Touching evidence of human solidarity came to us from every part of your glorious Republic, but every burst of charity was outdone by the Red Cross, over which you preside, sir, and which assisted her Italian sister with a supreme munificence of relief.
May you find the medal and diploma we now send you as tokens of our gratitude, of which, however, they are but a modest outward sign, acceptable. More durably than in the metal is our gratefulness engraved in the hearts of the Italians, whose mindful blessings will stand as the sacred heritage of the generations to come.
R. TAVERNA,
President, Italian Red Cross.
To the President of the American Red Cross, Washington, D. C.
Washington, D. C., June 22, 1909.
Sir: I have received your courteous communication of April 19 last, with which you transmit a gold medal and diploma, presented by the Italian National Red Cross to the American National Red Cross, as testimonials of gratitude for the contributions furnished by the latter for the sufferers from the earthquakes in Calabria and Sicily.
As President of the American National Red Cross it affords me great pleasure to accept these testimonials in behalf of the association, not only because of their beauty and intrinsic worth, but as tokens of the humanitarian spirit which joins the world in fraternal kinship in times of great distress.
Not less valued that they are the sentiments of generous appreciation on the part of the Italian Red Cross, to which you give expression in your communication.
I beg you to be so good as to convey to the Italian Red Cross the thanks and appreciation of the American Red Cross for their considerate action, and am,