Gentlemen—I am directed by the Central Committee of the Portuguese Red Cross Society, Lisbon, to present to the American National Red Cross, Washington, our most earnest thanks for your kind and valuable contribution of $1,000.00 for our Earthquake Relief Fund, this sum having been forwarded in a draft signed by His Excellency Col. Charles Page Bryan, American Minister, Lisbon.
The receipt of said sum has been acknowledged by means of our local press and duly appreciated by our citizens as an eloquent proof of your sympathy towards the poor victims of the disaster, and was, at same time, of invaluable benefit to sufferers.
I avail myself of this opportunity to assure you of my high consideration.
PELA SOCIEDADE PORTUGUEZA DA CRUZ VERMELHA,
G. L. Santon Terreira, Secretary.
A TESTIMONIAL TO THE AMERICAN RED CROSS FROM ITALY
Under the advice of the American Ambassador at Rome and the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, T. Tittoni, $50,000 of the relief funds sent by the American Red Cross were placed in the hands of a special Italian Committee on rehabilitation. This Committee was called the Committee of American Offerings. The Chairman was Donna Tittoni and among its members were Countess Taverna, the Duke of Terranuova, the Marquis of San Ferdinaveto, Signor Tenerami and Signor Mario Ferdiani.
As a token of the appreciation of these offerings the Committee presented to the American Red Cross, through our National Director, Mr. Ernest P. Bicknell, a silver tablet upon which is inscribed the following Latin sentence:
“Fortuita non civium tantum modo, sed urbium damna, munificentia vindicat.”
Mr. Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress, in reply to a request for a translation and for the source of the quotation kindly wrote, “The quotation is from Velleius Paterculus, the Roman historian. It is part of a recital of the achievements of one of the Caesars, I believe (though this I have not verified), and might be rendered thus:
“Your bounty repaired the catastrophe (fortuita damna, i. e., accidental injury) not merely of individual citizens but of entire cities (communitas).”