“Now a word concerning War Relief Societies in general. (There’s more to hear than you thought, isn’t there?) I cannot possibly give you details about them all, because their name is legion.  For instance, this printed list contains the names of a hundred and ten such societies; and there are others.  As you see, it covers Armenian, Belgian, British, French, Italian, Lithuanian, Persian, Polish, and Russian Relief enterprises of every kind.  German Relief Societies?  Yes, throughout the United States there are eleven German and Austrian Societies altogether; but they are all under purely Teutonic management, as a glance at the names of their supporters will show.  America, as such, stands aloof from them.

“Let us have a look at the purely British Relief Societies, which naturally will interest you most.  There is The American Women’s War Hospital at Paignton, Devonshire, directed by Lady Paget, herself an American, and supported by American contributions.  It is a far cry from America to Australia, but there is an Australian War Relief Fund in America.  Then take the British War Relief Association of America.  This Association occupies an entire floor in a lofty building on the busiest stretch of Fifth Avenue.  All day and every day they work away, cutting surgical dressings at the rate of nine thousand yards a week.  They also collect and despatch comforts of every kind, from motor ambulances to antiseptic pads.  The rent of their premises is eight thousand dollars a year; but they get the whole place free.  Their landlord, an American citizen, has given them that floor for the duration of the war, as his contribution to the fund.  Isn’t that pretty fine?  Again, there is an American branch of your own Prince of Wales’ fund.  There is a United States Guild for British Soldiers’ Comforts; there is an Indian Soldiers’ Fund Committee, and many others.  These, as you see, are purely pro-British organizations, but naturally your country also benefits under all general schemes of Allied Relief.  Last summer, for instance a great bazaar was held in New York in aid of Allied War Charities, and over half a million dollars were cleared.  Another bazaar, held more recently in Boston, raised over four hundred thousand dollars.  Another, in Chicago, was equally successful.  And so the tale goes on.  France and Belgium, of course, receive the lion’s share of American sympathy, as being invaded countries, but I have told you enough to show what we are trying to do for Great Britain too.  We are somewhat handicapped, however, by the fact, firstly, that Great Britain is not exactly what one would call a gracious receiver of benefits, and secondly, that the man in the street over here regards your country as too fabulously rich to require relief of any kind.  But after all, it is the spirit of good will which counts, and you have all ours.