Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-01
PLANS FOR THE FLEET
Unable to Give Instant Help to
Quake Sufferers.
DUE AT SUEz ON SUNDAY
Sighted Last Night 619 Miles From
Canal Port.
SHIPS WILL NEED SUPPLIES
Some of Those Aboard the Culgoa,
However, May Be Sent
to Messina.
SHIPS WILL NEED SUPPLIES

SUEZ, January 1.-The United States
Atlantic battleship fleet, homeward bound,
at S o'clock last night was 619 miles from
Suez.
The fleet is due here Sunday morning
| Handicapped by the fact that it has no
surplus supplies Immediately available the
United States navy is unable to give in
slant relief to the earthquake sufferers in
southern Italy It's ships of the Atlantic
! fleet are ten days away from the afflicted
district, while most of the provision
stores aboard the supply ship Culgoa at
Suez are needed for the vessels of the
fleet on their tour through the Mediter
ranean until they reach Gibraltar, where
they are to be again replenished from
the Celtic, unless the stores of that YES
sci should be sent to Italy for the earth
quake sufferers. \ memorandum show
ing the location and proposed disposition
of the fleet is before the State Department
with view to ascertaining what assist
ance might be rendered by these vessels
and their crews and the facilities they
possess for caring for the sick and
wounded.
| For the time being the matter has not
| been taken up officially with the Italian
government and the disposition of the
United States government is to await de-
| velopments for day or two until con-
ditions are more settled and some Of the
| ships arrive at SueZ. President Roose-
Welt has for himself and the American
| people expressed his sympathy for the
people of Italy in the dire calamity
which has befallen them and this govern
nent is doing all it can to relieve the
distress.
| Congress will be again in session Mon
| day and any doubt that may exist in the
minds of the State and Navy Depart
ments as to their authority to utilize the
supplies aboard the battleships or the sup
| ply vessels will be at once cleared up by
a joint resolution directing such use. 1t is
not for a moment doubted that prompt
| action will be taken in the matter.
The officials say that at best it would
| take ten days for any of the batteships to
get TO the vicinity of the stricken dis
| trct.
sador. called on Secretary Root and AS
sistant Secretary Bacon yesterday for the
/ purpose of expressing the gratitude of his
| government and people over the sympathy
of the United States with Italy in her
misfortune. The. baron is profoundly
gratified at the many touching evidences
of regard for his people and for the aid
/ that is being rendered through the in
| strumentallty OF the American Red Cross.
Gunboat Hurried Forward
| Meantime the Secretary of the Navy
| has sent the gunboat Scorpion from Con-
stantinople to Messina for any services
she may render The vessel will be par
! ticularly valuable to the American diplo-
matte and consular officers who may feel
| the necessity of using her in going from
! place to place and in assisting any Amer
J lean tourists who may have been injured
/ by the earthquake. Aside from this il Is
also desirab Bile that the Amerit an flag
I should be represented in Italian waters
/ during these trying times
! Active work on the part of the Amer-
/ can Red Cross resulted in the transmits
sion of over S10OmO to the Italian Red
/ Cross Society at Rome, which the Italian
| embassy at Washington reports will be
| the organization through which all relief
| for the earthquake sufferers will be adj
| ministered. Among the contributions not
! heretofore announced is one of S2JWO
| from the Annheuser-BuSch Brewing AS
ISOLATION.
Supplies on the Culgoa.
| a careful scrutiny of the data available
| of the stores aboard the naval supply ship
Culgoa, at SueZ, has been made at the
| Navy Department and discloses a large
supply of staples, considerable of which
| 1t Is Thought, VIII not be required by the
battieships. Definite information as to
what they will need however, will not
| be available until they reach Suez and
| begin to take aboard their supplies.
| The surplus stores aboard the Culgoa
| include timed meats, milk and quantities
| of hard bread. all of which would be
| very helpful In the stricken districts The
/ data has been laid before Secretary New
berry, who is keeping the State Depart
ment advised regarding the locations of
| the ships and the resources available for
help. As in the case of the battleships,
necessarily some time would elapse be
fore she could reach the earthquake
| region, about ten days at the least
| Today the Navy Department was in
| communication with Admiral Sperry, who
indicated that he would want $1,000 tons
| of coal for his ships at Port Said, the
northern entrance TO the canal where the
program Of the Navy Department con-
templated their coaling.
MATTED nv Mr. CHENEv