“Secretary of State, Washington:
“As distress among population is very great, I am convinced that American Red Cross could not better fulfill the noble purpose for which it was founded than by such a contribution. If desired, money could be sent to the Embassy for transmission to Mr. Peet, treasurer of the American Missions in Turkey, and it would be a most humane act if our charitable organizations could be induced to follow suggestion, as thousands of the poor people are without food and shelter. If American Red Cross will wire amount of draft they are donating, I will hand over immediately such sum, as funds are urgently needed.
“LEISHMAN (Ambassador).”
Immediately upon receipt of the above cablegram the Red Cross appropriated one thousand dollars from its General Emergency Fund which was cabled by the Secretary of State to Mr. Leishman; and the Branch Societies were requested to announce through the press that the Red Cross would receive and forward to the Ambassador at Constantinople any contributions for relief work in Turkey.
On May 6th a further remittance of $5,000 was sent by the Red Cross to the Ambassador.
The Relief Committee at Beirut, of which the American Consul General, Mr. Ravndal, is chairman, cabled to the Red Cross on May 10th, requesting that it be permitted to act regardless of source of funds as Red Cross agents, rendering full accounts. This Committee had already raised about ten thousand dollars and had dispatched to Adana for doctors and trained nurses. With the full approval of the American Ambassador this Committee was recognized as its agent with full power to use the Red Cross flag to protect its hospitals and field force.
On May 13th $5,000 more was cabled to the Ambassador by the Red Cross as a contribution from the Christian Herald, with the request that $2,000 be sent to Mr. Nesbit Chambers, of Adana, $2,000 to Thomas D. Christie, Tarsus, and $1,000 to Mr. Ravndal, Chairman of the Relief Committee at Beirut.
On May 6th the Armenian Relief Committee organized in New York sent a special Committee, Dr. A. Ayvazian, Chairman, and Col. Mesup Newton Kahn, to the New York Red Cross Branch to ask if the American Red Cross would receive and dispense the funds raised by their Committee. In reply to this inquiry forwarded from New York the National Headquarters telegraphed its consent to receive and administer such funds, stating its desire to be as efficient in Armenia as it had been in other theatres of relief and that in this work it had the co-operation of the State Department and the American Ambassador at Constantinople.
Women in Waiting at Aintab Dispensary. Moslems on Left, Armenians on Right.