Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-11-24
CHRISTMAS RELIEF SHIP.
American Collier to Leave New York
Dec. l Carrying Food Supplies to
Syrians and Armenians

Americas Christmas Ship to foreign
lands, which this year will be the
Navy collier Caesar or a collier of the
same type, is being refined by the gov
eminent for carrying food supplies to
destitute Syrians and Armenians. 1t
will leave New York December /, car
rying capacity cargo of foodstuffs
and new clothing for Beirut, Syria,
from which port relief will be distri-
buted by American Red Cross and Red
Crescent agents, aided by United
States consuls and missionaries.
The American committee for Arme-
nian and Syrian relief, recently sent
$2OS,0O through the state department
to various distribution centers to be
distributed Immediately by the commit
tee s agents direct to the most needy
survivors of the Armenian deportations
and the Syrian famine months. This
money will purchase grain, blankets and
clothing, giving the sufferers within the
Turkish Empire a foretaste of the
Christmas cheer which the United
States navy boat will bring.
AS a necessary preliminary to the
sending of the Christmas ship arrange
mcnts are being made for collections
in the churcno5 of the entire country
Thanksgiving day, the receipts of
which will be used in completing tho
cargo. The ship will carry 600,0 900
pounds of lice, 100000 pounds of limd
Dcaas, 100000 pounds of crushed wheat,
100000 pounds of whole wheat. Soc
600 pounds of sugar, 900 cases of con
densed milk for children, 10000 barrels
of flour, 10000 gallons of petroleum
and $4,000 gallons of cotton seed oil
Military regulations forbid the ear
rying of any except new clothing.
Hundreds of cases of warm underwear
ard sweaters and light shoes for men,
women and children, stockings for
women ana children, cotton cad wooden
socks for men, blankets and blanket
shawls, gray cotton and wooden cloth
in the piece, unbleached muslin, and
cotton thread, needles and pins will
form a part of the cargo. Contributors
to the cargo and churches which are
raising money are sending their gifts
to w. A. Staub, the Red Cross repre-
sentative in charge of the Christmas
ship, at the Bush Terminal, Brooklyn,
New York
Navy officials and prominent church
men of all denominations will Join the
ceremonies TO be held at the Christmas
ships departure, adding TO its cargo
the holiday good wishes of one country
to the stricken races of another
The money collected on the two days
recently proclaimed by President Will
son as Armenian and Syrian relief days
having been cablcd already for immc-
date relief, more than a quarter of
million dollars additional must be gath
cred to freight the Christmas ship. The
funds already collected, it is believed,
will he supplemented to this amount in
hundreds of cities in which the procla
nation days were used merely as the
beginning of local campaigns which
viii last until after Thanksgiving.
There is little doubt, however, that
even after the response of the country
to the appeals of the President and the
committee has been registered fully,
many of the most elemental needs of the
deportation victims, to relieve which
IN Armenia alone, former Ambassador
to Turkey, Henry Morgenthau estimates
$5,000,000 is necessary, will still be un-
cared for permanently, and that Ameri-
ca s assistance to the sufferers of the
Orient must continue.