The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-03

ing rushed from various quarters to.
 southern Italy has been prepared Tor
 the President. It showed that in the
 Mount Pelce catastrophe the govern
 ment appropriated $eoo.oo0 for relief.
 A committee of distinguished citizens
 was designated to visit the scene ans
 disburse the money.
 A similar plan appealed very strong7.
 fy- to- the President with modiffca-
 tfons. such as the selection of q com
 mittee of Americans now in Italy or
 the delegation of the American Am-
 bassaior or agents of the Red Gross
 to attend the disbursement of the
 money.
 The President first sought to deter
 mine whether such aid would not reach
 the sufferers sooner than by means cf the naval supply ships now many days
 sail from Sicily and southern Italy.
 Among citizens and officials here.
 the one aim is to get relief to- tne
 stricken people as speedily as possipie.
 Red Cross Society,s offices and Is be- ing telegraphed abrpad as fast as re-
 seived. The New York Red Cross has tslegraphei ss0.06O to the National Red Cross; s1o.000 has been telegraph
 ed from San Francisco; Chicago teie- |sgraphed $12.0o0; the Governor or Massachusetts has informed the Ma tionai Red Cross that $5o,eoo is 70 Ss
 sent to the Italian Red Cross from the
 Bay State: s100.oe0 has been cabled oy
 the National Red Cross to the itaiian
 Society. Boston reports totat oi
 $100.o00 being raised.
 Movements of ships. Washington, Jan. 2-The president has directed the state department 70 ascertain from the Italian government at what ports 1t would be most pehs-
 ficiai for the battleships or me Amol s,l can fleet to stop on reaching ltahah waters These batleships contain med ical. supplies and clothing.
 The sixteen battleships with crews arrregating over 15000 men are now headed for Port Said, on the eastern entrance of the suez canal and are expected there tomorrow and fhe otner ships win await instructions from Washington.
 President Roosevelt in his telegram tonight are the Celtic and the clugoa, The Celtic sailed. from the New fork Nary Yark. Thursday and will pro- sceed as rapidly as possible to Messina touching at Gibraltar
 The Culgoa Is at sssa; awaiting the arrival of the fleet The battleships if ordered to the relief of the sufferers would have a lap of about 900 miles cover The gunboat Scorpion Is already on her way to Messina and Is due there by the 9th at the latest. Proclaimati0n in Birmingham. Birmingham. Jan, 2.-lSpeciaL) IA proclamation was issued today by Mayor Geo. B. Ward appealing for aid to relieve the earthquake sufferers of Southern Italy. FTst..
 "The need for financial assistance is acute in southern Italy. People are dying there of hunger. The whole world Is contributing. All that may be givened will be none too much to provide food and necessities-for those who are stricker
 To the end that Birmingham may do. it's part in this noble work. I hereby earnestly feduestS all who cans eryone should give -something-no matter how small At a mass meet :. ing held January 1, George B. Ward was appointed chairman and Henry B. Gray of the Peoples Savings Bank treasurer of a relief fund. All contri- buttons can be sent direct to him or paid to authorized committees who may call and solicit aid. Money so received will be forwarded promptly
 through proper channels to points needed most. It Is hoped that BiF mingham will maintain, it's reputation for generosity so, often won In the past Given under my hand and seal this second day of JanuaFy.i ezfs-S ss .e. 2, George B. Ward, Mayor Quite a number of organizations and individuals are contributing to the fund being gotten up in Birmingham and 1t Is believed that between three
 and five thousand dollars at least will go from this district to the sufferers It is sprOposed for all Italian laborers
 ina the Birmingham district contribute at least one days work to the fund