Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-05-23
SEEKS AID FOR
EUROPES BLIND
American Bankers and Bust
ness Men Issue Appeal
Throughout U. 5.

blinded in the European War are il
a pitiable condition, according to al
appeal of American bankers, philan
thropists and business men, through
the B. +. b. Permanent Blind Relic
War Fund, 500 Fifth Avenue, New
York City.
The appeal was issued locally, to
day, by w. T. Tandy, Presidentof the
City Bank & Trust Company, who j:
Sub-Treasurer of the Fund in this
locality and who will receive all local
contributions and forward same.
Unable 10 work at former trades.
these numerous blinded war-victims
cannot support themselves and their
families. Their governments, over
burdened with more immediate prob
lens, are able to do very little for
them the appeal states.
Six months training, on the other
hand, the bankers, business men and
philanthropists say, can educate al
most all of these thousands of now
useless Sind men in practical, paying
trades, in which they can support
themselves and at least Partially sup
port their families. Work OF this
kind has already been begun by c.
Arthur Pearson. the blind English
newspaper proprietor and philan-
thropist, at St. Dunstan's, in England;
by NJ. Rene Vallery-Radot through
Lies AmiS DIES Soldats" in the Mai
son du Convalescence" in France,
and by Miss Winifred Holt, of the
Comite Franco American pour les
Aveugle, of which the Hon. Joseph
H. Choate is president. The B. F. B.
Permanent Blind Relief War Fund
seeks to assist, develop and enlarge
these efforts.
The American bankers, business
men and philanthropists who are issu-
ing the appeal include Frank A. Van
derlip, President of the National City
Bank; August Belmont, the Hon. Eli
hu Root Vincent Aston, the Hon,
Robert Bacon, DR.. Nicholas Murray
Butler, U. S. Senator Thomas P.
Gore, the Hon. Myron T. Herrick,
Otto H. Kahn, Joseph Widener, and
George A. Kessler.
These gentlemen and their asso-
ciates intend to organize an American
Fund of sufficient proportions to con-
duct thoroughly throughout Europe,
the work which Mr.. Pearson, at St
Dunstan's, NJ. Rene Vallery-Radot
les Amis des Soldats Aveu- |
giles" in Paris, Miss Holt Of the Com
tie, and kindred institutions are now
doing locally.
The first work of the Fund will be
to enlarge and modernize all the pres
ent blind institutions of Europe by
means of financial donations, as we'll
as assisting the work, of Mr.. Pearson
in England, NJ. Vallery-Radot and
Miss Holt, in France. The Fund lat
er intends to organize in various Eu-
ropean cities additional modern
equipped blind schools, blind work
shops, blind employment exchanges
and agencies for commercializing
blind products, so that all this partic-
ular class of war-victims may be saved
from their present hopeless and help
less situation, and may be rendered
for life.
"Self-respecting, able-bodied, pass
ing daily through a living death, these
thousands of blinded war-victims are
being slowly killed, not by their in
iuries, not by starvation, but by the
apparently permanent hoplessness of
their situation. Six months training,
on the other hand, will educate each
Dne of them in some trade not re-
quiring sight. A single contribution
Of several hundred dollars will 90 far
10 make one of these blinded soldiers
for life, the appeal
states.
The appeal is being sent to 10000
people of prominence throughout the
United States.