Show r O Congress on ess to Send e ac to Italy Uncle Sam Will Break Record in ill 1 Helping HelpingS S Italy V WASHINGTON Jan 4 The Tho Tho president president dent In a message to congress today asked for a direct appropriation of or half halfa a a. million dollars for the of oJ the tho stricken people In the ca earthquake quake zone I a of Italy Immediately after the receipt of or tho message s gc both senate onate and house saw resolutions S introduced to cover the requested appropriation Tho The resolutions provided that tho the money shall be e used for provisions clothing medicines and other necessary articles u and the president is authorized to employ any vessels of oC the United Status States navy pr or to charter a ship to carry carryout carryout carryout out this plan plau This is the tho most generous fund ever over contributed by the tho American people for succor of sufferers in other lands lauds It is to it supplement tho the dispatch th of the supply ships Celtic from flom New cw York and the tho Cul Culgoa oa from Port Snit Said for Messina Mes Mes- Messina sina with their lJ big A cargoes of necessaries saries fal es e's originally intended for the American fleet but to be diverted tl tp tho the immediate immediato use of the tho Italian victim vic vic- tims tim It also aho supplements the tho ho president presidents president's dents dent proffer of the 5 services nice of tho the entire en- en tire tiro American fleet of sixteen battleships battleships battle batUe ships whose ho use U in whole or in part hin hinged p. p only on o the grateful acceptance or declination of tho the Italian govern govern- ment mente The rho message messa c i is m brief brit and anel plans had h been made for the immediate enactment enactment enactment enact enact- I ment into law v of its recommendations recommendation Text of or Message I IThe The text of or the presidents president's mC message Is itt a as follows rib To Iff 10 the t senate nate and md house of r representative pre pre- Tho a appalling calamity which has hai befallen the people of Italy is followed by distress js and ami suffering throughout a wide region legion among man ninny many thousands thousand who have o I escaped with life but who whose e shelter and food and means of livin living are destroyed do The ordinary machinery hiner for supplying tho the wants of ot c communities s is is nn and an exceptional emergency Cx exists ts which demands that the obligations at of human it ity it- shall regard no limit of oC national Ii linos n O The immense debt of civilization n to toI I Italy the warm and ind steadfast t friend friend- Continued on P page RC 8 CONGRESS TO SEND Continued from pa page 1 1 ship between that country and our own the affection for their native lan land felt by great reat numbers of good American citizens cit who are arc Immigrants from Italy Itah tho abundance with which God has hasI blessed lessed us in our f safety all these should I prompt us to immediate and effective relief relief Private is responding generosity nobly nobly no no- bly to tho the demand by contributions through the safe and efficient channel chanDel o of the American Red Cross society I Ships Ordered There Confident of your yom approval I have havo ordered the tho government jO supply ships Celtic and Cu Culgoa o oto to the tho scene of the disaster where upon receiving the authority authority au au- au which I now ask from you they will be lie able to dispense food clothing and aud other supplies with which they nrc I laden rulen to the value alue of about Tho The Celtic has already sailed and the Cul Culgoa Culon oa is at Port Said Eight vessels of the tho returning battleship fleet f let arc al already already al al- ready under orders for Italian waters and that government has been asked aske if their services can be made useful I recommend that the congress approve approve ap ape ap- ap prove tho the application of supplies above o indicated and further appropriate the sum of to b be applied to the work of relief at discretion of the executive o and with the consent of the Italian government I suggest CSt that the law follow ollow tho the form of that that passed after the Mount disaster in 1902 Sint Signed d I THEODORE ROOSEVELT The White House January 4 1909 |