The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-01-03
Congress viii Aid Italians In
Their Distress
RED CROSS SENDING FUNDS
Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
Have Been Collected In the Large
Cities of the East and Are
Sent Over at Once.

Washington, January 2.-(Special. Con
gress will appropriate s50o,O0O for the re-
lief of the sufferers in Italy Monday
next Immediately after convening at
noon both houses will receive a special
message from the President recommend
ing the granting of this sum. The mes
sage will be formally referred by each
house to its committee on appropriations
and there will be no delay in reporting
this measure back.
The programme has already been ar
ranged between the President, Senator
Hale and Speaker Cannon. The sum will
cover the value of supplies already for
warded to the sufferers, by far the largest
grant ever made before the next largest
grant being that of .s,Uo0 to Martinique
sufferers. After a conference with the
state and war departments the President
learned that the supply ship Culgoa,
laden with supplies for the fleet, Is at
Port Said, about 1000 miles from the scene
ommend that Congress order the ship to
start for Italy and turn the food over to
the stricken people. The value of the
supplies on the Culgoa and the Celtic,
which sailed from New York is said to
be about $4,000
The battleship fleet will arrive at Ital-
ian ports in eight or ten days and their
large supplies of medical articles can
be used to good advantage The president
today made public the telegram received
from the president of the Italian Central
Relief society OF New York, thanking
the American people for the 'sponta-
neous and generous manifestation of SYM
pathy and human solidarity shown in
the appalling catastrophe
The Red Cross organization Is contin-
uing to send money for the sufferers re-
lel and it was announced that 100000
was forwarded to Italy today. Eighty
thousand dollars additional has been re-
ceived from the New York branch of
the Red Cross today while notice from
the California organization was that $40, ,00G
was on hand. Chicago has telegrap phed
$120 while Massachusetts has sent $50,
900.
RooseveIt's Message.
The President sent the following mes
sage of Patrick f. McGowan, who pre-
sided at the monster mass meeting OF
the Italian relief committee at Madison
Square Garden, New York city tonight:
Washington, January 2. 1909
Hon Patrick +. MCGOWAN, Chairman
/ American Italian General Relief Com
mittee, New York.
Il earnestly wish success to the Ameri-
can Italian general relief committee IL
its great mass meeting at Madison Square
Garden. 1t is, of course, not possible
for me to attend in person. l am doing
everything that can be done to get aid to
the suffering, and on account of the ex-
treme urgency of the case have sent two
supply ships with 100000 worth of food
and provisions without waiting for the
/ authority of Congress, being confident
that Congress will approve of any action.
| shall also ask Congress for additional
aid. and throughout the coming week
will keep in the closest touch with Con
gress and through the state department
with Italy so tha> everything possible
to be done by the United States may be
done. Furthermore. / have cabled the
Italian government proffering the services
of any or all of the batteship fleet II
Auch can be of use in this crisis.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"