Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-06
CHRISTMAS SHIP
FOR ARMENIANS
Destitute Syrians Will Also
Share Bounty of
America

New York. Nov. 6. - Americas
Christmas ship to foreign lands, which
this year will be the navy collier Caesar
or collier of the same type, is being
refined by the government for carry
ing food supplies to destitute Syrians
and Armenians. 1t will leave New
York December 1, carrying capacity
cargo of foodstuffs and new clothing
for Beirut, Syria, from which port re-
lief will be distributed by American
Red Cross and Red Crescent agents,
aided by United States consuls and
missionaries.
The American Committee for Ar
menian and Syrian Relief has just sent
s20S.000 through the State Depart
ment to various distribution centers to
be distributed Immediately by the
committees agents direct to the most
needy survivors of the Armenian de-
portations and the Syrian famine
months. This money will purchase
grain, blankets and clothing, giving
the sufferers within the Turkish en-
pire foretaste of the Christmas cheer
which the United States Navy boat
will bring.
AS a necessary preliminary to the
sending of the Christmas ship ar
rangements are being made for collec-
tions in the churches of the entire
country Thanksgiving Day, the re-
| oeipts of which will be used in COM
pleting the cargo. The ship will carry
10000 pounds of rice. 100000 pounds
of lima beans. 100000 pounds of
crushed wheat, 100000 pounds of
1000 cases of condensed milk for chill
dren, 10000 barrels of flour, $4,000
gallons of petroleum and 1000 gal
Ions of cottonseed oil.
Military regulations forbid the car
rying of any except new clothing.
Hundreds of cases of warm underwear
and sweaters and light shoes for men,
women and children. stockings for
women and children. cotton and
woolen socks for men. blankets and
blanket shawls, gray cotton and woolen
| cloth in the piece, unbleached muslin,
and cotton thread. needles and pins
will form a part of the cargo. Con-
tributors to the cargo and churches
which are raising money are sending
their gifts to w. A. Staub, the Red
Cross representative in charge of the
Christmas ship. at the Bush Terminal,
Brooklyn, N. Y.
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 coun-
= try to the stricken races of another.
The money collected on the two
days recently proclaimed by President
Wilson as Armenian and Syrian relief
days having been cabled ALREADY for
immediate relief, more than a quarter
of a million dollars additional must
be gathered to freight the Christmas
ship. The funds already collected, it
is believed, will be supplemented to
this amount in hundreds of cities in
which the proclamation days were
used merely as the beginning of local
campaigns which will 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 Henry Morgenthau, ex-
ambassador to Turkey, estimates
S5,000,000 is necessary, will still be
uncared for permanently. and that
Americas assistance to the sufferers
of the Orient must continue.