The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-30
In LETTER APPEAL
Near East Relief Uses Mails for
Contribution Requests.
Topeka Business Men Won't
Have to Solicit Funds.
PUBLIC IN CHARITABLE MOOD
But 1t Demands Fewer Drives,
State Director Biby Says.
People Are Not Tired of Giving
10 the Needy" He Declares.

Contrary TO the expectations of the
public Topeka Will not conduct its
regular Near East relief solicitation
campaign this year.
William A Biby. state director,
speaking for the state committee. to-
cav. stated that while the Near East
relief is carrying by far the heaviest
responsibility of any American group
engaged in welfare work at the pres
ont time. the state committee hesitated
20 put on campaign in Topeka TINS
fall on account of the fact that there
has been such an unusually large num-
Der of different drives in the city dur
ing the past few weeks And that
while the committee desired TO exteno
al possible cooperation in accordance
with President Harding's special
emergency request in this connection,
issue December 3. the commlttee
felt that it would be an imposition
uDnn that element of the business men
uho would necessarily have to be
called upon to do the solicitation Work
IN the districts which are usually COW
ercd in a general solicitation cam
palEn: that instead. the state commit
tee had decided that rather than i'm
pose upon the business men a general
solicitation campaign at TINS partlcu-
lar busy holiday season by ASKING
them to give the time necessary TO
make the campaign a success, that
the committee would itself direct a
personal communication to the cnaI-
itably inclined citizens individually
this week. asking them to support the
rrpsfdent's appeal for the Smyrna
emergency which now exists, in as
liberal a manner as they find con-
sfstent with the means which they can
devote to that purpose
Churches Have Helped.
Many of the Topeka churches al
ready have contributed to the Smyrna
emergency in accordance with Prest-
dent Harding's request, and as 1t is
the custom among the majority OF
churches and Sunday schools to make
"A sDecial Christmas contribution
toward the Near East relief program,
It is felt that these contributions added
10 the returns from the general letter
appeal in the city this week VIII go a
long way towards covering the quota
signed to Topeka
~ Asked as to the success which mas
attained the efforts of himself and as
Eociates on the Kansas co-ordinatinS
sornraittee appointed by VIII H. Hays
for tho purpose OF making sys-
rematic orga nized effort to aid the
million Greek and Armenian refugees
In and about Greece and Turkey, Mr..
Hfbys stated that n great number OF
ara y.ors OF Kansas cities had enthusi-
aHtically responded to the appeal di-
rected to them by President Harding
thru NTr. Hays, the local mayors In
each instance appointing emergency
cofumittees of prominent citizens, VINO,
ttir,i different ways, had raised emer-
gency sums in some instances OF more
than a thousand dollars for the relief
OF these distressed people.
Mr.. Bioy also stated that the general
Response which the people of Kansas
we're making to the support of the
Near East relief war orphanage work
IN southern Russia and the Holy Land
had exceeded the expectations of the
state y. L. r. committee. and that the
Voluntary response during the present
Christmas holiday season was prob
ably so per cent greater than in the
same period last year. an unusually
IarcR number of contributors volun-
fnrifv sending their checks in amounts