“Please announce in press Red Cross will forward contributions to Italian Red Cross for Vesuvian disaster. Name local Treasurer.” The work of securing contributions for this purpose had only just begun when there occurred the great calamity caused by earthquake and fire in California so that all the energies of the American people were turned to render aid to their unfortunate countrymen at home, and thus only a small amount was secured to be forwarded to the Italian Red Cross for the relief of the Vesuvian victims. The Secretary and Treasurer of the Berkshire Division of the Massachusetts Red Cross Branch received the following letter from Italians resident in Pittsfield: PITTSFIELD, MASS., April 30, 1906. DR. ALFREDA B. WITHINGTON, MADAM:—Enclosed you will find check for $80.75 in behalf of the suffering Italians who are victims of the Mt. Vesuvius eruption. We all have the best of respect for the American Red Cross Society, and have only thanks to offer you as their treasurer of the Berkshire Division for the interest this division has thankfully offered their aid to our people. If this collection had been made when all were working the cash amount would have been larger, but under the fact that all laborers have not been employed during the winter, they responded to the call for aid the best they could. Your committee wishes to thank you personally for your efforts for suffering humanity. Signed, JOHN SUTTY, JAMES LIBIZZI, ANTONIO CHIODE, JOHN F. COSTER, _Committee_. Thus at the time of any great foreign calamity the natives of the country in which the disaster has occurred and now residents of the United States may feel that the American National Red Cross provides a medium through which all contributions they may desire to make for the benefit of the sufferers from such calamity, can be forwarded to the Red Cross of their former country for administration without any expense to the contributors. The following are copies of telegrams sent by the Department of State transmitting to the Italian Red Cross the contributions received by the American Red Cross for the relief of the sufferers in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius: _May 7, 1906._ AM. EMBASSY, _Rome_: Six thousand three hundred dollars received from American Red Cross for transfer Italian Red Cross, account relief sufferers vicinity Mount Vesuvius, being contribution citizens Boston and Massachusetts. Draw Secretary State, forward receipt Italian Red Cross to Department. BACON, _Acting_.