The Saint Paul globe., 1903-01-20
From Globe Washington Bureau.

From Globe Washington Bureau.
| WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 10
The bubonic plague situation at San
francisco will doubtless make if nee
cessary for the war department to di-
vert the transport service to Seattle
and the northern route The confer
ence held here today in the office Of
Surgeon General Wyman has opened
the eyes of the department to the OK
treme danger of permitting the stream
OF returning soldiers and others to land
at San Francisco and to scatter to all
| parts of the country.
| AT the afternoon session Of the con-
ference resolutions We're passed re-
questlng the secretary of war to take
thls step, but later the representatives
from California were able to get the
resolutions reconsidered by a margin
OF one vote. So the matter was left
hanging In the air. But now that the
| matter has been brought to the atten-
ton of the department, it will not be
permitted to rest. Every effort will he
Ihade TO steer the stream of Oriental
travel and commerce away from the
infected country.
What the Conference Did.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. Jan. 10
| surgeon General Wyman, of the puhJic
heaIth and marine hospital service and
ne representatives of the health au-
lhorlles Of nineteen states, Indian ter
r1TOTV hn
met IN conference here TODAY to con
s!der the SUBJECT Of bubonic plague in
the united States. Among those at
tending are DR.. H. NJ. Bracken. Of Min
Iowa u
The surgeon general advised the
conference Of the action Of the marine
inIGJSpltal nJsl service IN sending DR.. A. IL.
FIehnan TO San Francisco to investi-
gate and of his CWyman's) personal
visit to San Francisco. He also read a
telegram from DR.. Glennan, dated Ian
u, giving the present status and re-
view OF the situation, as follows:
! Eighty-seYen cases have occurred.
| IN Chinatown. Six sickened In other
parts of the city. None proved to hava
originated in the country. Total. s.
whites, Japanese and SO Chinese
| since March, 1900.
Last case, outside of Chinatown.
! OCT. 81 AS mans personal habits
| were bad, 1t was possibly of China
| connection"
| The surgeon general read a letter
| ITom Dr. Glennan, in which he stated
that IN total Of twenty-five dead rats
found in Chinatown within a given pe-
| riod, eleven were discovered to have
neen infected. Of 354 rats caught alive
TOUR were found to have been infected.
Severe on California.
A resolution was adopted saying
that the presence of plague in Cali
| fornia is established beyond debate"
Inc next resolution adopted contains
| this:
| This conference regards the habit
ual publication of the actual facts rel
atiVe to infectious disease and pre-
| Vent1Ve procedures as the surest route
TO popular confidence, and is one of
the means best adapted to minimize
| the injury liable to result from the
! presence of such diseases"
The following resolutions were also
| adopted:
THE present danger to California
and to the United States lies primarily
III the persistence, during nearly three
years, of definite indus of plague
infection in the part of San Francisco
known as Chinatown but the gravity
creased by the gross neglect Of official
duty by the state board Of health Of
! California and the obstructive infiu-
ence of the recent governor of Cali
| fOrnia, by the failure of the city gov
ernment of San Francisco to support
| its city board of health and by the
obstacles opposed to the operations of
| the United States public health service
The conference will consider the
! safety Of the country sufficiently as
! sured as soon as satisfied that q COM
| petent state board of health in CO.
operation with the United States public +:
health service, will proceed under def
inite, harmonius and effective laws and
ordinances that they are provided with
ample funds, and that they are jointly
and severally in the free exercise Of
their lawful powers.
Federal Service Worthy.
",The conference expresses its con-
viction that the United States public
health service has deserved well of
the state of California and of the coun-
try, and that it would go far toward
the restoration of popular confidence
if the United States public health off,
cials were admitted TO the same rela-
tions with the state board of health
as have been steadily maintained with
the city board of health of San Fran
cisco
THE praise Of this conference and
the gratitude Of the city Of San Fran
cisco are due to Drs. J. NJ. William
son, Vincent F. Buckley, w. B. Levitt,
Rudolph w. Baum, Louis Razett and
DR.. McCourtley, of the city board of
health Of San Francisco. Thes men
possess the unreserved confidence of
the executive health officers Of the
country"
There was a disposition on the part
of some members of the conference to-
adopt radical measures. A resolution
was offered proposing that the secre-
tary Of war be advised that there Is
danger III, bringing troops through the
city Of San Francisco. Surgeon Gen
eral IVyman advised against the adOp-
ton Of this resolution. Another pro
posed placing an embargo on railroads
leading out of California. unless Ger
tain steps were taken by the health
authorities toward the suppression ef
the plague. Neither of these resol'l-
tions was adopted.
1t was decided to send copies Of the
resolutions adopted to the state and
city boards of health, with a request
that they make statement as to their
prnposed plans.
The afternoon session brought the
conference to a close and adjournment
sine die was taken.