HOUSES FOR ITALY

MED. DIRECTOR J. C. WIRECopyright, Harris-Ewing, ’08HOUSES FOR ITALY

MED. DIRECTOR J. C. WIRECopyright, Harris-Ewing, ’08

Our own experiences after serious disasters in the United States have taught us that in nearly all of such cases one of the most serious problems to be met is the providing of shelter for the thousands—sometimes hundreds of thousands of victims. Italy has had this same serious problem to meet after the late unparalleled disaster in Sicily and Calabria. The American Ambassador at Rome was requested by the State Department to consult with the Italian Government as to the best use to be made of the $500,000 left by the Congressional appropriation of $800,000, after the supplies on the Navy ships,CelticandCulgoa, which were sent to the scene of the disaster, had been paid for. The reply came in the nature of a request that this fund be expended in the purchase and providing of materials for houses. This suggestion has been admirably carried out by the Navy Department, which has purchased and shipped, fully prepared, materials for the immediate erection of 2,500 houses, including window sashes, doors, etc., and the charter of four ships for their transportation. Some eight expert carpenters and a large number of tools have been sent on these vessels, that the erection of these houses may go on promptly.

HON. JAMES R. GARFIELDCopyright, Harris-Ewing, ’08.

But the need of shelter will continue, for Mr. Griscom writes that the homes of 1,100,000 persons have been completely or partially destroyed and their mode of life interrupted, so on his advice and that of the Italian Government, the American Red Cross, with the kind aid of Pay-Inspector J. A. Mudd, of the United States Navy, who took entire charge of this matter, purchased in New Orleans, at a cost of $100,000, the materials for 550 complete houses, chartering for the purpose of their transportation the S. S.Newlands, which sailed for Messina on February 11. Besides the materials for thesehouses, there was shipped a large quantity of lumber. No carpenters nor tools were sent on this vessel, as those already sent on the Government ships would be available for the work of erecting these Red Cross houses, each of which will have before it a little metal enameled placard in red, white and blue, of which a reproduction is given at the head of this article.

HON. HENRY M. HOYTCopyright, Harris-Ewing, ’08.

Ex-Governor Guild on January 26 informed the Red Cross that forty-nine portable houses could be obtained in Massachusetts from the Springfield Portable Construction Company. These were purchased for $6,978, and shipped on one of the vessels carrying the government lumber directly to Messina, without expense. The Springfield Portable Construction Company kindly returned to the Red Cross $500 of the payment made on these houses as their contribution for the relief work.

As the Congressional appropriation has been entirely expended for house materials and the chartering of ships, the American Red Cross, besides expending $10,000 for the erection of the houses it has sent over, has transmitted $38,000 to pay for the erection of the houses to be made from the materials purchased and shipped by the United States Government.

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