Johnston County Raising Money to Support Christian Children in Near East, Sept. 18, 1923

Raises $2,795.03 for Near East Relief. . . Johnston County Has Almost Reached Its Quota; Help Is Still Needed

Johnston county raised $2,795.03 for Near East Relief this year according to official figures just announced from Raleigh by Col. Geo. H. Bellamy, state chairman of this great humanitarian organization. This is 73 per cent of Johnston’s $3,849 quota.

In announcing these figures, Col. Bellamy paid tribute to Geo. F. Brietz of Selma, county chairman, who was in charge of raising this ?? and all of these who helped Mr. Brietz. Official figures were $944.60 in cash, $683.43 in unpaid pledges on June 30 last, and $1,167 in clothing. Mr. Brietz had many difficulties to overcome, the foremost of which is the misconception on the ?? mind as to the continued need in the Bible lands.

As the Near East Relief in its definite child-saving program, works from year to year, results of work from July 1 to the following June 20 only are announced. During the past fiscal year, Mr. Brietz endeavored to raise the $3,840 required to feed, clothe and educate the 64 little children now in North Carolina orphanages in the Near East and dependent on Johnston county for their very lives. Sixty dollars takes complete care of a child for a year, so efficient is the work of the Near East Relief overseas.

The report will also show that North Carolina greatly oversubscribed its quota. Over 1,000 volunteer workers, good Christian men and women, marshalled together and directed by Morris A. Bealle, state director, made possible the raising of this magnificent sum, Col. Bellamy declared.

He stressed the fact that the end of this great work is not yet—that until the Allied Powers made some provision for these homeless Christian wanderers who made great and successful sacrifices during the world war and were abandoned to a fate worse than death by their former allies, they cannot become self-supporting.

The spectacle of an entire natin being saved by another people 3,000 miles away is without parallel in history, Col. Bellamy pointed out. In conclusion he declared that if America does not feed them and keep them alive now, they will starve and our splendid work of the last five years will have been in vain. No other nation in the world appears to be humane or Christian enough to do this, he stated.

From the front page of the Smithfield Herald, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 1923