The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-05
Great Effort of Scientists
 to Destroy the White Plague

informed Americans, some of the great men from remoter and less known countries will be seen and heard on the public platform. The great men of medicine In Sweden. Russia, Japan, China, India Australia and New Zea- land, are known in this country only to the inner circle of scientific medicine. Many such men will attend the Inter national Congress on Tuberculosis. It will be good for us Americans, though bit shocking. to learn that some of the most important work done in the Western Hemisphere (and some of it better work than the United States can show in the same line) has been done in South America. The people of the Old World recognize the distinction fairly earned by some of the South American republics in dealing with the tuberculosis problem. We, in .he United States, are comparatively un- informed, or misinformed, about the people south of Panama. The con- gress is sure to include many repre- sentatives from South America and will show some fine exhibits of work undertaken for the restriction of tuber- culosis in that part of the world.
 The work of organizing the Interna- tional Congress has been intrusted by the National Association to a special committee of six wellknown medical men, who will add to their number up to twenty members The committee at present includes Dr. Lawrence Flick of Philadelphia, Dr. Vincent Y. Bow ditch of Boston. Dr. Alfred Meyer of New York, pr. J. J. Walsh of Philadel- phia, Dr. Lawrence Litchfield of Pitts burg Dr. Charles J. Hatfield of Phila- delphia The committee has appointed a Secretary General, Dr. John s. Full ton of Baltimore, who has opened an office in the Colorado Building in Wash ington and will devote all his time to the organization of the congress. This is much the largest enterprise under taken by the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tubercu- losis in the four years of it's existence. That its faith in the outcome Is we'll founded is shown by the fact that such men as H. c. Prick, Henry Phipps, Henry L. Higginson. Martin Maloney. William P. Henzey and George Blum enthal, are giving their financial sup port to the movement.
 The project to hold this Congress in Washington had its inception under very distinguished auspices. The last International Congress on Tuberculosis met in Paris in 1905, and the American delegates invited the Congress to hold the next meeting in the United States. MT. Roosevelt seconded the invitation, through Mir. Mccormick, the Ambassa- dor to France, and the invitation was accepted with a great demonstration of enthusiasm. The project of a visit to our country seemed very agreeable to the foreigners. It was generally understood that President Roosevelt. in seconding the invitation, acted un- officially. Without express consent of the United States Congress, a President of the United States may not commit his Government to the responsibilities of hospitality towards any such organ ization. But the Government of the United States is fully able to compen- sate for any inconvenience that may arise through the limitations of presi
 dcntial authority The Government of the United States Is actively interested in the International Congress on Tu- berculosis, and it's interest became manifest as soon as the National Asso- citation called the matter to the atten- tion of the Secretary of State. This was done late in January, when MT. Root was requested to inquire of the they were interested in the Interna- tional Congrss. In a very short time 1t was found that seven out of the nine departments wished to be represented in the Congress and to contribute to the exhibition. On February 25th, a memorial asking for the necessary all thority and means, was sent to the United States Senate, bearing the en- dorsement of seven out of the nine | rnAmhers of the Cabinet. Unauastinn-