For the second year in succession a Fund raised in connection with “The Ddaily News” is undertaking the supply of the armies at the front with a half-pound portion of Christmas pudding for every man.
Last year the Fund amounted to £8,300, and over 500,000 men were supplied. This year the number to be supplied is about four times as great. This includes the troops in France and Flanders, in the Dardanelles Egypt, and the Mediterranean.
Last year the fund undertook the supply of consignments to particular regiments and other units at the instance of Private donors and local subscription. This year, at the desire of the War Office, it has limited itself to the simple plan of presenting to the Army, as a whole, its Christmas pudding as a whole.
In this way all overlapping and confusion will be avoided, and the task of the Army transport and distributing departments – vast enough in itself – will not be confused by overlapping and duplicated supplies and special addresses.
The Army Council has for the second time given the scheme its fullest sanction and benediction. The puddings are all to be made by contractors approved by the War Office; medical inspectors for the War Office will inspect the factories the ingredients, the process of manufacture, and the completed puddings which, delivered from the makers to the Army in hermetically sealed tins, will reach the men at the front with the utmost guarantee of wholesomeness.
The War Office will convey the pudding free of charge from the manufacturer at the front.
That the puddings will be British Christmas puddings of the best is guaranteed by the fact that the contractors sample puddings on which the contracts are places are adjudicated upon by no less an expert than M. Eacoffier, of the Carlton Hotel, who is the acknowledged authority on the British Christmas pudding.
POINTS TO REMEMBER.
Every man must have his half-pound share.
All must be in the hands of the Army authorities by the end of November
Every sum, however small, will help a man to a helping.
Sixpence supplies one man, 2s. 6d. six. £1 50, (30s.) a platoon, £3 an artillery battery, £5 a company, £9 an artillery brigade, £12 a cavalry regiment, £20 a battalion of infantry.
He gives twice who gives quickly. There is not a moment to lose. Nothing is so “Christmassy” as Christmas pudding.
By no other means can every man at the front receive his message from home on Christmas Day so surely as by this.
The task is great, but it will be easily accomplished by united effort. The Amman Valley Chronicle has decided to open a local subscription list in support of the movement, so that all in the district may have the opportunity of feeling that they have sent their own men their share of pudding – a gift from the Home to the Man, from the Nation to the Army.
Assuming the task to be as completely performed as last year – a complete supply for the Army at the various fronts being handed over to the War Office – it is proposed to inform the Officers Commanding the Welsh Regiment that their Christmas pudding is the special gift of subscribers to the Amman Valley Chronicle, and will be acknowledged in this column.
Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to the Amman Valley Chronicle, and crossed. Treasury and bank notes should be sent by registered post.
