“For San Francisco,” he said, as he turned
toward the door.
“What name?” asked the teller.
“Put it down to ‘cash,’” he
answered, as he vanished.
Rapidly the fund accumulated. A few days brought
it up to the $5,000,000 mark. Then it grew to
$10,000,000. Within ten days’ time the relief
fund was estimated at $18,000,000, and the good work
was still going on—in less profusion, it
is true, but still the spirit was alive.
The generous impulse was not confined to the United
States. From all countries came offers of aid.
Canada was promptly in the field, and the chief nations
of Europe were quick to follow, while Japan made a
generous offer, and in far Australia funds were started
at the various cities for the sufferers. No doubt
a large sum from foreign lands would have been available
had not President Roosevelt declined to accept contributions
from abroad, as not needed in view of America’s
abundant response. To the Hamburg-Line which
offered $25,000, the following letter was sent:
“The President deeply appreciates your message
of sympathy, and desires me to thank you heartily
for the kind offer of outside aid. Although declining,
the President earnestly wishes you to understand how
much he appreciates your cordial and generous sympathy.”
All other offerings from abroad were in the same thankful
spirit declined, even those from our immediate neighbors,
Canada and Mexico. Some feeling was aroused by
this, especially in the relief committee at San Francisco,
which felt that the need of that city was so great
and urgent that no offer of relief should have been
declined. In response the President explained
that he only spoke for the government, in his official
capacity, and that San Francisco was in no sense debarred
from accepting any contributions made directly to
it.
It may justly be said for the people of this country
that their spontaneous generosity in the presence
of a great calamity, either at home or abroad, is
always magnificent. It never waits for solicitation.
It does not delay even until the necessity is demonstrated,
but it assumes that where there is great destruction
of property and homes are swept away there must be
distress which calls for immediate relief.
There is one ray of light in the gloom caused by the
calamity at San Francisco. A truly splendid display
of brotherly love and sympathy has been shown by the
people of this country, and a similar display was
ready to be shown by the people of the civilized world
had it been felt that the occasion demanded it and
that the exigency surpassed the power of our people
to meet it.
In the face of an appalling and death-dealing disaster,
rendering an entire community dependent for the bare
necessities of life and putting it in imminent danger
of greater horrors, the nation has been stirred as
it has rarely been before, and there have been awakened
those deeper feelings of brotherhood which are referred
to in the oft-quoted passage that “one touch
of nature makes the whole world akin.”
