The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-18
AMERICA ASKED
TO AID S. PC. A.
OF THE BRITISH
Want Cash to Help Dumb
Animals on Battlefields
Of Europe.

New York, Dec. 18.-The humane
towns throughout the United States
and Canada have been formally in
vited to cooperate with the Amer
lean S. P. c. A, of New York, in or
ganizing a campaign to raise $780,
900 with which to carry on the work
Of the Royal s. P. G. A, Of Great
Britain, in alleviating suffering
among the dumb animals on the bat
tlefields of Europe. Prominent per-
sons identified with humane work in
each city are expected to take part
in the movement, which is already
well under way in many places.
The campaign has just opened here
under the auspices of the American
S. P. c.. A., whose Board of Cover
nors has started the British Fund
with a contribution Of $1,000. Sub
scriptions by individuals are begin
ming to come in, more than $4,000
having been received already, An
auxiliary of the Royal society has
been formed in New York with a
large membership Of prominent hui
manitarians, and branches are to be
established in the principal cities of
the United States and Canada, with
a view to raising the required half
million dollars within six months.
With the Duke of Portland as
chairman and the King and Queen
and many British notables as pat
rons, the Royal Society has saved
literally tens Of thousands Of sick
and wounded cavalry mounts, artil-
lery horses, and transport mules,
which otherwise would have been
lost 1t is the only voluntary organ
ization that is permitted by the Brit
ish war office to cooperate with the
Army Veterinary Corps at the front.
Queen Alexandra and King George
and Queen Mary were among the
first subscribers to It's fund, which is
expended under the supervision of
the war office, for the erection at the
front Of veterinary hospitals with
wards and "beds'' for thousands of
horses.
For the first time in warfare ami
mails receive virtually the same care
as that given to sick and wounded
men. Motor and horse drawn am
balances are used in the conveyance
of wounded animals, operations are
performed under anAesthetics, and
the latest and most scientific methods
employed The efforts to prevent
needless suffering are emphasized by
numerous cases in which humane
workers, as we'll as troopers, have
been "potted" because they exposed
themselves under fire to end the mis-
cry Of animals that had been injur-
ed The appeal to America for funds
with which to carry on the work " .
necessitated by the financial exhaus-
ton at home, according to Richard
H Rees, the Royal Society's delegate
in this country.
"In view of the necessity Of the
work consequent upon the indispen-
stability of horses and mules in the
war;" said Mr.. Rees, lit was decided
to go on with the erection of addi-
tional hospitals at the front and to
trust that the financial requirements
will be met by Canada and the
United States. It is not generally
known that motor vehicles, notwith-
standing their universal use in the
war, cannot usually advance within
five miles Of the firing line, on &C.
count Of trenches, shell craters and
other distractions. Horse and mule
traction is therefore, the only means
Of transport in the danger zones, and
the number Of animals so employed
runs into the millions, of which about
100000 in the British Army alone
are constantly on the sick and
wounded list"
COL Alfred Wagstaff and Henry
Bergh, president and treasurer, re-
spectively, of the American 8. P. G.
A., have taken similar positions with
the Royal Society's Auxiliary here.
Offices have been opened at No. 1
Madison avenue. New York city.
whittier contributions, addressed to
Henry Bergh should be directed.