ARRIVAL OF THE “BAYERN.”
Then, on the evening of the 8th, arrived the American Red Cross Relief Ship Bayern, with the American Ambassador aboard and the American Naval Attachè, Captain Belknap, in command. I am still amazed at the intuitive grasp of the situation displayed by the organizers of the expedition. From inception to completion, in every detail of planning and execution, the cruise of the Bayern was emphatically a success.
Messina was not the place, however, where the Bayern was needed. A day ashore convinced the Ambassador and the committee that large distributions of food and clothing were not advisable at the present time. Supplies and a sum of money were given to the Archbishop of Messina, for his hospital; the stock at the consulate was replenished; a trip was made to the Calabrian coast, where the military authorities were given what stores they requested; then, early on the morning of the 11th, the Bayern sailed for Catania.