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 oftheir 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 RedCross 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
General Register of Applicants for Relief, San Francisco, 1906
Food Station No. ....
TAKE NOTICE.
This card must be presented whenever rations are drawn. When drawing rations keep it always in plain sight.
This card isnot 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.
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 fromthe 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: