Show NEAR EAST RELIEF CLEAR UP DEFICIT the near east relief has cleared up a deficit ot of since the beginning ot of the current fiscal year according to the annual report of its ita national hoard board of 0 trustees which has as just been published this deficit I 1 it t is noted was the result ot of the far reaching refugee operations carried on by the organization since the smyra distastes dis taster the society hopes to come through ae current year without any similar financial embarrassment the annual report which is an official congressional document issued in accordance with the organizations national charter gives a comprehensive idea of the tar far reaching relief operations which the american people have carried out in bible lands during the past year although financial considerations necessitated the limitations of the work mainly to establish orphanage and child welfare work the service of near east relief reached persons and total expenditures tures were the widespread constituency arol support which the organization commands throughout the united states I 1 is indicated by the fact that during the year official receipts were sent to contributors and many ol of these receipts represented large groups ot of givers 1 in churches clubs or community committees in an attempt to appraise thel th evalue value of relief operations in the near east the work of 0 this american philanthropy Is likened to the work of 0 the dawes commission in western E europe ur in this connection it Is noted that vice president dawes has been for or several years an active member ot the national board of 0 trustees of near east relief special paragraphs ot of the report call attention to certain outstanding activities ot of the organization such as the agricultural schools the nurses training courses the successful efforts at child placing the industrial training and the development ot of a comprehensive educational program in summing up the years work the general secretary says in our land of unequaled wealth unbroken peace and unprecedented prosperity it is hard bard to visualize the continued wartime war time contusion confusion and suffering in the near east following twelve years of almost continuous warfare devastating already impoverished countries there has been during the year under review a continuation of the compulsory exchange ot of populations that in human tragedy defies description in addition to the more than foreign born and in a large measure foreign speaking greeks and Arem alaris that had previously been driven drilea from their ancient homes in anatolia to the overpopulated over populated regions of greece and macedonia there has this year been a continued forced exodus swelling the already overcrowd over crowd ed refugee camps and villages these people are among the oldest res residents of asia minor descendants of the founders of the seven churches of asia in greece northern syria and russian armenia where they now sojourn they are not only foreign born but a foreign language and many of them have no claim upon the land or resources of the countries that generously give them haven all observers bear witness to the thrift industry and enterprise of 0 the able bodied among these refugees they attain self support against almost impossible handicaps but unfortunately the proportion of able bodied men is small most of them are women and children the women in large measure weakened or broken by years of inhuman suffering exposure and maltreatment it would require volumes to record the indebtedness of america and our western civilization to these eastern lands and peoples the very alphabet upon which our literature arid and written communications are based the numerals in it which our wealth and profits are reckoned the religions that hold us to higher ethical ideas the great characters and leaders that challenge us to our best have all come from the near east it Is to their descendants that we have an opportunity to show our gratitude tor for the great her heritage of the past by helping their children now orphaned in the hour of need from a purely selfish standpoint of insuring permanent world peace we must needs minister to the near east unless peace and goodwill is established in this area of age long war and strife there can never be abiding peace in the rest of the world by the expression of good will toward these innocent war victims and ly by training them in lives of forgiveness unselfish service and industrial leadership we not only acknowledge in some measure our indebtedness to the near east but we help to insure our own peace and prosperity and that of the rest of the world |