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Show -fT X PRESIDENT ASKS I CONGRESS FOR RELIEF FUND. 4 Washington. May )2 The Trcsl- -t-t- dent todav sent the following -f f message to Congress To the fccnato and Homo of -t- Representatives -f ' One of the greatest calamities f In history has fullen upon our f neighboring Island of Martinique, -t-- lhe consul of the United States at Guadeloupe has telegraphed -f t from Fort He France, under date of jueterdai, that tht disaster -f - Is complete, that tho city of St. -t- Plerte has ceased to exist nnd that the American consul nnd his inmllj have perished He Is In- formed that 30 00H people hnve -t lost their lives, and Hint lieooo art) homelss nnd hungrv , Hint there Is urgent need of nil Kinds f of provisions and that the visit of vessels for the work of sup- ply and rescue Is Impeinttvely . lequlred. -f f "lhe government of France, while expressing their thunks for -f the marks of svmpathy which have reached them from Amer- lea, inform us that Foit De -t- France and the entlic Ielnnd nf -f Mnrtlnlquo nre still threntened They thercfou- lequest that, for -f tho purpose of rescuing the peo- pie who nre In such deadly - t- peril nnd threntened with stnr- -f -f vatlon, the government of the -f United Stntes mas rend, ns soon - ns possible, the means of trnns- -f -t- porting them from the stilcken -f Islnnd Tho Island of bt. In- -t -t- cent nnd pet haps others In that f region are also Btrlouslv menaced -f by the calamity vhlch has taken -f so nrpalllng n form In Martin- -f lque. .. "I have directed the Depart- ments of the Treasury, of War -f and of the Nav, to take such -f -t- measures for the relief of these f stricken people as Ilea within the executive dlcrtlnn, nnd 1 -f f earnestly commend this ctse of -f -f unexampled disaster to tho gen- erous consideration of the Con- -f f gress. For this purpose I recom- -f f mend that nn appropriation of -f f l',00 000 be made, to be Inline- -f dlntely nvnllible. -f f "THEODOni: ROOSEVELT, -f "White House, Washington, Muy -f 12, 1002." f Congress acted promptly In the mntter. passing a bill npproprl- f otlng 200,0no for relief measures, -f -f The amount, na explained In the -f House, was limited to tho sum -f named owing to the fact that large prlv.ato contributions were 4- being made. -f ---'- -- |