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 theChristian Herald; being contributions made to that paper. A list of the contributions received from theChristian Heraldfrom 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
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 theChristian Heraldand 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 calamitycame 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.
* 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 HartfordCourant.