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AN APPEAL Not so many years ago, when the word depression did not carry its deadly sting and our vocabulary was not yet en- riched by such words as "home relief”, "work relief,” "fed eral food surplus” etc., merry youngsters crowded through a stately portal on the 24th Street entrance of the YMCA, and their laughter and carefree tales filled the very rooms where today tragedy and misery hover. These premises are now the headquarters of the German-American Conference Relief Committee which was organized five years ago to care for the innocent victims of that cruel, stalking monster, called depression. There, in a real sense, the human wreckage is piled up and there Tolstoyan tragedies daily unfold them- sclves to those whose job it is to listen, to be friendly, to guide, help and inspire new courage in the down-trodden and weary. It is doubly gratifying that the Dresden Kreuzchor should make an American tour in the interest of international good will and the exchange of musical appreciation and enjoyment and yet not forget another noble task: that of helping those in need, by donating the proceeds of their first concert on American soil to the German-American Conference Relief Fund. Indeed, a most happy combination of fruitful endeavor! The GARC is an officially recognized social Service Insti tution with three main functions: 1) Free employment Serv ice; 2) Free vocational and civic counselling; 3) Direct re lief. This three-fold task is mainly carried on with a staff from the Emergency Work Bureau and the Works Division of the Department of Public Welfare, and is interwoven with the entire official and private network of social Service insti- tutions in Greater New York. A Board of Directors, con- sisting of responsible and prominent citizens of German extraction, provides the Organization with the proper back- ground. From December 1, 1933, until November 30, 1934, the GARC placed 1,021 unemployed men in jobs—13,504 Inter views were given of which 7,157 were of a vocational nature. The vocational program was enriched by weekly lectures on social and economic problems by teachers of the University of the State of New York—9,598 persons were given food tickets (Federal Food Surplus)—$18,694.66 were expended in direct cash assistance (home relief) to unemployed German- Americans. It is particularly gratifying to state here that of this sum $13,289.35 came from a single American source and additional $6,883.50 (work relief) were paid by outside organizations to unemployed men and women assigned to our office and field force. Direct aid was also given in the form of 180 new shirts; 240 pair of new trousers; 408 pair of new shoes; 888 pair of new socks. Worn clothing was given to 778 persons. New family cases numbered 721, all of whom were regularly visited and investigated by our field- workers. HeutlttHlPurUUuttc mit tioffrn auf T&jtf It is a somewhat difficult task to enumerate in such a Condensed form the work and the physical results of an in- stitution like ours, because it tends to stress only the purehg materialistic achievements. Wherever "Dienst am Naechstefl or neighborly love is the guiding principle, these material results give only a partial picture and do not take into account the value of friendly counsel, sympathy and a sincere endeavor to implant courage and new hope in the hearts of those whom fate has so cruelly stricken. Of all these intangible things little can be said, because they must be experienced and feit. May we not ask you to support our work by mailing your check, large or small, to our Treasurer, Mr. Felix Arnold, 22 North William Street, New York City? All checks should be made payable to the German-American Conference Relief Fund. In the name of those to whom we try to be of Service and who are surely deserving of your aid and con- sideration we thank you. Karl T. Marx.
