be able to replace the smashed one.
Here are some extracts from Mr. Garratt's letters of March 24th and 29th: " There is still a largish population to evacuate and food is very short, but the very considerable victory over the Italians has altered the position... The work itself is getting quite regularised, especially at the Madrid end... Everything runs much easier now... I get down to Valencia in nine hours and can run down one day, fix things up in the evening and then come back and do something here next day. The victory has helped matters a lot - roads freer, more petrol and also we have our own tanker running... Madrid is perfectly sane and normal, a city living on the edge of a volcano which is not erupting much these days... Madrid had her first spring day yesterday with a really strong sun.   More vegetables coming in."
Although it is impossible to obtain the exact figures, we understand that our 'buses have now carried over two thousand children into safety. We have received some photographs of children being evacuated from Madrid. Copies of which are on sale at this office.
PROFESSOR CATLIN'S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES
Professor G.C. Catlin has just returned from the United States, where he went on behalf of the National Joint Committee. He was able to make valuable contacts both with individuals and with organisations and to interest a large number of people in relief work in Spain. He had interviews with Francis Sayre, Under-Secretary of State, with officials of the American Red Cross, with Mr. Rickard the Director General of the Hoover Mission and with representatives of the American Society of Friends. It is hoped that as a result of his visit, the United States will participate to a far greater degree in the international efforts that are being made to help the Spanish people.