New-York tribune., 1902-05-14
PRESIDENT APPEALS FOR AID.
GOVERNMENT HURRTLNG THE WORK or SENDING SUPPLIES
10 MAR1YNIQUE AND ST. VINCENT
PLANS NEARLY COMPLETE E
FOOD FOR TWO WEEKS WILL SOON BE
on THE WAY TO MARTINIQUE
AND ST. VINCENT.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. J

AND ST. VINCENT.
GBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRisUNEl
Washington, May 13-With the departure OF
the naval collier Sterling from San Juan. which
is expected tonight. and the Dixie from New
York tomorrow. the urgent relief measures for
the Martinique sufferers will be complete so far
as now contemplated by the army and navy Off
cials According 70 present information, these
two vessels alone will provide food for all need
ing il for at least two weeks. and by that time
ii is expected that the French Government will
be able cope with the situation. assisted by
private benevolence. The orders to the Sterling,
which dischargng a cargo of coal at the
San Juan naval station. were sent by cable last
night. simultaneously with directions to the
army officers TO put board Of her all the food
and clothing that could he spared. She should
reach Martinique within twenty-four hours, and
will be immeda tely available for the important
duty Of rescuns persons on the devastated ISL
and. removing them to Guadeloupe This is
regarded by many the most urgent work that
now faces the rescue parties. 1t was emphasized
in the following passage from the Presidents
message to Congress Yesterday:
The government Of France. while expressing
their thanks for the marks of sympathy which
have reached them from America, inform US
that Fort de France and the entire island OF
Martinique are still threatened. They therefore
request that for the purpose of resCuing the peo-
pie who are in such deadly peril and threatened
with starvation the government OF tne tHhIed
States may send. soon as possible. the means
of transporting from the stricken island
NAVAL VESSELS READY FOR USE.
The Sterling is admirably adapted for this ser
vice having several unohstructed decks capable
of accommodating comfortably several thousand
refugees in the short Of a few hours from
Martinique Guadeloupe. besides being
equipped with small boats 10 carry persons be-
;,,+ +ba ahc Of
wharves.
With the most immediate necessities provided
for so far as is in the power of the government
with all the resources II could most speedily
bring TO bear. the work OF further assistance to
the refugees from Martinique will be undertaken
with more deliberation, depending to great ex-
tent on the character.of later advices from the
island. Other vessels including the Buffalo. at
New-York and the colliers Leonidas. at Port
Royal. and the Hannibal and the Marcellus, AT
Norfolk, will be held in readiness for sea and
will be loaded in the course Of week or ten
days if the circumstances warrant them. in or
der that they may reach the West Indies before
the supplies on the Cincinnati. the Potomac. the
Sterling and the Dixie are exhausted. IT is prop
q BILE that no other national vessel Will depart
l,e-~ever until Captetn Mclean. Of the Cincln-
natl who will be the senior officer OF the United
States forces. arrives az Martinique and reports
fully on the situation
ARMY AND NAVY DIVIDE THE WORK.
From this point on the War and Navy de-
partments have decided to divide the work OF
reIier p-.~~-~r thew give tne fuII
charge of the general subject Of transportation
and intrust the accumulation Of supplies 10 the
War Department The question Of chartering
merchant vessels TO carry supplies to the desc
late island has arisen. but will depend on the
extent Of voluntary contributions and further
reports of the situation.
Secretary Hay to-day telegraphed TO Consul
Aynne 10 ascertain the conditions in Martinique
with regard to the fresh water supply. and II
II is found that such water is needed the
tenders at Norfolk and Key West, which al
ready are being loaded by orders from Ad-
miral Bradford in anticipation Of need for them.
will Immediately start for the island.
MANY OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE.
offers of assistance for the Martinique suf-
ferers continue to pour in. DIR. Louis Klopsch,
of The Christian Herald New-York. tele-
graphed 70 the War Department to-day offering
10 furnish fifty nurses. thirty male and twenty
female, and thousand barrels OF -four.
to he contributed by The Christian Her
aid A telegram received from the
Pittsburg Chamber Of Commerce asking the
State Department IL private contributions
would be received and how they should
a similar message. and offers came from other
points A suggestion came from a NewYork
ing one million pounds of rice at cost price and
duty free to the government. The owners
plained that they were able TO make this offer
because the rice is still in bond
II appeared by noon to-day that rapidly
had the governments agents worked that the
War Department alone had already spent over
100000 of the relief appropriation. II was
realized that heavy expenditures remained to
be made, and II was the opinion of the President
and his Cabinet that the S200.O00 appropriated
yesterday would not be sufficient to meet the
needs Of the II decided that ar eff
fort should be made TO have Congress accent
the estimate of 100000 submitted in the Presi-
dents message Of yesterday. This decision was
communicated TO some Of the leaders in the
Senate and House
II appears that that part of the Joint reso-
luton adopted yesterday requesting the Presi-
dent TO ascertain whether the extension OF aid
would be acceptable to France had been an
ticipated by the French Government The Pres
idents statement that that government had re-
quested ships to carry away the survivors of
the catastrophe in Martinique was at first sun
posed to be based the statement of the
Governor of Martinique to Consul Ayme II an
pears, however, that the request came directly
from the French Government through Ambas-
sador Cambon, who personally presented the
matter to the President.
PARLLAU UENT FAILS TO ACT