Earthquake and fire at San Francisco.

message from the president of the united states.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

Immediately after the disaster at San Francisco many offers of assistance in the shape of contributions were tendered by foreign individuals, corporations, governments, and municipalities. The Canadian government, with an instant generosity peculiarly pleasant as a proof of the close and friendly ties which knit us to our neighbors of the north, offered to pass a resolution appropriating $100,000 for the relief of the sufferers by earthquake and fire. With a generosity equally marked and equally appreciated the Republic of Mexico, our nearest neighbor to the south, voted to appropriate $30,000, and the Republic of Guatemala voted to appropriate $10,000 for the same purpose. The Empress of China, in addition to sending money to be used for the Chinese who suffered in San Francisco, offered to send more than double as much to be used for the inhabitants generally. The Japanese Government immediately offered to send across the ocean one of their beautifully equipped hospital ships to be used in any way for the sufferers, and also offered 200,000 yen to the relief committee, in addition to more than 100,000 yen sent by Japanese subjects. The government of far-distant New Zealand voted $25,000. The government of Martinique voted 1,000 francs; the municipality of Edmonton, Canada, $1,000. Many municipalities, corporations, and individuals in England, Germany, France, Japan, Cuba, and other countries immediately proffered aid. Where these offers of aid are made to the private relief committees organized to deal with the distress in San Francisco, I have, of course, no official action to take concerning them. Where they were tendered to me in my official capacity, I did not feel warranted in accepting them. But I am certain I give utterance to the feelings of all our countrymen when I express my very lively appreciation of the warm-hearted generosity and eagerness to help us in the time of our affliction shown by the governments, the municipalities, the corporations, and the individuals mentioned above. We are deeply grateful to them and we are deeply grateful for the way in which they showed, in such practical fashion, the growth of the spirit of brotherhood among the nations.

Most kind and welcome messages of sympathy also were promptly sent to us by the Emperor of Austria, the King of Belgium, the [Page []] President of Bolivia, the Prince of Bulgaria, the President of Brazil, the President of Chile, the President of Cuba, the King of Denmark, the President of the Dominican Republic, the Khedive of Egypt, the President of France, the German Emperor, the King of Great Britain, the King of Greece, the President of Guatemala, the King of Italy, the Emperor of Japan, the Emperor of Korea, the President of Mexico, the Prince of Monaco, the Queen of the Netherlands, the President of Nicaragua, the King of Norway, the President of Peru, the King of Portugal, the Czar of Russia, the King of Servia, the King of Spain, the President of the Swiss Confederation, the King of Sweden, the Sultan of Turkey, the President of Venezuela, the Governments of [Argentina], Austria-Hungary, Bavaria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, [China], Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Great Britain, Guatemala, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Panama, Persia, Portugal, Paraguay, Peru, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Spain, Uruguay, Sweden, Russia, and Siam; by the ministers of foreign affairs of Chile, Greece, Nicaragua, Portugal Paraguay, Guatemala, and Russia; by the Viceroy of India and the Governor-General of Australia; by the governors of Ontario, Hongkong, Ceylon, the Bermudas, Natal, the Azores, the Iwate Prefecture of Japan; by the premiers of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and New Zealand; by the National Assembly of Salvador, by the Cuban House of Representatives; by the National Assembly of Guatemala; by the mayor, senate, and house of Bremen; the mayor, president, and the senate of Hamburg; the mayors of Adelaide, Queensland, Hobart, Madrid, Osaka; by the chambers of commerce of Nagoya, Japan, and Calcutta, Bengal; by the Tea Traders and the Silk Fabric Guild of Yokohama and the Asahi Shimbun of Osaka; by the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association of Toronto and the Latin Union of Habana; by the prime minister of England, the lord mayors of London, Liverpool, Bristol, Leicester, and Shrewsbury; by workingmen’s councils, religious associations, and by a multitude of other associations, organizations, and private individuals.

Appropriate expressions of gratitude to all these friends have been returned by the State Department or by myself, but it seems to me that the real depth of grateful feeling awakened in our people by all these evidences of genuine sympathy and friendship should be expressed also by formal action of the supreme legislative power of the Nation.

I recommend the passage by the Congress of an appropriate resolution to that end.