Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-09
ARE SEEKING FUND
 FOR EuRoPEss BLINDED
American Bankers and Business Men Issue Appeal to Citizens of Norwich.

Issue Appeal to Citizens of Norwich.
 The thousands of French, Belgian and British soldiers who have been blinded in the European war are in a pitiabIe condition, according to an sp- peal of American bankers. philanthro- l pists and business men, through the B. F. B. permanent blind relief war fund, 590 Fifth avenue, New York city.
 line appeal was issued in Norwich Monday by F. J. Leavens, president of the Dime Savings bank, who is sub treasurer of the fund in this locality, and who will receive all local contr1bu- tons.
 Unable to work at former trades, these numerous blinded war victims cannot support themselves and their families. Their governments, overbur- dened with more immediate problems ] are able to do very little for them, the appeal states.
 To Educate the Blind. Six months, training. on the other hand, the bankers. business men and | philanthropists say, can educate almost all of these thousands of now useless hlind men in practical, paying trades, | in which they can support themselves ana at least partially support their 1 families. Work of this kind has al- ready been begun by c. Arthur Pear son, the blind English newspaper pro- prietor and philanthropist at St. Dun stan's, in England, by M. Rene Vallery- I Radot through Les Amis des Soldats l Aveugles, in the Maison du Convalesc- ence, in France, and by Miss Winifred ! Holt of the Comite Franco American 1 pour les Aveugles, of which the Hon. l Joseph H. Choate is president. The 1 B. F. B. permanent blind relief war fund seeks to assist, develop and en- large these efforts.
 ' bo AT71o 11oY han 91IlSf and philanthropists who are issuing I the appeal include Frank A. Vanderlip, l president of the National City bank; I August Belmont, the Hon. Elihu Root, pr. Nicholas Murray Butler, U. s. Sem ator Thomas P. Gore. the Hon. Myron 1 T. Herrick, Otto H. Kahn, Joseph l Widener and George A. Kessler. 1 These gentlemen and their associates l intend to organize an American fund of sufficient proportions to conduct thor cughly throughout Europe the work l which MT. Pearson, at St Dunstan's s, 1 Nj. Rene Va1lery-Radot through Les Amis des SoIdats Aveugles, in Paris, institutions are now doing locally. I 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 well l as assisting the work of MT. Pearson
 
 Holt in France. The fund later in tends to organize in various European cities additional modern equipped blind schools. blind workshops, blind employment exchanges and agencies for commerciaHzing blind products, so that all this particular class of war victims may be saved from their pres ent hopeless and helpless situation and may be rendered self supporting for life.
 A Daily Living Death.
 Self respecting, able bodied, pass ing daily through living death, these thousands of blinded war victims are being slowly killed not by their in- juries, not by starvation, but by the apparently permanent hopelessness of their situation. Six months training,
 on the other hand, will educate each
 one of them in some trade not requir-
 ing sight. A single contribution of
 several hundred dollars will go far to
 make one of these blinded soldiers self
 supporting for life" the appeal states 2 The appeal is being sent to 120, GOO people of prominence throughout the
 United States.
 The patronage of their majesties, the
 king and queen of Great Britain, and
 the queen mother, Alexandra, as well as M Raymond Poincare, president oi France, and King Albert and Queer | Elizabeth of Belgium. has been obtain ed for the distribution of the appro- } 1 priations from the fund in their re- spective countries.
 Among the ladies who are active fl
 the funds work in Europe and Amer lea are Lady (Arthur) Paget, Mrs Harry Payne Whitney, Mrs. O. H P ) Belmont Mrs. John Astor, Mrs. Petel l Cooper Hewitt. Mrs. George A. Kessler Hrs. R. Valentine Webster Acting al honorary treasurers, with MT Wander lip, are Sir Edward Holden. chairman of the London City and Midland bank and M Georges Pa1lain, governor-gen. eraI of the Bank of France.
 MT Pearson, the English newspapet
 proprietor, who is on the funds exec utive committee, is now living at st Dunstan's with 130 blinded soldiers ant sailors to whose rehabilitation he is de voting his life.
 This fund, although specifically or ganized to aid the blind of three na. Iions will ultimately contribute bene factions upon every blinded persol throughout the entire world. its ofh cials say. According to statistics, tn | world a year before the war broke oli' contained 2,500. 900 blind. The nu1nbe l l of blind who will be added to this tota by the war cannot be estimated unt1 ' years after tI1e war itself is over. President Ieavens announced Mon day that he had a supply of smal pocket banks which will be supp1ie
 10 any responsible parties who ar A known to the bank officials for the col lection Of dimes. The banks have O 4 md on the back are the names of tn
 officials in charge of the fund. Fac
 bank Is numbered and a record is ker n f1F 3Jfa y,vrvrTl7evr re san fr, e7lr,ur ss5ll