Show PRESIDENT IS ISON ISON ON BACK TRACK Issues New Proclamation Re Regarding Regarding Regarding garding the Handling of Funds at San Francisco FINANCE COMMITTEE IS 0 K SPECIAL MESSAGE IS SENT TO CONGRESS Washington April 25 In a procla proclamation proclamation mation Issued today President Roose Roosevelt Roosevelt velt urges the American people now to send their contributions for the allevi allAvi alleviation of the distress in San Francisco directly to former Mayor James B 13 Phelan chairman of the finance com committee committee In San Francisco instead of the American Red Cross The president pays a high tribute to the work accomplished by the citizens committee of San Francisco and indi indicates IndIcates cates that the necessity for tor working through the Red Cross exclusively has as massed gassed The Proclamation The text of the proclamation fol follows follows follows lows To the Public When the news of the dreadful disaster at San Francisco first came it was vas as necessary to take im immediate immedIate immediate mediate steps to provide In some way for the receipt and distribution of the sums of money which at once poured in for tor the relief of the people of San Francisco At the moment no one could tell how soon it would b be bA pos possible possIble possible sible for the people of San Francisco themselves to organize and to tide over oer the interval the American National Red Cross association was designated to receive and disburse the funds But the people of San Francisco with an energy and courage a coo cool resourcefulness and a capacity for or organized organized organized and orderly endeavor which are beyond all praise have already me methe met the need through committees appoint appointed ed by the mayor of the city James Z D D Phelan being chairman o othe of the finance committee The work of these committees has been astonishing In Its range promptness and efficiency As I am informed by Maor Maior General Genera Greely although all an local transportation tion was destroyed as well as practically practically practically ally every supply store in the city these local committees with the help of ot the army have succeeded in caring for homeless people in the last las live five days Thanks to their efforts no individual is now suffering for food water or shelter This work has been done with the minimum of waste ant and under tinder conditions which would have havi appalled men less trained in business methods endowed with less ability o or inspired with any but the highest mo ma motives mothes tives thes of humanity and helpfulness The Th need of employing the Red Cross savi save as an auxiliary has passed and I urge that hereafter all contributions from any source be sent direct to James D Phelan chairman of the finance com corn committee committee San Francisco Mr Devine o otho of the tho Red Cross will disburse any con cm contributions sent to him through ex Mayor or Phelan and will work in accOrd acc rd with him in all ways THEODORE ROOSEVELT The White House April 25 1906 Telegram to the Mayor In connection with the proclamation the president authorized the publication publication publication tion of a telegram which he had sen sento sent seni senito to Mayor of San Francisco acknowledging the receipt of ot a tele telegram telegram tom gram signed by tho the mayor Judge Mor Morrow Morrow row Phelan and others I Ithe Is In Inthe L the telegram tel gram the president I quotes th thE the proclamation ho has lias issued is and then the adds to it as follows There Thero was of ot course courso absolutely question que that every evory sufferer would b be helped simply as a sufferer by your you committees as soon as they were or organized organized and action through th the Re Rec Red RedCross I Cross was simply to fill them up until 1 your organization was perfected and it it t would of course have been a negligence negligence gence on our part if I we had not at one once i taken steps to see that the gap wa was 5 filled at a time when It was Impossible ble for us to know how soon you yo L would be organized I have sent a L message to congress today urging an at I Immediate appropriation for the work won r rat at Mare Island navy yard and for an at I appropriation for the buildings asked I Ifor for by b the war department In a few fe days I shall send it a further communication communication communication for the rebuilding of the pub public lic ilc buildings but I am not yet able to t get details as to the amount needed neede for these THEODORE ROOSEVELT |