The American National Red Cross Bulletin (Vol. I, No. 3, July 1906)

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Title: The American National Red Cross Bulletin (Vol. I, No. 3, July 1906)
Author: American National Red Cross
Language: English
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CROSS BULLETIN (VOL. I, NO. 3, JULY 1906) ***

The American National Red Cross Bulletin (Vol. 1, No. 3)

The American
National Red Cross

Chartered by Congress January 5, 1905
+
Bulletin No. 3

Issued by the Central Committee, July, 1906

Office of the Corporation
ROOM 431 WAR DEPARTMENT
Washington, D. C.

CONTENTS

Preface 2

Japanese Famine Fund 3

Condition of Famine Districts, by Baron T. Ozawa, Vice-President
of the Japanese Red Cross 7

Vesuvian Disaster Relief Fund 12

California Relief 14

Invitation to Red Cross Congress 26

Abuse of the Red Cross Insignia 29

Notes 31

Addresses of Branch Secretaries 40

Applications for Membership 41

THE AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS

=OFFICERS=

_President_,
HON. WILLIAM H. TAFT.

_Treasurer_,
HON. CHARLES HALLAM KEEP.

_Counselor_,
HON. JAMES C. McREYNOLDS.

_Secretary_,
CHARLES L. MAGEE.

_Chairman of Central Committee_,
BRIGADIER-GENERAL ROBERT M. O’REILLY,
Surgeon-General, U. S. Army.

=BOARD OF CONSULTATION=

BRIGADIER-GENERAL ROBERT M. O’REILLY,
Surgeon-General, U. S. Army.

SURGEON-GENERAL PRESLEY M. RIXEY,
U. S. Navy.

SURGEON-GENERAL WALTER WYMAN,
U. S. Public Health and Marine Hospital Service.

=CENTRAL COMMITTEE, 1905-1906=

Brigadier-General ROBERT M. O’REILLY, Surgeon-General U. S.
Army, War Department, Washington, D. C.

Hon. ROBERT BACON, Assistant Secretary of State, Department of
State, Washington, D. C.

Major JEFFERSON R. KEAN, Assistant Surgeon-General, U. S. Army,
Washington, D. C.

Medical Director JOHN C. BOYD, U. S. Navy, U. S. Naval Museum
of Hygiene and Medical School, Washington, D. C.

Hon. JAMES C. MCREYNOLDS, Assistant Attorney-General,
Department of Justice, Washington, D. C.

Hon. CHARLES HALLAM KEEP, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury,
Treasury Department, Washington, D. C.

Judge W. W. MORROW, San Francisco, Cal.

Mr. SAMUEL MATHER, Western Reserve Building, Cleveland, Ohio.

Miss MABEL T. BOARDMAN, Room 341 War Dept., Washington, D. C.

Hon. JAMES R. GARFIELD, Commissioner of Corporations,
Department of Commerce and Labor, Washington, D. C.

Hon. A. C. KAUFMAN, Charleston, S. C.

Mr. CHARLES G. WASHBURN, Worcester, Mass.

JOHN C. PEGRAM, Providence, R. I.

General CHARLES BIRD, Wilmington, Del.

Col. WILLIAM CARY SANGER, Sangerfield, N. Y.

Judge LAMBERT TREE, 70 La Salle St., Chicago, Ill.

JAMES TANNER, Commander-in-Chief, Grand Army of the Republic,
Washington, D. C.

Surgeon-General WALTER WYMAN, U. S. Public Health and Marine
Hospital Service, Treasury Department, Washington, D. C.

PREFACE

A little more than a year ago the American National Red Cross, just
reorganized, consisted only of its sixty-five incorporators. Since then
it has not only organized Branches in twenty-six States and Territories,
but it has justified the claim that there is need for such an
organization in times of peace as well as war “to continue and carry on
a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply
the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire,
floods and other great national calamities,” as stated in its charter, by
the assistance it has rendered after the typhoon of September 26, 1905,
in the Philippines, in the relief of the famine sufferers in Japan, to a
limited extent by the contributions sent for the victims of the Vesuvius
eruption, and lastly by its relief work after the great calamity that has
befallen San Francisco and its vicinity. Reports in regard to some of
this relief work are contained in this third Bulletin.

The Central Committee proposes later to issue to the officers of Branches
a circular letter recommending the appointment in all cities and towns of
Emergency Relief Committees consisting of representative citizens, and of
which the Mayor should be ex-officio chairman, which will be called into
active service only at times of great national calamities.

A translation is given in this Bulletin of the invitation extended
through the International Committee of Geneva by the British Red Cross to
all other Red Cross Societies to attend a Red Cross Congress to be held
in London, June, 1907.

The European Red Cross Societies have tens and hundreds of thousands
of members, and the Japanese has a membership of 1,035,000. The United
States, so long delayed in the creating of a great national Red Cross,
must make up for lost time by its activity and energy. To increase the
membership of the American Red Cross and thereby its efficiency and
strength the individual personal efforts of its members must be depended
upon. A national pride should be felt in the American Red Cross, and all
Americans, men, women and even children, who are able to pay the dollar
a year dues or twenty-five dollars for life-membership, should become
members of our National Red Cross. Application blanks will be found in
each Bulletin with the addresses of the Branch Secretaries to whom such
applications can be sent.

JAPANESE FAMINE FUND

The American National Red Cross has forwarded to the Japanese Red
Cross for the famine stricken provinces in northern Japan a total of
$265,855.67, of which $200,000.00 was received from the _Christian
Herald_; being contributions made to that paper. A list of the
contributions received from the _Christian Herald_ from the Red Cross
Branch Treasurers and those made directly to the National Treasurer from
the different States is contained in this Bulletin.

On March 31st when $100,000 had been received by the Japanese Red Cross
the following letter was sent to the American National Red Cross:

TOKYO, March 31, 1906.

MISS MABEL T. BOARDMAN, _The American National Red Cross
Society, Washington, D.C._

DEAR MADAM:

We have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your esteemed
favor under date of the 22d, February.

A generous appeal for our famine sufferers in northeastern
provinces in Japan done by your President Roosevelt, whose
sympathy with Japan and her people we have highly appreciated
has echoed to our shore, when our own people have been throwing
their effort in relieving the distressed, whose conditions are
beyond imagination terrible. From the date when you mailed
the letter up to this day the monies you sent to us in cable
remittances amount to $100,000.00 in gold, which we lost no
time, in compliance with your desire and under the direction
of our Government, in distributing to relieve the immediate
necessities of the most needy sufferers by forwarding a certain
amount of money to each President of our Red Cross Branches
in those provinces, who are Governors and, at the same time,
we have had them conveyed to the sufferers all the kindness,
good-will and sympathy that have ever been extended to us by
the American people.

For the time being, we take pleasure in sending you an account
of the monies thus distributed to this date and will submit you
a more accurate account of the relief work later on.

We shall be greatly obliged to you if you kindly send us a list
of those donors’ names and addresses, who have contributed over
$5.00.

Thanking you for your effort in collecting donations and for
the practical sympathy extended by your President, we are,

Yours obediently,

S. HIRAYAMA,
_The Red Cross Society of Japan_.

The above letter enclosed the following financial statement:

ACCOUNT OF FAMINE FUND RECEIVED AND DISTRIBUTED TO DATE

Date Name of Sender American Japanese Jap. Money Name
Received Money Money Distributed Provinces

Feb. 22, A. N. Red Cross $10,000.00 $20,050.13
Feb. 27, “ “ “
Collected by
_Christian Herald_ 10,000.00 20,050.13 Prefecture.
$20,050.13 Miyagi.
12,030.08 Fukushima.
8,020.05 Iwate.
Mar. 5, A. N. Red Cross 5,000.00 10,050.25
Mar. 15, “ “ “ 5,000.00 10,050.25
Mar. 15, “ “ “
Collected by
_Christian Herald_ 10,000.00 21,100.50
20,100.49 Miyagi.
12,060.31 Fukushima.
8,040.20 Iwate.
Mar. 16, A. N. Red Cross 5,000.00 10,075.57
5,037.78 Miyagi.
3,022.67 Fukushima.
2,015.12 Iwate.
Mar. 22, A. N. Red Cross 5,000.00 10,050.25 Now being
Mar. 22, “ “ “ 50,000.00 100,502.51 distributed.
Collected by
_Christian Herald_ ----------- ----------- -----------
Total $100,000.00 $200,929.59 $ 90,376.83
Balance 110,552.76
----------- ----------- -----------
$100,000.00 $200,929.59 $200,929.59

_March 31, 1906._
The Red Cross Society of Japan.

In concluding a report made to the State Department in April on the
famine conditions Mr. Huntington Wilson, Charge d’Affaires, says:

“Americans may well feel pride in the splendid work done by the foreign
committee at Sendai of which the great majority, Dr. DeForest, Mr. W.
E. Lampe, the Rev. C. S. Davidson, Mr. M. B. Madden, and Mr. William
Axling, are citizens of the United States. The work of these men, and
the donations from the United States collected by the _Christian Herald_
and through the Red Cross Society, are like the President’s humanitarian
appeal, highly appreciated in Japan.

“While the prompt assistance rendered has doubtless been of great value
in alleviating suffering, and as a fine example of humanitarianism there
is no doubt that the Japanese Government and people can now themselves
readily cope with the needs of the final months of the famine.”

As the American people were ready and glad to aid Japan in the day of
her trouble so promptly has she turned to our help when calamity came
to us in the disaster in California and as will be noted in the report
of the work done there the Japanese Red Cross has sent to the American
National Red Cross one hundred and ten thousand dollars ($110,000.00)
for the California sufferers, and for this generous contribution the
American people and especially those of California are most grateful and
appreciative.

On May 25th the following letter was received from the Japanese
Ambassador:

DEAR MISS BOARDMAN:

I take pleasure in informing you that I have been advised from
my home Government to the effect that the condition of the
famine stricken people in the Northern Provinces of Japan,
towards the relief of whom generous contributions from foreign
sympathizers have been received, has now improved to such a
favorable extent as to allow them to announce that, with the
harvest of the coming summer crop, there will be no more need
of receiving outside contributions.

Yours sincerely,

VISCOUNT S. AOKI.

Baron Ozawa’s report on the famine conditions in northern Japan sent to
the American National Red Cross is given in full in this Bulletin.

TABULATED STATEMENT OF THE JAPANESE FAMINE FUND

Up to and inclusive of the date of the last remittance to the Japanese
Red Cross, June 5, 1906.

----------------------+--------------+------------------+-------------
| Amount rec’d | Amount rec’d | Total Amount
Name of State | through Red | direct by |received from
| Cross Branch |National Treasurer| each State
----------------------+--------------+------------------+-------------
Alabama | | .50 | .50
Arkansas | | 10.00 | 10.00
*California | 228.00 | 238.61 | 466.61
Colorado | | 31.00 | 31.00
*Connecticut | 3,542.67 | 154.76 | 3,697.43
*Delaware | 598.26 | 5.00 | 603.26
*District of Columbia | 392.25 | 1,937.50 | 2,329.75
Florida | | 10.50 | 10.50
Idaho | | 3.00 | 3.00
*Illinois | 1,710.15 | 939.19 | 2,649.34
*Indiana | 80.50 | 1,011.31 | 1,091.81
Indian Territory | | 5.00 | 5.00
Iowa | | 183.54 | 183.54
Kansas | | 124.41 | 124.41
Kentucky | | 2.00 | 2.00
Louisiana | | 256.35 | 256.35
*Maine | 173.50 | 19.05 | 192.55
*Maryland | 1,600.00 | 180.50 | 1,780.50
*Massachusetts | 12,440.22 | 1,771.91 | 14,212.13
*Michigan | | 80.30 | 80.30
Minnesota | | 354.00 | 354.00
Mississippi | | 125.09 | 125.09
Missouri | | 46.64 | 46.64
Montana | | 2.50 | 2.50
Nebraska | | 1,147.29 | 1,147.29
New Hampshire | | 22.50 | 22.50
New Jersey | | 225.75 | 225.75
*New York | 19,356.56 | 2,489.89 | 21,846.45
North Carolina | | 248.20 | 248.20
North Dakota | | 8.00 | 8.00
*Ohio | 1,427.11 | 224.75 | 1,651.86
Oregon | | 5.46 | 5.46
Pennsylvania | | 8,741.42 | 8,741.42
*Rhode Island | 1,393.98 | | 1,393.98
*South Carolina | 750.00 | 32.00 | 782.00
South Dakota | | 48.50 | 48.50
Tennessee | | 24.00 | 24.00
Texas | | 169.80 | 169.80
Utah | | 5.00 | 5.00
*Vermont | 24.00 | 12.00 | 36.00
Virginia | | 702.07 | 702.07
Washington | | 29.25 | 29.25
West Virginia | | 52.00 | 52.00
Wisconsin | | 190.50 | 190.50
Unclassified | | 267.43 | 267.43
----------------------+--------------+------------------+-----------
Totals | $43,717.20 | $22,138.47 | $65,855.67
Received from the _Christian Herald_, N. Y. |$200,000.00
+-----------
Grand Total |$265,855.67
Total amount transmitted to Japan |$265,855.67
+-----------
Balance on hand June 5, 1906 | 0.
--------------------------------------------------------+-----------

* These were the only States having organized Red Cross Branches
at the time the appeal was issued.

NOTE.—Since the above table was compiled the Treasurer has
received from the South Carolina Branch, a remittance of
$59.24, and from the Connecticut Branch a remittance of $27.50;
also a few small miscellaneous contributions, amounting in all
to less than $100.00.

NOTE.—Of the amount contributed by the State of Pennsylvania,
$5000.00 was given by the Citizens’ Permanent Relief Committee
of Philadelphia.

NOTE.—The amount contributed by the Connecticut Branch includes
$1755.03 collected by the Hartford _Courant_.

THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE FAMINE-STRICKEN DISTRICTS IN THE NORTHERN
PART OF JAPAN

BARON T. OZAWA, Vice-President

The Red Cross Society of Japan

_To the American National Red Cross_:

Having been fully occupied in looking after all the affairs
relative to the relief work of the late war-victims, some of
whom are still left behind in our hospitals, I could spare
no time otherwise up to this very day, when, nevertheless, I
found a few days to be squeezed out in order to have realized
my earnest desire of inspecting the present conditions of
the famine stricken districts in the Northern Provinces in
Japan and, besides, it was a proper time to be had for that
purpose. Leaving Tokyo on the 13th instant by a night train,
in company with our Mr. Masatake Togo, Honorary Secretary, and
Mr. Kow Isobe, one of our clerks, and arriving at Fukushima at
4 o’clock in the next morning, I started for another journey
escorted by Gov. Arita, President of the Fukushima Red Cross
Branch, and several other officers, and visited as many
counties, towns, and villages as possible meeting, at the same
time, their head men and officials, and dropping, once in a
while, into the huts of suffering peasants and telling them,
upon every opportunity, how generous and sympathetic President
Roosevelt, members of the American National Red Cross Society,
proprietor of _Christian Herald_ and its readers had been in
practically rescuing the famine stricken people from the verge
of starvation.

Before distributing the money, which you sent to us, however,
we had very carefully investigated the best methods, by which
no peasant there should laze away his time simply relying upon
such helps. With this in view, we instructed each Branch of
our Society at those districts to provide the poorest with
foodstuffs.

An official instruction, No. 146, given by the Governor of
Fukushima Ken (Prefecture) on the 10th of March, 1906, to the
head men of counties, towns, and villages may be of interest to
you. It runs as follows:

“The President of the United States has extended his sympathy
to Japan so deeply that he appealed to Americans in behalf of
our famine stricken provinces to raise a Relief Fund. As a
result, we have now received a certain amount of money as a
part of contributions from America which reached here through
the channels of the Red Cross Society of Japan, the Department
of Home Affairs and the American National Red Cross Society.
I wish you would convey to your sufferers the kindness and
sympathy so practically shown to them by Americans. This money
should only be used to provide the sufferers with food....”

The amount of money we sent to Fukushima Prefecture was up to
the 13th of April distributed among counties as follows:

THE AMOUNT OF MONEY DISTRIBUTED AMONG COUNTIES OUT OF
AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS.

NAME OF COUNTY. AMOUNT.
Shinobu Yen 4,943.00
Date 5,244.00
Adachi 5,364.00
Asaka 4,642.00
Iwase 3,315.00
Minamiaidu 1,508.00
Kitaaidu 1,084.00
Yama 2,070.00
Kawanuma 1,265.00
Onuma 1,265.00
Higashishirakawa 2,267.00
Nishishirakawa 4,521.00
Ishikawa 2,268.00
Nakamura 5,847.00
Ishijiro 4,452.00
Futaba 3,375.00
Soma 5,847.00
Wakamatsu 1,000.89
---------
Total Yen 60,277.89

The methods of helping that have been adopted by proper
authorities in co-operation with local officers of the Red
Cross Society of Japan are in general similar with those in
other two Prefectures, and are applied quite scientifically, if
I could use such an expression. In classifying the sufferers,
for instance, the authorities have carefully inspected every
family in order to find to what extent and how its members
should be helped. The following is an example given to me by
the President of Iwate Red Cross Branch:

NAME of the head of the family, Wutaro Rai.
Address, No. 334 Nakamura, Ishikawa Co.
Business, Tenant farming, Age 46.
Health, Suffering at present, Rheumatism.

NAME. AGE. HEALTH.
Grandfather, Nil
Grandmother, “
Father, Taro 75 Unable to work.
Mother, Hana 72 “ “ “
Wife, Chika 40 Able to work in the house.
Two daughters,
Kuni, age 25, married.
Yasa, 18, serving as maid in a remote; sends a little
money to help.
Amount of taxes, Yen, 1.20.
Property, mortgaged.
Beddings, quite insufficient.
House, bad.
Condition of living in the past, lived pretty well
comparatively.
Remarks: Entire help is at present needed.

Thus, persons, men or women, who are quite unable to work,
are fed and clothed with contributions that have been made
at home and abroad towards the sufferers, whilst those who
are able to work outside of the house, are furnished by the
local Governments, for measures of relief, with wage-earning
works such as those in rearranging public roads, paddy
fields, in opening new fields for mulberry trees, and those
in the house with materials for straw-works, bamboo-works,
fishing-net-works, etc., which are bought up afterward by the
authorities dearer than ordinary prices. Besides, to those
sufferers, who own themselves even a little bit of land or
who are tenants, are furnished with seeds of various kinds of
vegetables without charges whatever. The wages they earn in
these ways run from 12 sen (6 cents) to 30 sen (15 cents) per
day in accordance with the degree of their laboring power.

Foodstuffs, which we purchased with the money you sent to us,
consist mostly of imported rice, wheat and flour.

The number of sufferers or paupers in Fukushima Prefecture is
altogether 174,573, out of which 86,196 persons are helped in
such a manner as to be furnished with manual labor and 88,377
directly with foods, which had been partly purchased by the
authorities with the money contributed from individuals to the
amount of Yen 235,322.00 up to the end of March and partly sent
by them in the form of provisions in a good quantity.

In Iwate Prefecture, there are 78,588 sufferers, out of whom
35,211 are altogether helped being totally unable to work. The
total amount of money, which we sent to this district out of
your contributions, is up to the 22d instant, Yen 58,276.37.
Foodstuffs, worth Yen 24,619.08, had already been distributed
among the sufferers and at present some more foods are being
purchased. The total amount of money that has been contributed
by the natives and expended is to the same date Yen 147,933.60.

In Miyagi Prefecture, there are 475,135 persons, who have
needed help either directly or indirectly. Those who have been
furnished with foodstuffs number 51,058 and those with the
manual labor number 424,077. The total amount of money, which
we sent to this district out of your contributions is up to the
15th instant Yen 100,464.78 and that consisting of donations
made at home is Yen 448,892.70.

It may well be to state that, in consequence of the famine,
there have been established several societies in aid of the
sufferers in these three districts. The Ladies’ Relief Society
in Fukushima, for instance, has ever been collecting new and
old clothes and distributed them among the sufferers. The
Society for the Protection of School Children, which was
established under the auspices of the authorities in each
Prefecture of those districts since the number of pupils had
been found to be daily decreasing, has done a great deal of
work in helping and brightening them. At present, as a result,
the number of pupils who every day go to school is figured out,
on the average to be 95 per 100, whereas before the famine, its
percentage was about 85. All the text books, pencils, pens and
other necessities have now been pouring into their hands from
such children as are under different circumstances entirely.
Such articles, being in general second-handed, are disinfected
thoroughly before distributing them.

Thus the authorities have been taking much precaution against
epidemic that may likely spring up in the coming Summer as
often should be the case with famine. As the sufferers’ huts
are apt to become more filthy and unhealthy than used to be,
policemen are frequently sent to such houses for inspection.
Moreover, on those who keep their own houses clean are at
present conferred prizes in the shape of money.

School-children, in addition, get free luncheons at the
school, which are served by the Society for the Protection of
School-children. “I am very hungry. Oh no! I am not hungry”
is a spirit of Bushidoism or Samurai. It may be of interest
to state here that there had been at first some children, who
refused free luncheons notwithstanding they ate nothing for
more than two days and some fathers and mothers who refused
gifts from others.

In order to encourage the education of children in these
districts, the Central Government made allowance of Yen 300,000
for them, Yen 120,000 for Miyagi Ken (Prefecture), Yen 110,000
for Fukushima and Yen 70,000 for Iwate Ken being respectively
assigned.

The following, however, is the other side of society
indispensably resulted from the famine:

CRIMINALS.

-----------------+---------+--------+---------+-------
Comparative Time | No. of |No. of | No. of |
| Robbers |Thieves |Swindlers| Total
-----------------+---------+--------+---------+-------
Sept.-Nov., 1905 | 5 | 833 | 99 | 937
“ “ 1904 | 5 | 123 | 36 | 163
Dec. 1905 | 1 | 363 | 70 | 434
“ 1904 | 1 | 69 | 36 | 106
Jan. 1906 | 1 | 266 | 27 | 294
Jan. 1905 | 0 | 80 | 0 | 80
Feb. 1906 | 1 | 211 | 51 | 263
“ 1905 | 1 | 46 | 22 | 69
-----------------+---------+--------+---------+-------

In Sendai City, at the beginning of the famine, all rice
dealers constituted a trust in order to enhance the market
price of rice. Mayor Hayakawa determinedly imported rice
from Tokyo at his own risk to the amount of about 102,600
bushels to check the trust, which was, in consequence, almost
panic-stricken and had to bring down the price lower than
before. Currency being scarce at the time in this district,
he issued temporary notes to be used for paying wages only on
public works. These notes could be exchanged for foods only,
not for wine or liquor nor for tobacco, and are even to-day in
circulation among wage-earning people there. I enclose herewith
their samples.

Speaking generally, all sufferers have now been rescued from
starvation throughout these three famine stricken districts.
It is not any exaggeration to say that many lives have been
saved through the generosity of American people, and that every
peasant, rich and poor, or wise and ignorant, has more than
highly appreciated the kindness and sympathy you have extended
to him so practically.

In Sendai City, at my request, Hon. Kamei, President of Miyagi
Red Cross Branch, introduced me to foreign missionaries living
there, whose names, it gives me great pleasure to mention here,
were:

Mr. W. E. Lampe, Mr. C. S. Davison, Mr. C. Jacquet, Dr. J. H.
DeForest, Mr. M. B. Madden.

I dined with them and enjoyed the party to a full extent.
Scarcely need be said that these missionaries have played
a great part especially by this critical time in helping
the sufferers. I have no doubt that the former’s effort in
enlightening, in addition, the latter in every respect together
with all classes of people must have been and will be more than
the whole Japan can repay.

At the close of this statement, I take great pleasure in adding
that all foodstuffs purchased with your contributions have
been distributed among the sufferers separately from others
stating at each time to the effect that those articles were the
gifts of American people, to whom the President Roosevelt and
_Christian Herald_ appealed for the alleviation in behalf of
the famine stricken districts. All the head men of counties,
towns and villages whom I met while on my trip requested me to
convey to you their heartfelt gratitude for all the kindness
you have tendered them. Enclosed is one of the letters of
thanks, which has been addressed and forwarded to our Count
Matsukata from the representatives of the sufferers, asking him
to convey to you their highest appreciation.

Thanking you in anticipation for your kindness in reading this
report, which I now have the honor to submit to you.

I remain to be, dear sirs,

Yours obediently,

BARON T. OSAWA,
_Vice-President, Red Cross Society of Japan_.

* * * * *

MEIJI 39th year, 4th month ....day.

_The American Red Cross Society_,

Your Society having felt pity at the distressed condition
of the people occasioned by the famine last year in this
district, has expressed deep sympathy and collected extensive
contributions for the purpose of affording relief, to be
distributed through the proper authorities.

We immediately bought rice with the money and distributed it
among the poor people of this village, fully explaining the
philanthropic spirit in which you sent it. The people, who were
in extreme poverty and could not follow their occupations, were
deeply impressed by your kindness, and felt ashamed at their
lazy habit, swearing that they would rise and exert themselves
in future. They received the gift with tears of gratitude and
bowed heads.

I hereby have the honor to express the sentiments of gratitude
on behalf of the people of this village.

It is desired that your Society will kindly communicate the
foregoing to the President.

Village of Niita, Adachi county, Fukushima district, Japan.

(Seal) SHOZO YENDO,
_Village Magistrate_.

THE VESUVIAN RELIEF FUND

The reports contained in the press of the suffering, and privation caused
by the eruption of Vesuvius determined the Executive Committee of the
Red Cross to issue an appeal to the public for the unfortunate victims
of this calamity. Therefore, on April 12th the Secretary of the National
Red Cross sent to all the Secretaries of the State Branches the following
telegram:

“Please announce in press Red Cross will forward contributions
to Italian Red Cross for Vesuvian disaster. Name local
Treasurer.”

The work of securing contributions for this purpose had only just begun
when there occurred the great calamity caused by earthquake and fire in
California so that all the energies of the American people were turned
to render aid to their unfortunate countrymen at home, and thus only a
small amount was secured to be forwarded to the Italian Red Cross for the
relief of the Vesuvian victims.

The Secretary and Treasurer of the Berkshire Division of the
Massachusetts Red Cross Branch received the following letter from
Italians resident in Pittsfield:

PITTSFIELD, MASS., April 30, 1906.

DR. ALFREDA B. WITHINGTON,

MADAM:—Enclosed you will find check for $80.75 in behalf of
the suffering Italians who are victims of the Mt. Vesuvius
eruption. We all have the best of respect for the American
Red Cross Society, and have only thanks to offer you as their
treasurer of the Berkshire Division for the interest this
division has thankfully offered their aid to our people.
If this collection had been made when all were working the
cash amount would have been larger, but under the fact that
all laborers have not been employed during the winter, they
responded to the call for aid the best they could. Your
committee wishes to thank you personally for your efforts for
suffering humanity.

Signed,

JOHN SUTTY,
JAMES LIBIZZI,
ANTONIO CHIODE,
JOHN F. COSTER,
_Committee_.

Thus at the time of any great foreign calamity the natives of the country
in which the disaster has occurred and now residents of the United
States may feel that the American National Red Cross provides a medium
through which all contributions they may desire to make for the benefit
of the sufferers from such calamity, can be forwarded to the Red Cross
of their former country for administration without any expense to the
contributors.

The following are copies of telegrams sent by the Department of State
transmitting to the Italian Red Cross the contributions received by the
American Red Cross for the relief of the sufferers in the vicinity of
Mount Vesuvius:

_May 7, 1906._

AM. EMBASSY, _Rome_:

Six thousand three hundred dollars received from American Red
Cross for transfer Italian Red Cross, account relief sufferers
vicinity Mount Vesuvius, being contribution citizens Boston and
Massachusetts. Draw Secretary State, forward receipt Italian
Red Cross to Department.

BACON, _Acting_.

* * * * *

_June 6, 1906._

AM. EMBASSY, _Rome_:

Eleven hundred fifty-one dollars additional received from
American Red Cross for transfer Italian Red Cross account
relief sufferers eruption Mount Vesuvius. Draw Secretary State,
pay as before and forward receipt Italian Red Cross.

BACON, _Acting_.

* * * * *

_June 18, 1906._

AM. EMBASSY, _Rome_:

Fourteen hundred twenty-seven dollars twenty cents additional
received from American Red Cross for transfer Italian Red
Cross, account relief sufferers from Vesuvius disaster. Draw
Secretary State, pay as before and forward receipt Italian Red
Cross.

BACON, _Acting_.

* * * * *

_June 19, 1906._

AM. EMBASSY, _Rome_:

Twenty-two hundred fifty-two dollars sixty-two cents additional
received from American Red Cross for transfer Italian Red
Cross, account sufferers Vesuvius disaster. Draw Secretary
State and pay as before.

BACON, _Acting_.

TABULATED STATEMENT OF THE VESUVIAN FUND

Contributed by the Connecticut Red Cross Branch $126.50
“ “ “ Delaware Red Cross Branch 20.00
“ “ “ District of Columbia Red Cross Branch 192.00
“ “ “ Maryland Red Cross Branch 22.00
“ “ “ Massachusetts Red Cross Branch 6,658.75
“ “ “ New York Red Cross Branch 247.00
“ “ “ Ohio Red Cross Branch 1,135.20
“ “ “ Rhode Island Red Cross Branch 283.00
“ “ “ South Carolina Red Cross Branch 114.25
“ “ “ Miscellaneous contributions 79.50
“ “ “ _L’Opinione_ (Italian paper of Phila.) 2,252.62
----------
Total amount contributed $11,130.82
Transmitted to the Italian Red Cross $11,130.82
-----------
Balance on hand 0.

NOTE.—The entire amount for this fund from Ohio was collected by the
Cincinnati Sub-division.

CALIFORNIA RELIEF

On the morning of Wednesday, April 18th, before ten o’clock, the news of
the earthquake in California was received at Red Cross Headquarters from
the War Department. Immediately the following telegram was sent to Judge
Morrow, President of the California Red Cross Branch, and a meeting of
the Executive Committee was called for that afternoon:

WASHINGTON, _April 18, 1906_.

_Judge W. W. Morrow, President of California Red Cross, U. S.
Circuit Court, San Francisco, Cal._:

Have just been advised of disaster. Can Red Cross be of
assistance?

CHAS. L. MAGEE, _Secretary_.

Somewhat later in the day the following telegrams were sent to Judge
Morrow, the Honorable Horace Davis, Treasurer of the California Red
Cross, and to the Mayor of San Francisco:

WASHINGTON, _April 18, 1906_.

National Red Cross ready to aid San Francisco. Please confer
with Mayor as to best means of assistance. Reply care of War
Department.

CHAS. L. MAGEE, _Secretary_.

* * * * *

WASHINGTON, _April 18, 1906_.

_To the Mayor of San Francisco_:

National Red Cross ready to aid San Francisco. How can most
effective service be rendered? Please confer with Judge Morrow
and Hon. Horace Davis of California Red Cross. Reply care of
War Department.

CHAS. L. MAGEE, _Secretary_.

As it was found impossible to obtain a prompt reply to these dispatches
because of the condition of the telegraph service, it was decided at the
Executive Committee meeting to send to the Secretaries of the Red Cross
Branches the following telegram:

WASHINGTON, _April 18, 1906_.

Make Red Cross appeal for San Francisco. Name local Treasurer.

CHAS. L. MAGEE, _Secretary_.

On Thursday, April 19th, no word having been received from any of the
officers of the California Branch, the Hon. William H. Taft, President of
the Red Cross, appointed as special Red Cross Agent, Dr. Edward T. Devine
of New York, who had had experience in such relief work at Johnstown and
Baltimore. Dr. Devine being instructed to proceed immediately to San
Francisco, started Thursday afternoon. General Funston, Judge Morrow and
Mayor Schmitz were sent telegraphic notice of his appointment.

Judge Morrow reported by letter later that directly after the disaster
he sent several dispatches to the National Red Cross, none of which were
ever received.

A large number of telegrams were received at Red Cross Headquarters
asking to whom car-loads of provisions donated for San Francisco were to
be consigned. Before Dr. Devine had started instructions were returned to
ship such supplies to General Funston. As soon as Dr. Devine had started
all further contributions of supplies of which the Red Cross was notified
were consigned to him as Special Red Cross Agent. A report of these
contributions will be given in a later Bulletin when a fall report of
contributions of money, food, clothing and other supplies received by the
Red Cross will be made.

April 25th, Dr. Devine telegraphed to the Red Cross that a consolidation
of the Finance Committee with the California Red Cross Branch had been
effected, which was entirely satisfactory to Judge Morrow, President of
the Branch. The new committee was called the “Finance Committee of Relief
and Red Cross,” Mr. James D. Phelan being chairman. There was great local
desire to have this consolidation recognized. An immediate reply was sent
as follows:

_Dr. Edward T. Devine, Red Cross Agent, San Francisco, Cal._:

Executive Committee gladly recognizes Committee of Relief and
Red Cross. Will forward funds to credit of James D. Phelan.
Law requires Red Cross accounts to be audited by the War
Department. Please keep accounts so that this may be done.

ROBERT M. O’REILLY,
_Chairman Red Cross Central Committee_.

On April 23d, the following telegram was sent to the Secretaries of the
Red Cross Branches:

WASHINGTON, _April 23, 1906_.

Appoint Committee of women to collect, sort, pack summer
clothing, blankets, linen, etc., to await further orders for
shipment.

CHAS. L. MAGEE, _Secretary_.

This was succeeded on April 24th by the following instructions:

WASHINGTON, _April 24, 1906_.

Sort and pack contributions of clothing. Ship to Dr. Edward T.
Devine, Red Cross, San Francisco. Indicate as far as possible
on outside nature and contents of each box. Wire Dr. Devine of
shipment. Report Red Cross Headquarters by letter amount and
character of shipment.

CHAS. L. MAGEE, _Secretary_.

On April 19th a request was made by the Maryland Red Cross to have a
contribution of $5,000 immediately forwarded to San Francisco. As even
the U. S. Treasury Department was as yet unable to get into communication
with the United States Mint there was no way of transmitting these funds,
and the President of the Red Cross telegraphed to General Funston to
inquire if relief funds would be of use there and received word that such
funds were not then required. The business portion of the city had been
so largely destroyed by fire there was nothing to be purchased in the way
of supplies.

Very shortly after the relief work for California began, the Western
Union Telegraph Company, the Postal Telegraph Company and the Long
Distance Telephone Company gave to the Red Cross the free use of their
wires for all communications connected with this relief work. The
railroads and express companies throughout the country were most generous
in providing for the free transportation of supplies of various kinds
that the Red Cross Branches received for California. A more complete
acknowledgment of this will be made later when fuller data are obtained
from the reports of the Branch Societies.

The response made throughout the country to the appeal for the sufferers
from the great disaster was most generous and sympathetic, finding
expression in the children’s pennies as well as the checks for thousands
of dollars, and many interesting incidents were reported in the letters
from the State Branches. A Chicago letter says: “Little girls are
even bringing in dolls and dolls’ dresses for the little girls in San
Francisco who have lost theirs in the fire. Some of the incidents
occurring in the Armory where the ladies are receiving, packing and
sending off clothing, are most touching. Yesterday a boy about eleven or
twelve years of age came in, sat down on the floor and pulled off his
shoes. He was asked what he meant by doing that and he said: ‘Well you
see it is nearly summer time now and I can go bare-footed, so you can
just take them shoes and send them to one of them boys who is getting
his feet burned in them hot streets.’ It was with difficulty the little
fellow could be persuaded to put on his shoes again and go away.” In many
cases garments were brought in the giving away of which must have meant
serious deprivation to the givers and yet there was evident joy at the
opportunity of helping those even more unfortunate.

Only a brief general statement can be made in this Bulletin of the
contributions from the various Branches for San Francisco, the more
detailed report will be given later when the returns are all received. In
this Bulletin the receipts from the Branches for the Japanese Famine Fund
and for the Vesuvian Relief are reported.

The prompt sympathy that was shown outside our own country for the
California sufferers manifested itself in several cases by generous
appropriations by foreign governments and by contributions from firms
and individuals. These were generally sent to the State Department.
As the President felt that the liberality of our own people would
meet the required aid and, moreover, if accepted by the Government
from one country others might feel a necessity of also making relief
appropriations, it seemed wise to decline with most sincere expressions
of thanks such contributions.

Acting under the apprehension that the President deemed it best that
no foreign contributions be accepted, two generous contributions made
directly to the Red Cross, one from the Canadian Pacific Railroad and one
from the Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Service in this country, though
deeply appreciated, were declined. In the case of the money offered by
the Chinese Legation and Consuls, the Chinese Minister, at the suggestion
of the Red Cross, placed the contribution in the hands of the First
Secretary of the Chinese Legation, Mr. Chow Tszchi, who was sent by him
to the Pacific Slope with a letter from the Red Cross to Dr. Devine,
requesting the latter to assist in every way possible Mr. Chow Tszchi’s
work for the Chinese sufferers.

On May 5th the following letter was received by the Honorable Wm. H.
Taft, President of the American National Red Cross:

JAPANESE EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, _May 5, 1906_.

_Honorable Wm. H. Taft, President of the American National Red
Cross_:

SIR:—I beg to inform you that the Red Cross Society of Japan
has solicited contributions from the general public in Japan
for the relief of distress caused to the population of
California by the recent earthquake, and transmitted to me by
telegraph as the first installment the sum of 50,000 dollars
with the request that it be applied to the above named purpose
through the kindness of the American National Red Cross.

Will you kindly inform me at your earliest convenience whether
you can use your good offices in the premises or not?

Yours sincerely,

VISCOUNT S. AOKI.

As information was received that only such contributions as were made
directly to the Government were to be declined, this generous expression
of sympathy consisting of voluntary contributions made through the
Japanese Red Cross to the American National Red Cross for the purpose of
this relief work was accepted by the President of the Red Cross in the
following letter:

WASHINGTON, D. C., _May 8, 1906_.

_Your Excellency_:

I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the 5th of
May, in which you inform me that the Red Cross Society of
Japan has solicited contributions from the general public in
Japan for the relief of distress caused to the population of
California by the recent earthquake, and has transmitted to
you by telegraph the sum of $50,000, with a request that it
be applied to the above-named purpose through the American
National Red Cross. Your Excellency asks that I advise you
whether I can use my good offices in the premises.

In reply I beg, on behalf of the American National Red Cross,
to express its gratitude and that of the people of California,
for the generosity of the Japanese Red Cross and the people
of Japan, and to say that I shall be glad, on behalf of the
American National Red Cross, to receive the contributions
mentioned, and to expend them for the purposes mentioned in
Your Excellency’s letter.

I have the honor to be, Your Excellency,

Very sincerely yours,

WM. H. TAFT,
_President, American National Red Cross_.

His Excellency, VISCOUNT S. AOKI, _Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary_, Japanese Embassy, Washington.

On May 21st a second installment was received from Japan and accepted in
the following letter:

WASHINGTON, D. C., _May 21, 1906_.

_Your Excellency_:

I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your favor of the
21st of May, enclosing a check for $30,000, which the Red Cross
Society of Japan has raised as the second installment from the
general public of Japan for the relief of distress caused to
the inhabitants of California by the recent earthquake.

On behalf of the Red Cross, I beg to thank you and your people
for the generous contribution.

I have the honor to be, Your Excellency,

Very sincerely yours,

WM. H. TAFT,
_President, American National Red Cross_.

His Excellency, VISCOUNT S. AOKI, _Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary_, Japanese Embassy, Washington, D. C.

That, after the great expense incurred by the late war and the need of
relief at home on a large scale for the famine stricken provinces, so
generous an expression of sympathy for the sufferers in California was
made by the people of Japan, is most deeply appreciated by the American
National Red Cross and the American people.

Up to the date of going to press the Red Cross has received from the
State Branches and from other sources $2,275,489.56. Four hundred
thousand dollars of this amount has been transmitted to Mr. James
Phelan, as Chairman of the Finance Committee of the consolidated Relief
Committee and Red Cross, and the remainder is subject to the call of
this committee, any sum being at its request immediately forwarded by
telegraph to San Francisco through the U. S. Sub-Treasuries, and placed
to Mr. Phelan’s credit.

As the general principle of the Red Cross is that money is most wisely
expended as far as possible, near the scene of disaster so as to
stimulate the somewhat paralyzed business-life, and expended by those,
who—taking part in the actual relief work, best understand the needs,
the Red Cross Executive Committee made no purchases save one carload of
condensed milk and ten thousand blankets. In both cases these purchases
were made with the kindly assistance of Army Officers who pronounced
on the prices and inspected the articles before they were shipped,
transportation having been given. The Commissary officers of the U. S.
Army throughout the West kindly consented to act as Purchasing Agents for
the Red Cross, and Dr. Devine who with Mr. Pollok of the Relief Committee
was appointed on a purchasing committee, was notified of their names and
addresses.

On April 26th the following telegram was received from Judge Morrow,
President of the California Branch:

HON. W. H. TAFT, _President Red Cross, Washington, D. C._

Have arranged for full historical record of all matters
connected with disaster for Red Cross purposes.

WM. W. MORROW, _President_.

The distinguished historian, Professor H. Morse Stephens, is on this
historical committee and associated with him are some of the most capable
young men who were intimately connected with the relief work from the
first.

This record will be published later and will not only prove of historical
interest, but of great value in any future relief work of a like nature.

The importance of having the accounts of the expenditures of Red Cross
money contributions so kept as to render auditing by the War Department
possible, as required by law, was fully realized, and General A. E.
Bates, Retired Paymaster-General of the U. S. Army, kindly volunteered
his services to proceed to San Francisco and arrange some simple plan for
the keeping of these accounts. His offer was accepted, and at the request
of the President of the Red Cross he left for San Francisco, and on May
9th the following telegram was received by the President of the Red Cross:

_The Secretary of War, Washington, D. C._:

Arrived Monday evening and yesterday had an interview with
the Finance Committee by whom I was most pleasantly received.
Examined their system of auditing which I approve. Suggest an
addition to their system by which the Red Cross funds will
be treated like an appropriation for a specific purpose and
accounted for to you by vouchers and accounts similar to money
of Army appropriation. My suggestion approved and adopted
by Committee and Dr. Devine with thanks. Relief work here
is perfectly organized and organization apparently working
effectively and smoothly. Expenses being reduced daily. This
morning I appeared by request before the full Committee and
explained my position here. Shall remain here until system is
working and one set of accounts is forwarded.

A. E. BATES, _Major-General, retired_.

The following communication was received by the Secretary of the Red
Cross from Judge Morrow, enclosing the literature referred to:

CALIFORNIA BRANCH, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., _May 12, 1906_.

MR. CHARLES L. MAGEE, _Secretary, American Red Cross_:

DEAR SIR:

The distribution of food to the nearly three hundred thousand
sufferers in San Francisco has been a difficult problem for
solution, but we think a system has been adopted that will
make the distribution as nearly perfect as possible, and as
the subject may be of some interest to the National Society, I
enclose herewith the plan of registering of persons desiring
food, the directions for registering applicants at relief
stations; also a registration card and a food card.

You may, perhaps, find it interesting, and I would suggest
that you show it to Mr. President Taft. The plan was devised
by Professor C. C. Plehn of our State University, and we think
it would be well to have it made a matter of record for future
reference. The plan goes into effect immediately.

_Very truly yours_,

WM. W. MORROW,
_President, State Branch Society_.

A reproduction of the registration and food cards are given and it is
especially interesting to note that in the Japanese Famine Relief work,
as seen by Baron Ozawa’s report contained in the Bulletin, that the
Japanese Red Cross also used a system of registration.

NATIONAL RED CROSS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Membership in (1) fraternal orders; (2) churches; (3) clubs:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Address of friends to be communicated with:

--------------------+---------------+----------------------------------
Present employment: | Is it steady? | Is applicant owner of real
| | estate? If so, where?
| |
--------------------+---------------+----------------------------------
Plans for future:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Relief supplied (other than rations, including transportation):

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Remarks:

Food Card Issued.

-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------
No. | Date.
-----+-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|

===============================================================
Data as to adult bread winners in family or party (not the
applicant named on face of card).
---------------------------------------------------------------
|_m._ _f._|_m._ _f._|_m._ _f._|_m._ _f._
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Name and sex | | | |
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Age and nationality | | | |
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Trade or occupation | | | |
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Union | | | |
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Former employer | | | |
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
References | | | |
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Present employment | | | |
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Future plans | | | |
-----------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Remarks:

1 | NATIONAL RED CROSS. |
----+ |
2 | FOOD CARD. |
----+ |
3 | +--------+ |
----+ | | |
4 | | | |
----+ | | |
5 | +--------+ |
----+ |
6 | C. No. ......... R. S. No. .............. | (See other side.)
----+ |
7 | This card is issued on.................... |
----+ (date) |
8 | |
----+ |
9 | It will be good for 10 days ending........ | 31
----+ (date) +----
10 | | 30
----+ +----
11 | ......................................... | 29
----+ (Signature of Issuing Officer.) +----
12 | | 28
----+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+----
|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26|27|

TAKE NOTICE.

This card must be presented whenever rations are drawn. When drawing
rations keep it always in plain sight.

This card is _not transferable_, and will be honored only when presented
by the person to whom it is issued, or by some member of his family or
party.

Good only for 10 days.

Renewable after 10 days at the discretion of the registration officer.

Good only at the Relief Station of issue.

If any fraudulent use of this card is attempted it will be taken up and
no rations will be issued to the offenders.

“AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS

“Instructions for Registering Applicants at Relief Stations

“The primary purpose of this registration is to provide a record that
will show how many persons are applying for relief from the National Red
Cross. Since relief is granted through a large number of sub-stations, it
is necessary not only that each station should keep a register of its own
applicants, but also that the headquarters should have complete records
for all stations.

“When any one applies for relief, therefore, a Registration Card should
be at once made out showing so far as pertinent and ascertainable the
information asked for concerning the applicant. When rations are issued
to a family or party both the Food Card and the Registration Card should
be made out at the same time. Registration may—and in many cases will—be
done by the canvassers who visit each family. These canvassers may
be: (1) officers of the Relief Station; (2) workers of the Associated
Charities; (3) representatives of the Central Registration Bureau. The
utmost care should be exercised to see that the persons registered for
relief are within the district assigned to the station issuing relief.
If any question as to boundaries arises refer the same to the Central
Registration Bureau.”

Among the directions for making out the Registration Card are the
following:

“(1) Surname and initial of applicant.

“Write legibly the name of the head of the family or party applying for
relief.

“(5) Present location.

“Give the best possible indication of where applicant can be found on
visit or by letter.

“(6) Former address or home on April 17th.

“What is wanted is the address that will be most useful in tracing the
applicant or his family in case inquiry is made by distant friends or
others.

“(7) Trade or occupation.

“In case the applicant has a recognized trade enter it; otherwise give
best indication possible of how he made his living.

“(13) Address of friends to be communicated with.

“Enter here any names and addresses of people to whom applicant desires
the National Red Cross to write in his behalf.

“(17) Plans for future.

“State any plans applicant says he has for future work, for leaving town,
etc., and any fact which may help in putting him on his own feet again.

“Treat all applicants with the utmost consideration. The relief afforded
is not a charity and is needed most by respected and honorable citizens.
More than nine out of every ten of the applicants will be self-supporting
in a few weeks. The few lazy imposters will be speedily detected and
dealt with separately. Assume every one to be entitled to relief until
clearly proven unworthy.”

Under the directions for the issue of Food Cards the purposes for which
Food Cards are issued are stated to be:

“(1) To make sure that every one entitled to draw rations secures an
amount proportionate to the size of his family or party.

“(2) To prevent imposters from drawing more than their proportionate
share of rations.

“(3) To furnish a record of the number of persons being fed at the
several relief stations, for the use of stations, and of the central
distributing authorities.”

In connection with the Food Cards the following cards have been issued to
provide for the giving out of other supplies:

FOOD CARD No. ......... DATE ..................

TO SUPPLY STATION:

Give bearer the number of Articles punched out below.

FOR MEN.

Hats 1 2 3 4 5 6
Shoes 1 2 3 4 5 6
Shirts 1 2 3 4 5 6
Undershirts 1 2 3 4 5 6
Drawers 1 2 3 4 5 6
Socks 1 2 3 4 5 6
Stockings 1 2 3 4 5 6

FOR WOMEN.

Waists 1 2 3 4 5 6
Skirts 1 2 3 4 5 6
Under Skirts 1 2 3 4 5 6
Under Vests 1 2 3 4 5 6
Diapers 1 2 3 4 5 6
Drawers 1 2 3 4 5 6

HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES.

Tents 1 2 3 4 5 6
Cots 1 2 3 4 5 6
Mattresses 1 2 3 4 5 6
Blankets 1 2 3 4 5 6
Towels 1 2 3 4 5 6
Wash Basins 1 2 3 4 5 6
Stoves 1 2 3 4 5 6
Buckets 1 2 3 4 5 6
Pots and Pans 1 2 3 4 5 6
Knives and Forks 1 2 3 4 5 6
Spoons 1 2 3 4 5 6
Plates 1 2 3 4 5 6
Cups 1 2 3 4 5 6
Lanterns 1 2 3 4 5 6
Chairs 1 2 3 4 5 6
Soap 1 2 3 4 5 6

The issuing of these cards has reduced the number of repeaters and has
been of great assistance in the systematizing of the relief work.

General Bates in his report to the President of the American National Red
Cross states later that a further economic and salutary measure has been
adopted in the establishment at the different camps and relief stations
of large kitchens and dining halls or sheds where a contractor buying the
supplies from the relief committee furnishes three cooked meals a day,
and in case of all persons, excepting those who are entirely destitute,
these meals are sold at ten or fifteen cents each. It is the opinion of
the officers in charge of this work, which is just inaugurated, that
within a few days, the greater majority of the people getting relief
from the Committee in this manner will pay for it. General Bates also
says, “I think it would be quite impossible for any one, without having
been on the ground or having had a similar experience in some other
place, to appreciate the enormous difficulties that these people have
had to contend with. In the first place their three days’ battle with
the fire was as horrible, excepting as to loss of life, as any of the
critical battles of the world. During that time, with the water cut off
from the city, the impossibility to arrest fire by means of dynamiting
and blowing up districts so that the fire should have nothing to feed
upon, the suffering and horror of turning two hundred thousand or more
people from their homes into the streets, with nothing to eat and nothing
to drink was simply appalling and notwithstanding the gigantic task that
lay before them, I think from what I learn, that it is safe to say that
no one has suffered from hunger or neglect.”

This is only a brief and partial report of the beginning and progress of
the relief in California, but it conveys some idea of the methods adopted
in the accomplishing of this great work.

Up to the date of going to press the various State Branches have
contributed the following amounts:

Connecticut $119,094.74
Delaware 18,900.00
District of Columbia 58,911.01
Georgia 200.00
Illinois 144,818.55
Indiana 34.032.16
Maine 5,607.02
Maryland 100,000.00
Massachusetts 64,877.25
Michigan 27,500.00
Missouri 143,000.00
New York 510,000.00
Ohio 62,967.45
Pennsylvania 129,600.00
Rhode Island 87,000.00
South Carolina 1,000.00
Wyoming 1,694.60

THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE RED CROSS SOCIETIES

_To the Presidents and Members of the Central Committees of the Red
Cross_:

GENEVA, _March 20, 1906_.

GENTLEMEN:

In accordance with an established tradition, duly confirmed by the last
Congress held in St. Petersburg, it is the duty of the International
Committee to concern itself in due time with the reunion of the
International Meetings, which periodically bring together the delegates
of all the National Societies of the Red Cross.

The British Society not having heretofore been called upon to entertain
the sister organizations of other countries, we addressed ourselves to
the London Committee: We have the pleasure of announcing to our honorable
correspondents that this Committee accepted the mandate which we proposed
it should assume.

The next International Congress of the Red Cross Societies will therefore
convene in London, 1907, during the week beginning June 10th.

You will unite with us Gentlemen, will you not, in addressing publicly
to the British Society, the expression of our sincere gratitude for the
invitation extended to us, assuring it at the same time of the zeal with
which we will favorably respond.

It is important that these periodical occasions, the only ones which
afford to our Societies the opportunity to strengthen the bands which
unite them, by personal and instructive intercourse, should be as largely
attended as possible and that no Society, however modest it be, should
fail to have itself represented.

The British Society which has so recently been called upon to reap
such a rich harvest in the field of Volunteer Aid, will doubtless have
important communications to make to its guests; moreover its organization
and peculiar workings, will offer an ample subject of study to delegates
assembled to perfect their knowledge in the line of aid to wounded
soldiers.

It seems of interest to us, to trace in a few lines, the origin of this
Society, thereby learning to know it in advance, because few countries
have shown as much zeal and expended as much money in succoring wounded
soldiers, as Great Britain. This Society owes its existence to the
Members of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, who conceived the idea in
April, 1869. It was regularly incorporated August 4, 1870. Its operations
were confined at the outset, in time of peace, to the training of nurses,
but in time of war, it played an important and beneficent part in sending
aid in money, or in kind, by furnishing detachments of nurses, not only
for the wars in which England participated, but also for those in which
she was not engaged.

In 1899 a British Central Committee of the Red Cross was created, uniting
the delegates of the National Society for Aid to the Wounded, the
Ambulance of St. John and the Reserve Corps of Army Nurses, to serve as a
bond between these three institutions and for the purpose of distributing
in time of war, all voluntary relief contributions, whether made in
personal service, in materials or in funds. It was destined to enlarge
the sphere of action and of influence of the British Red Cross, and to
neutralize the efforts of all the Relief Societies of the country. The
Chairman of the National Society, Lord Wantage, was placed at the head of
this Central Committee, and the new combination proved efficacious and
useful in the Anglo-Boer War, where the Volunteer Sanitary Service played
such an important part.

Finally in 1905 a new transformation became operative. Lord Wantage,
deceased in 1901, was succeeded by Lord Rothschild. A committee presided
over by the latter, under the auspices of the Queen and in response to an
appeal made by her, was charged with the work of rendering more effective
the concentration of all British Societies concerned with Relief Work
amongst the sick and wounded in the Army. The efforts of this committee
of organization have resulted in an association which assures to the Red
Cross in Great Britain, the position it should occupy. Lord Rothschild
is Chairman of the Executive Committee. We will undoubtedly be able in
the next issue of the “Bulletin” to give more complete details concerning
this entirely recent institution.

The Headquarters of the British Red Cross Society are at 9 Victoria St.,
London, S. W.

The program of each Congress is as you know, finally arranged by the
Committee of the Country acting as host, according to the subjects
suggested by the other National Societies and also by those which it
desires itself to discuss. We therefore request you to inform the British
Society directly and at your earliest convenience, of the questions you
would wish to see appear on the program for deliberation. The British
Society in transmitting to you the final program, will give full,
practical and necessary directions.

In accordance with resolutions passed at St. Petersburg, an exhibition
will be held in connection with the next Congress, with the object of
showing the technical progress made in relief methods. Moreover the
prize founded by the Empress Marie-Feodorovna, will be awarded for the
first time, to the authors of the best inventions for alleviating the
sufferings of sick and wounded soldiers.[1] The inventions to be shown
at the aforesaid exhibition. The jury charged with awarding the prize
is composed of eight members, of which two are named by right, one by
the Russian Central Committee, the other by the International Committee;
besides these, the Central Committees charged with designating in 1907,
each a member of the jury, are those of Germany, Austria, Great Britain,
France, Italy and Holland.

Finally, and in conformity with a decision of the last Congress, we
invite those of the Red Cross Societies which have not yet informed us of
how far they have been able to carry out the wishes and the resolutions
adopted in St. Petersburg, to do so at once, or at least to notify the
London Committee in time to enable them to present a report on the matter
to the Eighth Congress.

Having given ourselves the pleasure of announcing the gracious invitation
which the British Red Cross Society intends addressing to you, with the
special communications which it will send to you directly, we beg to
renew to that Society the expression of our gratitude and to present to
you, Gentlemen, the assurance of our most distinguished sentiments.

For the International Committee of the Red Cross:

G. MOYNIER, _President_.
E. ODIER, _Secretary_.
GUSTAVE ADOR, _Vice-President_.

[1] Article 2 of the regulations of the Empress’ Fund. See Bulletin of
the International Red Cross Committee, xxxiii, p. 143.

THE ABUSE OF THE RED CROSS INSIGNIA

The rapidly increasing prominence and importance of the Red Cross will
still further tend to the abuse of its insignia. Unfortunately in the
United States the use of this insignia, created for the special purpose
of identifying and protecting in time of war those caring for the sick
and wounded, ambulances, hospitals and hospital equipments, has never
been properly safeguarded as has been done in most other countries which
are signatory powers of the treaty of Geneva, and which recognize the
necessity for the protection of this insignia.

A number of manufactured articles bear as a trademark this insignia,
their manufacturers having obtained from the Patent Office, previous to
the reincorporation of the Red Cross, a legal right to such use. Others
using that mark claim a right to use it because they had used it previous
to the granting of the charter. In a number of cases their attention
being called to the clause of the charter intending to prevent as far as
possible this use of the Red Cross for purposes of trade, manufacturers
and others have kindly and promptly abandoned their use of it. In other
cases the request to desist from its use—it might be called its abuse—was
refused.

In two cases that have been brought to the notice of the Executive
Committee so-called training schools for nurses that provide, in one case
a course of a few weeks with no hospital experience, and in another a
training by correspondence only, called their nurses Red Cross nurses.
As it is the object of the National Red Cross to enroll among its nurses
only such as have had a regular two or three years’ course with hospital
training, and whose efficiency and character have been thoroughly vouched
for so that our American National Red Cross nurses will rank as highly
as do the Red Cross nurses in many of the other countries, this use of
the Red Cross by such institutions as those mentioned above must act as a
strong detriment to the National Red Cross and prove especially injurious
to its efforts to secure the enrollment of the highest class of trained
nurses.

Red Cross nurses are enrolled for service in time of war or of great
calamity as provided in the charter and a false impression is conveyed
when nurses not enrolled by the National Red Cross make use of this
name of Red Cross nurse. There can be in each country but one Red Cross
Society as recognized by the International Red Cross Committee of Geneva
upon proof that the Society has received official recognition from the
Government of its own country and only its nurses are really Red Cross
nurses, so that all others using this name convey to the public a false
impression that they are nurses of the Red Cross.

Public opinion should most strongly oppose the abuse of the Red Cross
insignia, and its use, save for the purposes for which it was created,
earnestly discountenanced. The members of the Red Cross are requested
to report to the Executive Committee all such use of the Red Cross,
not connected with the National Society, that may come within their
cognizance. The Society has a list of those manufacturers who obtained
the Red Cross as a trademark previous to its reincorporation under the
present charter in January, 1905. It should be the duty of every American
to see to it that in our country this Red Cross insignia, created for
so beneficient a purpose, is protected as far as possible from the
degradation of becoming a mere advertisement for money making designs.

NOTES

On April 16th the Headquarters of the American National Red Cross were
moved to the office, room 341, provided for them in the Surgeon-General’s
Division of the War Department. Through the kindness of Mr. F. A. Keep
some new articles of furniture were purchased for the office, and the
more spacious quarters and better equipment for office work have proved
of the greatest advantage in the large amount of additional labor
entailed by the San Francisco Relief.

* * * * *

The delegates appointed by the U. S. Government to represent it at the
Convention of Geneva for the Revision of the Red Cross Treaty, held June,
1906, are Brigadier-General George B. Davis, Judge Advocate General of
the U. S. Army; Brigadier-General Robert M. O’Reilly, Surgeon-General of
the U. S. Army, who is also Chairman of the Red Cross Central Committee;
Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry, U. S. Navy, and Colonel William Cary
Sanger, President of the New York Red Cross Branch. A report for the
Bulletin on the revisions agreed upon by this Convention will be made by
one of the U. S. delegates.

* * * * *

Since the publication of the last Bulletin the following new State
Branches have been organized:

Colorado.—President, C. C. Hemming; Secretary, W. DeF. Curtis; Trustees,
John A. Thatcher, Pueblo; F. B. Gibson, Denver.

Indian Territory.—President, Dr. F. B. Fite; Vice-Presidents, Hon. D. H.
Johnston, Chief Chickasaw Nation; Hon. John Brown, Chief Seminole Nation;
Hon. W. C. Rogers, Chief Cherokee Nation; Hon. Green McCurtain, Chief
Choctaw Nation; General P. Porter, Chief Creek Nation; Secretary, Dr.
Fred S. Clinton; Treasurer, J. H. McBirney.

Minnesota.—President, Governor John A. Johnson; Vice-Presidents, Dr.
Cyrus Northrup, Archbishop John Ireland, Hon. David Percy Jones, Hon.
William H. Lacid, Rev. A. W. Ryan; Secretary, Edward C. Stringer;
Treasurer, Kenneth Clark; Chairman of Executive Committee, Hon. Daniel R.
Noyes.

Missouri.—President, J. C. Van Blarcom; Vice-Presidents, Hon. John W.
Noble (1st), Robert A. Holland, Jr., (2d); Secretary, Leighton Shields;
Treasurer not yet designated.

North Carolina.—President, Mrs. Zepulon B. Vance; Vice-Presidents, Dr.
S. Westray Battle and James H. Caine; Secretary, and Treasurer, Mrs.
Theodore F. Davidson.

Texas.—President, Mrs. Mary Sherman Allen; 1st Vice-President, John A.
Ewton; 2d Vice-President, M. P. Exline; 3d Vice-President, Mrs. Sarah
Danover; 4th Vice-President, Mrs. C. Burton Griggs; Treasurer, Royal A.
Ferris; Secretary, Mrs. Green Scheyler Hill.

Washington.—President, Mr. John T. Redman; Vice-Presidents, Captain E.
G. Griggs and Dr. Carsley Balabanoff; Recording Secretary, Mrs. Henry
McCleary; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. James W. Cloes; Treasurer, Mr.
Louis W. Pratt.

* * * * *

The records of the Philippine Red Cross Branch show a membership of 119
annual and 4 life members.

On December 30th there died at Manila Captain Joaquin Monet of the Manila
police force as the direct result of a cold contracted in the performance
of duty during the tornado which devastated Manila and particularly his
precinct, Paso, on the 26th day of last September, when for twenty-four
hours he worked without changing his wet clothing, amidst live electric
wires, in the ravages of storm and flood, to protect property and to
relieve the sufferings and fears of people under his care. He left a
widow and children, and as there is no provision for pensions for the
families of men who give themselves at the call of duty, the Philippine
Red Cross Society decided to appropriate out of its relief funds $15.00
a month for six months for the support of this man’s family, and the
Secretary of the Philippine Red Cross writes: “Had you relieved only
this one case it is worth the while to have founded here a Branch of the
National Red Cross.”

* * * * *

Hon. A. C. Kaufman, President of the South Carolina Branch of the Red
Cross, writes as follows:

The formation and management of a Red Cross Branch, in this
section, has called for extreme diplomacy, conservatism and
caution. Our effort has been to place this Branch upon a
high plane, following closely the standard of the parent
organization.

By pursuing this course, we have established confidence in the
movement, and have won friends in every portion of the State.
That has been clearly demonstrated in our ability to secure
as a Vice-President, from each of the seven Congressional
Districts, in South Carolina, gentlemen of exalted standing in
the social, professional and business walks of life.

The following is a complete list of the Vice-Presidents of
the South Carolina Branch: First Congressional District, Maj.
Theodore G. Barker, Charleston; Second Congressional District,
Hon. D. S. Henderson, Aiken; Third Congressional District, Rev.
James A. B. Scherer, Ph.D., Newberry; Fourth Congressional
District, Rev. Robert P. Pell, Litt D., Spartanburg; Fifth
Congressional District, Col. Leroy Springs, Lancaster; Sixth
Congressional District, Hon. W. D. Morgan, Georgetown; Seventh
Congressional District, Hon. W. C. Benet, Columbia.

Again, we have done well under the circumstances, in
contributions that have come to us, in aid of sufferers of
Japan, Italy and San Francisco. Our purpose was, not to go
around begging alms, but to trust to the generosity of our
fellow citizens, and thereby to test their confidence in us,
as representatives of this great International body. The
success of this plan has been shown in the reports that have
been made by us to the National Headquarters. Every penny we
have accounted for has been a voluntary gift, that has come to
us, not been run after. This dignified course has produced a
marked effect upon the people of the State who have witnessed
this well ordered procedure. This plan may have diminished
somewhat the amount of our receipts, but it has raised the
organization very high in the estimation and respect of the
entire citizenship of our State.

The Branch is now in a most healthy and flourishing condition
and we feel proud of the position it occupies in the brilliant
galaxy of Red Cross Branches.

* * * * *

The Secretary of the Michigan Branch, Mr. R. M. Dyar, writes under date
of June 6:

We have adopted a method for increasing our membership of
getting in communication with men in small towns, who acted
as Treasurer or Chairman of local relief committees for the
San Francisco Fund, our idea being to appoint such men as
Vice-Presidents and to have them decide on becoming members
themselves, and endeavor to secure additional members in their
cities or towns.

* * * * *

The following is a list of the Sub-divisions of the Massachusetts Branch,
with the officers of each:

Worcester County.—Chairman, Charles G. Washburn; Treasurer, Dr. Homer
Gage; Secretary, Mrs. Lincoln W. Kinnicutt.

Berkshire County.—President, Judge John C. Crosby; Vice-President,
Rev. J. C. Smoots; Secretary and Treasurer, Dr. Alfreda B. Withington;
Executive Committee: Dr. J. F. A. Adams, Mrs. H. A. Brewster, Miss
Julia W. Redfield, Rev. James Boyle, Pittsfield; Mrs. W. Murray Crane,
Jr., Dalton; Miss Cornelia Barnes, Lenox; Miss Caroline T. Lawrence,
Stockbridge; Mrs. William Stanley, Great Barrington.

Hampden County.—President, Mr. George Dwight Pratt; Treasurer, Mr. Ralph
P. Alden; Secretary, Miss Amy B. Alexander.

A Division is being organized in Essex County, of which Gen. Francis H.
Appleton will be Chairman and Mr. W. O. Chapman, of the Asiatic Bank,
Salem, Treasurer.

The Secretary of the Massachusetts Branch, Miss Katherine P. Loring,
reports that, “A man has been representing himself as an agent of the Red
Cross and has been begging for subscriptions for our purposes. We have
put notices in the newspapers and have notified the police that we never
employ agents.”

* * * * *

The Connecticut Branch reports six Sub-divisions and another in process
of formation. They have a total membership of 900, including 89 life
members. Of the foregoing membership four hundred are members of the
Norwich Society.

The Secretary of the Connecticut Branch of the Red Cross in a letter
dated June 12th states that the Bristol Sub-division, which is composed
of twenty-five boys, members of a Sunday-school class, accomplished
wonders in their efforts in behalf of the unfortunate people of
California. They not only collected and shipped to California clothing,
blankets, linen, etc., amounting to 1272 pieces, but contributed in cash
$1,235.04. No better work than this has been done by any organization,
and as Mrs. Kinney says—good for the boys!

The New York State Branch now has twelve sub-divisions. Since the April
number of the Bulletin, four new sub-divisions have been organized,
namely: Chautauqua County, Columbia County, Duchess County and New
York County. It is probable that organization will be effected soon in
Chemung, Oswego and St. Lawrence Counties. Work is now progressing and
organization is under consideration in seven other Counties, namely:
Broome, Greene, Orange, Nassau, Suffolk, Tompkins and Jefferson.

The membership of the sub-divisions is as follows:

Albany County 100
Brooklyn 267
Buffalo 80
Chautauqua County 11
Columbia County 52
Duchess County 59
Islip Township 144
New York County 587
North Westchester County 51
Oneida County 186
Rochester 30
Syracuse 20

In other counties of the State there are forty-nine members, making the
total membership for the State, so far as reported on June 16th, one
thousand, six hundred and thirty-six.

The Americans in London sent through the Honorable Whitelaw Reid, the
American Ambassador, $20,000.00 for the California Fund.

The New York County Sub-division opened two clothing depots where
contributions of clothing were received, assorted, repacked and
shipped, sending 181 cases to San Francisco. During the first three
weeks every night a list of supplies that day shipped or en route
was sent to Dr. Devine. Service was also systematically arranged in
telegraphing inquiries for missing relatives and friends and forwarding
the information when received. The business public evinced the greatest
interest and most practical coöperation in the relief work by furnishing
free service and by lending or giving ample equipment to carry on the
work.

The work of the State Branch has so increased as to render it necessary
to move into a larger office—Room No. 507—in the same building, No. 500
Fifth Avenue, New York City.

PENNSYLVANIA BRANCH HEADQUARTERS.

PHILADELPHIA, Independence Hall Building, _June 14, 1906_.

We awoke the day after the earthquake horrified to read in the
morning papers that California had been devastated and San
Francisco was in flames. It needed no second reading to know
that a call for help would soon reach us, so our officers and
executive committee reported to our State Headquarters where
soon the expected telegram from Washington was received. It
was a brief message instructing us to issue an appeal and
appoint local treasurers.

Our official printer, who, by special arrangement, is obligated
to take our copy and run on our emergency work night and day,
was in a few hours delivering to headquarters the necessary
printed matter.

“The Society for Organizing Charities,” represented by Miss
Richmond and Mr. Esterbrook, volunteered to do the addressing
of our appeals and at an hour’s notice had more than a score of
their splendid young lady volunteers addressing and mailing our
Red Cross appeal, using their Charity list of fifteen thousand
selected names.

By a wise arrangement our Secretary is authorized to make
emergency expenditures subject to reimbursement at later
meeting of the Executive Committee, so the postage alone of
some $300 was made instantly available from his personal funds.

In all such appeals it is vital to determine the psychological
moment of greatest effect and the force of our appeal was at
its highest on Monday morning following the reading of the
Sunday papers.

An early call was sent to each city daily and evening newspaper
and a publicity department was established where all telegrams,
letters, abstracts and daily subscription lists were furnished
in typewritten copy to all reporters. Such returns must
be made quickly and we kept a regular volunteer force of
messengers taking reports at certain convenient intervals to
newspaper headquarters. These State Headquarters realizing the
necessity and value of the coöperation of the towns, other
than Philadelphia, throughout the commonwealth, promptly
acted upon the suggestion of President Talcott Williams and
the Secretary who were in daily conference with heads of
all departments. A telegram was therefore sent to some two
hundred towns throughout the State, addressing the leading
bank, or trust company, asking them to confer with their
Mayor or Chief Burgess as chairman, appointing a Red Cross
Committee, and with aid of local newspapers to publish a fund
and solicit subscriptions, same to be promptly forwarded to
State Treasurer, Mrs. Alexander J. Cassatt, at Philadelphia,
who daily deposited the amounts received for transmission to
Washington. An immediate response was forthcoming from some
score of towns and in a few days the funds were massing up.

This secured the hearty interest and coöperation of thousands
of citizens of the State and established the groundwork of Red
Cross Sub-Branches in every city, hamlet and village.

The State Headquarters, at Philadelphia, in the old
Independence Hall Building, with its Executive Committee and
volunteer clerks, stenographers and messengers was a busy
office for the three weeks following the disaster.

Our facilities were admirable to the purpose. The two telephone
companies, the Bell and Keystone, gave us free of cost each
three extra telephones of unlimited service. The Postal
and Western Union Telegraph companies franked our official
messages. The Adams, United States and Wells Fargo Express
companies sent forward our packages free of charge and the
Relief Trains of the _North American_ and _Evening Telegraph_
put their cars at our disposal, and sent their wagons for our
heavy freight, thereby greatly assisting us with a matter that
was assuming serious proportions.

The Ladies’ Auxiliary Committees under the able advice of
Mrs. John Dye, herself a veteran nurse of the Civil War and a
trained Red Cross worker of the Spanish War, took full charge
of the packing and inspection of all materials submitted and
nothing of worthless or inappropriate kind went forward bearing
the tag of the Pennsylvania Branch.

It was an honor and privilege extended our Secretary to act in
conjunction with the National body in the purchase of large
quantities of Army Blankets from local mills. These vital
essentials were early despatched by rush express to the Red
Cross Field Agents in San Francisco and thus can the State
Branches assist the great National Headquarters in other ways
than the forwarding of funds alone.

An item of a thousand baby nursing bottles and a dozen boxes of
infant necessaries and a shipment of condensed milk for future
’Frisco citizens shows that the little ones were also well
remembered.

In Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other of our large cities there
has existed for years many splendid and efficient Permanent
Relief and Citizens Emergency Committees all of whom, with
the many trades organizations, were early in the field with
their appeals. Though the millions of dollars thus raised were
speedily and properly expended it yet served to exhaust the
giving power of many who would have gladly subscribed to the
Red Cross appeal.

This serves to urge us to the immediate completion of a
full State organization of Sub-divisions, and any of our
Pennsylvania citizens reading this would help our cause should
they proceed to organize local bodies and address these
Headquarters for instructions.

It is impossible in so brief a report to mention the many
incidents of our “California Earthquake and San Francisco Fire
Appeal” as we called it. The pathetic letters, the sad plight
of the refugees who came to us for succor and employment, of
our inquiries for the dead and missing, of the free telegraphic
bureau and of the letters written by the many who called to ask
a seemingly hopeless question. Nor must we overlook thanking
Dr. Devine for his quick and always satisfactory replies to our
inquiries. The marvel of it all is that it was possible to so
quickly bring the relief work to such a state of high potential
efficiency, conclusive and splendid record of the success of
the National Red Cross and its responsible State Branches. In a
later report we will send you a list of the Pennsylvania State
towns with their financial statements of subscriptions sent
through these Headquarters. We wish now to thank the citizens
of the entire State and particularly of those cities that
responded so promptly and so liberally.

“Who gives quickly gives twice.”

Very respectfully yours,

JOSEPH ALLISON STEINMETZ.
_Secretary for Pennsylvania._

The National Secretary received the following letter from Miss Emily P.
Bissell, Secretary of the Delaware Branch, who is making a tour of Europe:

ROME, _May 27, 1906_.

MR. CHARLES L. MAGEE, _Secretary the American National Red
Cross, Washington, D. C._

MY DEAR MR. MAGEE:

I am sorry to say that I could not find out anything much about
Red Cross relief work in Naples. When I landed there on May
8th, the eruption of Vesuvius was a thing of the past. The
streets were all cleaned up, the roads open, and the people who
had at first crowded into the city from the destroyed towns
had all been sent back or away. I went to the Red Cross rooms,
and was shown the garments for distribution, which a committee
of ladies had been attending to. That was the only sign of
activity there, and only one man, and he not an official, but a
subordinate, was in the rooms. He told me all the relief work
now carried on was in the towns themselves—Bosco Tre Case and
Ottajano. So I started off for them next day.

Bosco Tre Case is very easy to reach and to examine. The road
is clear, up to where the mass of lava has blocked the railway.
The officers of the municipality, three in number, were
standing at the entrance of the road into the village, with a
plate, asking contributions from the tourists, who were driving
through in numbers. The lava, a black, rough mass, covering
fields, and what had been houses, was still smoking. But its
path was not very wide, this village only being destroyed, and
on each side of it the fields were in their usual state. The
destruction in the path of the lava was absolutely complete,
of course. I could not find any Red Cross people there, so I
drove on to Pompeii, and took the next train to Ottajano. As
we went up toward Ottajano, the ashes began to show in the
fields. At first only a thin gray dust, they increased as we
ascended. It was a pitiful sight, the vineyards and orchards
dying in the ashes. It was like a tremendous snowfall, with
drifts here and there, but smooth in most places. For miles,
the vineyards are three feet deep in ashes. Here and there,
women and children, with small baskets on their heads, were
laborously carrying away the ashes and dumping them on the
side of the roads. But it would be about as easy to empty Lake
Erie with a tablespoon. At Ottajano, I found the army and the
Red Cross in full control. Seven hundred homeless people are
here cared for. One thousand have been sent to friends or to
America, or scattered here and there where work can be found
for them. The Red Cross people said that it was impossible to
tell how long those who remained would have to be looked after.
Perhaps six months would not be enough. Three hundred was too
large an estimate, they said, of those killed in the eruption;
but certainly over one hundred had perished, and very likely
many more. The soldiers and the men were at work digging ashes,
and casting them away on tiny freight cars. The women were
sitting in groups, with nothing to do. Some sewing is now being
given out by the Red Cross. The houses are full of ashes to the
second story, and the roofs either gone altogether, or broken
and unsafe from the weight of the ashes on them. The Red Cross
gives out rations and clothes and seems to be extremely well
conducted. There are various officials and Sisters of Mercy,
all working constantly and with great system.

The covering of the fields by ashes is the worst part of the
disaster, for it means that the livelihood of the people is
gone for an indefinite time. They are hardworking, deserving
peasants, and now their crops are gone, and the soil will not
bear anything for three or four years, till the ashes are
assimilated. They are far too deep to be plowed in at present.
There is no possible place to dump them. Every road is full,
every waste space heaped up high.

The Red Cross has not as yet published any bulletin or account
of their work. They will do so, however, in the end. Of course
they need money, and will continue to need it for months. I
hope America can send them some, for they certainly deserve it.

Sincerely yours,

EMILY P. BISSELL.

* * * * *

Items from the April _Bulletin_ of the Red Cross International Committee
of Geneva.

The _Bulletin_ contains a report of the hospital sent to and maintained
in Manchuria by the German Red Cross Society. The equipment filled 24
cars, providing for a hospital of 120 beds, a disinfecting apparatus,
Röntgen plant, a bacteriological laboratory, and provisions for six
months. Its personnel consisted of the Chief Surgeon, four Assistant
Surgeons, two students, an administrator, a technical officer, 12 sister
nurses and nine lay nurses. A large part of the personnel spoke Russian.
Dr. Brentano, the Chief Surgeon, who considered the collaboration of
feminine service of inestimable value, exacted that the sister nurses
should belong to strictly religious orders, and that the character of the
lay nurses should be strongly vouched for.

At the termination of the war, in returning to their country, 59 Japanese
officers and 1721 soldiers who had been prisoners in Russia passed
through Germany. For those who had been sick or wounded the German Red
Cross turned the cars into veritable hospitals. At Berlin, upon order of
the Emperor and Empress, the German Red Cross prepared a reception for
them. Tea, cigarettes and some Japanese papers were distributed among
them. At Hamburg the transportation of the sick and wounded to the ship
was quickly accomplished by the Red Cross sanitary columns, and those who
were well taken by a Red Cross detachment to see the city.

* * * * *

In France a movement is on foot to organize a volunteer automobile corps
for the transportation of wounded. With the excellent roads that exist
in that country, the wounded could often be transported in a few hours
by automobiles to the reserve hospitals—thirty or forty miles from the
front—instead of by the slow process of transportation by ambulance.

It is proposed to organize a volunteer corps of chauffeurs, including
women, who are experts in the running of these machines.

* * * * *

In Italy the Red Cross has been continuing its great anti-malarial work
in the Roman Campagna. It has several stations, and each station has a
wagon, an ambulance and medical supplies, and a personnel of a medical
officer, a man nurse and a conductor, each giving two months’ service.

In 1900 when the work began, 31 per cent. of those receiving the
preventive treatment suffered from the fever. The report for 1905 shows
that only a little over 5 per cent. were attacked by the malady; that is,
out of 16,427 treated only 839 suffered from fever.

The Red Cross of the Netherlands reports relief rendered to a village
which was partially destroyed by fire.

* * * * *

The _Bulletin_ contains a long article on the Russian Red Cross. On
January 1, 1905, not including Port Arthur, it had 158 ambulances of
various kinds including hospital trains, and hospital accommodations in
Manchuria for 27,911. This article shows so strongly the need of system
and preparation beforehand that it is hoped a portion of it may be
printed in some subsequent _Bulletin_ of the American National Red Cross.

* * * * *

The Saxon Red Cross reports 70 Sanitary Columns with 2161 members, all of
whom have received a special course of instruction. At Loschwitz a house
for convalescents has been established and utilized for German soldiers
returning from campaigns in South Africa.

* * * * *

The importance of the Revision of the Treaty of Geneva and some of the
subjects to be discussed, for which the Convention is now being held in
that city, occupies considerable space in the _International Bulletin_.
Among the questions are: the protection of the wounded from ill treatment
and pillage, the wearing by all military persons of some mark of
identification, a provision that a list of the dead, the wounded and sick
found or taken by the enemy shall be sent as soon as possible to the
opposing Army or its government, a complete enumeration of the sanitary
personnel protected by the Treaty, if in this enumeration shall be
included the personnel of the volunteer aid, and under what conditions?
Fourteen questions are given.

* * * * *

It is much regretted by the National Officers that so few of the Branch
Societies have sent in any notes for publication in this number of the
BULLETIN.

Copies of this quarterly BULLETIN are sent to all foreign Red Cross
Societies and to every member of the American National Red Cross free of
charge.

Members of the Red Cross may obtain from the Secretary of the Branch to
which he or she belongs a Red Cross pin or button upon the payment of
fifty cents.

The new life-membership certificates are now being sent out from the
National Headquarters, and any life member not receiving one will confer
a favor by notifying the National Secretary.

The Red Cross is having made some special pins to be worn by Red Cross
nurses. These will be furnished the nurses without charge.

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

Persons desiring to become members of the American National Red Cross
should fill out, as indicated, the blank forms on following page of this
Bulletin and mail to the Secretary of the Branch Society in the State
where they reside, whose address is given below.

Persons residing in States or Territories where no Branch Societies have
as yet been formed should send their applications to the Secretary of the
American National Red Cross, Room 341, War Department, Washington, D. C.
These applications will be given prompt consideration as soon as such
Branch Societies are organized.

Life membership dues, $25.00.
Annual membership dues, 1.00.

CALIFORNIA BRANCH: Mrs. Thurlow McMullin, 2200 California
Street, San Francisco, Cal.

COLORADO BRANCH: W. DeF. Curtis, Colorado Springs.

CONNECTICUT BRANCH: Mrs. Sara T. Kinney, P. O. Box 726, New
Haven, Conn.

DELAWARE BRANCH: Miss Emily P. Bissell, 1404 Franklin Street,
Wilmington, Del.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BRANCH: Mr. Gist Blair, Corcoran Building,
Washington, D. C.

GEORGIA BRANCH: Mr. Allen Sweat (Treasurer), National Bank
Building, Savannah, Ga.

ILLINOIS BRANCH: Mr. Honore Palmer, 1300 First National Bank
Building, Chicago, Ill.

INDIANA BRANCH: Hon. Noble C. Butler, Indianapolis, Ind.

INDIAN TERRITORY BRANCH: Dr. Fred S. Clinton, Tulsa, Indian
Territory.

MAINE BRANCH: Mrs. Frank H. Briggs, Auburn, Me.

MARYLAND BRANCH: Mr. George Norbury Mackenzie, 1243 Calvert
Building, Baltimore, Md.

MASSACHUSETTS BRANCH: Miss Katherine P. Loring, Prides
Crossing, Mass.

MICHIGAN BRANCH: Mr. R. M. Dyar, 705 Union Trust Building,
Detroit, Mich.

MINNESOTA BRANCH: Edward C. Stringer, St. Paul, Minn.

MISSOURI BRANCH: Leighton Shields, Laclede Building, St. Louis,
Mo.

NEW YORK STATE BRANCH: Mrs. Wm. K. Draper, Bristol Building,
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y.

NORTH CAROLINA BRANCH: Mrs. Theodore F. Davidson, Asheville, N. C.

OHIO BRANCH: Rev. John Hewitt, Cumberland Building, Columbus,
Ohio.

PENNSYLVANIA BRANCH: Joseph Allison Steinmetz, Independence
Hall, Philadelphia, Pa.

PHILIPPINE BRANCH: Mrs. George A. Main, Manilla, P. I.

RHODE ISLAND BRANCH: Prof. George Grafton Wilson, 15
Westminister Street, Providence, R. I.

SOUTH CAROLINA BRANCH: Mr. George Hoyt Smith, Charleston, S. C.

TEXAS BRANCH: Mrs. Green Scheyler Hill, Dallas, Texas.

WASHINGTON BRANCH: Mrs. James W. Cloes, Tacoma, Wash.

VERMONT BRANCH: Mr. Charles S. Forbes, St. Albans, Vt.

WYOMING BRANCH: Miss Winifred W. Woods, Cheyenne, Wyo.

Application for Membership in the American National Red Cross

I apply to be enrolled as a (Life/Annual) member of the ....
Branch of the American National Red Cross.

Name .......................
Address ....................

Life membership dues, $25.00.
Annual membership dues, 1.00.
(Erase whichever membership is not desired.)

To the Secretary of the ........... Branch
The American National Red Cross.

.......................................................................

Application for Membership in the American National Red Cross

I apply to be enrolled as a (Life/Annual) member of the ....
Branch of the American National Red Cross.

Name .......................
Address ....................

Life membership dues, $25.00.
Annual membership dues, 1.00.
(Erase whichever membership is not desired.)

To the Secretary of the ........... Branch
The American National Red Cross.

.......................................................................

Application for Membership in the American National Red Cross

I apply to be enrolled as a (Life/Annual) member of the ....
Branch of the American National Red Cross.

Name .......................
Address ....................

Life membership dues, $25.00.
Annual membership dues, 1.00.
(Erase whichever membership is not desired.)

To the Secretary of the ........... Branch
The American National Red Cross.

.......................................................................

FORM OF BEQUEST

A will in the form following may be used to bequeath money for the
purposes of this corporation. It would be well to have the same signed by
_three witnesses_ in the presence of the testator and of each other.

All legacies, not otherwise specified, go into the Red Cross Endowment
Fund, the interest of which is applied to the Emergency Fund.

I, A. B., of .............................................. (testator’s
domicil), hereby make and publish the following as my last will and
testament:

I give and bequeath to the American National Red Cross, a corporation in
the District of Columbia, created by Act of Congress of the United States
of America, its successors and assigns, the sum of

........................................... Dollars.

(A. B.) ...........................................

Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the above named A. B. as and
for his last will and testament, in the presence of us, who have hereunto
subscribed our names at his request as witnesses thereto, in the presence
of the said testator and of each other.

................................

Transcriber’s Notes:

Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
Typographical errors were silently corrected.
Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when
a predominant form was found in this book.

*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The American National Red Cross Bulletin (Vol. I, No. 3, July 1906)" ***

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