The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-04
SENDS
SPECIAL MESSAGE
Does Not Feel Warranted in
Accepting Contributions
DISCUSSES MATTER FULLY
No Official Action Can Be Taken
Where Foreign Countries Contrib
ute Directly to Relief Com
mittee of Frisco.
DISCUSSES MATTER FULLY

Washington, May "A special message
was sent to Congress today by President
Roosevelt in which he explained the atti-
tude of this government regarding the
offer of contributions to the San Fran
cisco fire and earthquake sufferers.
The President says where contributions
were made to this government he did not
feel warranted in accepting them, but
where they were made to the citizens re-
lief committee of San Francisco no Off
cal action was or could be taken in re-
gard to them
The message indicates that the govern
ments of the entire civilized world prompt
ly responded in messages of sympathy and
many of them with contributions or offers
of contributions.
The text of the message follows:
The Message.
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
Immediately after the disaster at San
Francisco many offers of assistance in
the shape OF contributions were rendered
by foreign individuals, corporations, gov
ernments and municipalities The Cana
dian government with an instant gener-
osity peculiarly pleasant as a proof of
the close and friendly ties which knit us
to our neighbors of the north, offered to
pass a resolution.
With generosity equally marked and
equally appreciated, the Republic of Mex
leo, our neighbor OF the south, voted to
appropriate $4,000, and the Republic of
Guatemala voted to appropriate $4,000 for
the same purpose; the Empress of China,
in addition to sending money to be used
for the Chinese who suffered In San
Francisco offered to send more than
double as much to be used by the in
habitants geenrally.
The Japanese government Immediately
offered to send across the ocean one of
their beautifully equipped hospital ships
to be used In any way for the sufferers
and also offered 100000 yen to the relief
committee in addition to more than 100,-
0Oo yen sent by Japanese subjects. The
government of far distant New Zealand
voted $4,000. The government of Martin
ique voted 10000 francs. the municipality
qualities, corporations and individuals in
England, Germany, France, Japan, Cuba
and other countries Immediately prof
fered aid Where these offers of aid are
made to the private relief committee or
ganized to deal with the distress in San
Francisco, | have, of course no official
action to take concerning them Where
they were rendered to me in my official
capacity. I did not feel warranted In ac-
cepting them. But am certain l give ut
terances to the feelings of all
our countrymen when l express
my very appreciation of the
warm-hearted generosity and eager
ness to help us In the time of our affic-
ton shown by the governments, the mu
nimipalities the corporo tons and the in
dividuals mentioned above. We are deep
ly grateful to them, and we are deeply
grateful for the way in which they
showed in such practical fashion the
growth of the spirit of brotherhood
among the nations.
Kind Messages Sent. ;.
Most kind and welcome messages of
sympathy also were promptly sent to us
by the Emperor of Austria, the King of
Belgium. the President of Bolivia the
Prince of Bulgaria. the President of
Brazil the President of Chile, the Pres
ident of Cuba, the Knedive of Egypt, the
President of France, the German EN-
peror, the King of Great Britain, the King
of Greece, the President of Guatemala,
the King of Italy, the Emperor of Japan,
the Emperor of Corea. the President of
Mexico. the Prince of Monaco the Queen
of the Netherlands. the President of Mica
raugua, the King of Norway. the Pres-
dent of Peru, the King of Portugal, the
Gar of Russia. the King of Servia, the
King of Spain, the President of the Swiss
Confederation, the King of Sweden, the
Sultan of Turkey, the President of Ven
ezuela, the governments of Austria Hun
gary. Bavaria, Belgium, Brazil. Chile,
Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark. Ecuador,
France, Great Britain. Guatemala Greece.
Hayti, Italy, Japan, Panama, Persia,
Portugal. Paraguay. Peru, The Neither
lands, Norway, Switzerland, Spain, Uru-
quay, Sweden Russia and Siam; by the
ministers of foreign affairs of Chile.
Greece. Nicaragua, Portugal. Paraguay,
Guatemala and Russia; by the Viceroy of
India and the Governor General of Aus
trala; by the governor of Ontario. Hong
Kong, Ceylon, the Bermudas Natal, the
Azores, the Iwate prefecture of ia
pan, the premiers of New South Wales.
Victoria, South Australia and New Zea-
land, by the national assembly of Saliva
tives, by the national assembly of Guate-
mala, by the mayor senate and house of
Bremen. the mayor. president and the
senate of Hamburg. the mayors of Ade-
laide. Queensland, Hobart. Madrid. Osaka,
by the chambers of commerce of Nagoya,
Japan. and Calcutta, Bengal. by the tea
traders and the silk fabric guild of Yoko-
hama and the Asahi Shimbun of Osaka;
by the Canadian Manufacturers assoca-
tion of Toronto and the Latin union of
Havana; by the prime minister of Eng
land, the lord mayors of London. Liver
pool, Bristol, Leicester and Shrewsbury,
by workingmens councils. religious or
CARNATIONS and by multitude of other
associations, organizations and private in
dviduals.
Appropriate expressions of gratitude to
all these friends have been returned by
the state department or by myself, but 1t
seems to me the real depth of grateful
feeling and friendship should be expressed
also by formal action of the supreme leg
islative power of the nation.
II recommend the passage by the Con-
gress of an appropriation to that end.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
white House, May 8, 1906