The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-26
PRESIDENT is
ON BACK TRACK
Issues New Proclamation Re-
garding the Handling of
Funds at San Francisco.
FINANCE COMMITTEE is o K
SPECIAL MESSAGE is SENT TIC
CONGRESS.

Washington, April 25.-In a procla-
nation issued today President Roose-
welt urges the American people now to
send their contributions for the aileVi-
alton of the distress in San Francisco
directly to former Mayor James Il.
Phelan, chairman Of the finance COM
mittee, in San Francisco. instead of
! the American Red Cross
The president pays a high tribute 10
the work accomplished by the citizens
/ committee of San Francisco and indi-
| Gates that the necessity for working
| through the Red Cross exclusively has
passed.
The Proclamation.
The text Of the proclamation fol-
| lows:
ITO the Public: When the news of
| the dreadful disaster at San Francisco
| first came it was necessary to take i'm
| mediate steps TO provide in some way
! for the receipt and distribution of the
| sums Of money which at once poured
| in for the relief of the people of San
| Francisco. At the moment no one
| could tell how soon it would be pos
sible for the people of San Francisco
| themselves to organize, and to tide over
| the interval the American National
| Red Cross association was designated
! to receive and disburse the funds. But
| the people of San Francisco, with an
] energy and self-reliant courage, a cool
| reSOurcefulness and a capacity for or
| ganized and orderly endeavOr which
are beyond all praise have already met
| the need through committees appoint
| ed by the mayor of the city, ex-Mayor
! James D. Phelan being chairman of
/ the finance committee The work Of
! these committees has been astonishing
/ in its range, prOmptness and efficiency.
! AS l am informed by Major General
! Greedy. although all local transporta-
TTrnr1 n
/ ally every supply store in the city,
! these local committees, with the help
! of the army have succeeded in caring
| for 300, 900 homeless people in the last
| five days. Thanks to their efforts. no
! individual is now suffering for food.
water or shelter. This work has been
/ done with the minimum of waste and
| Under conditions which would have
! appalled, men less trained in business
/ methods, endowed with less ability or
! inspired with any but the highest mo-
! ttves of humanity and helpfulness. The
need of employing the Red Cross. save
| as an auxiliary has passed, and 1 urge
] that hereafter all contributions from
| any source be sent direct to James D.
] Phelan, chairman of the finance COM
| mittee. San Francisco. Mr.. Devine, Of
/ the Red Cross. will d,sburse any con-
/ tributions sent to him through ex-
/ Mayor PheIan and will work in accord
/ with him in all ways
! THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
/ The White House. April %, 1906"
Telegram to the Mayor.
! In connection with the proclamation
/ the president authorized the publica-
/ ton of a telegram which he had sent
/ to Mayor SchmitZ of San Francisco,
! acknowledging the receipt OF a tele-
/ gram signed by the mayor, Judge Nor
! row, eX-Mayor Phelan and others. In
/ the telegram the president quotes the
1 proclamation he has issued and then
/ adds TO 1t as follows;
There was, of course, absolutely. no
/ question that every sufferer would be
/ helped simply as a sufferer by your
/ committees as soon as they were or
/ gantzed, and action through the Red
/ Cross was simply to fill them up until
/ your organization was perfected and it
/ would Of course have been a negli-
| gence on our part If we had not at once
| taken steps to see that the gap was
] filled at a time when it was impossi-
] BILE for us to know how soon YOU
/ would be organized. have sent a
/ message to congress today urging an
! immediate appropriation for the work
/ at Mare Island navy yard and for an
/ appropriation for the buildings asked
/ for by the war department. In a few
| days 1 shall send it a further commu-
| nicatiOn for the rebuilding Of the pub
/ lie buildings, but / am rot yet able to
! get details as to the amount needed
! for these.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"