OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK

August 25, 1906 

To THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES : 

A dreadful calamity has befallen our sister repub 
lic of Chile in the destruction by earthquake of 
Valparaiso and other localities. We of this nation at this 
moment see the city of San Francisco struggling up 
ward from the ruins in which a like catastrophe over 
whelmed her last spring. We keep keenly in mind 
the thankful appreciation we then felt for the way in 
which the peoples of Europe, Asia, and both Amer 
icas came forward with generous offers of assistance. 
In this time of woe of our sister Republic I ask that 
our people out of their abundance now strive to do 
to another as others last spring did to us. The Na 
tional Red Cross Association has already taken 
measures to collect any subscriptions that may be 
offered for this purpose, and I trust that there will be 
a generous response. 


THEODORE ROOSEVELT.