Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-18
MENACE Of CHOLERA
Situation at ConstantinopIe
Said to Be Serious.
LETTER OF MRS. R0CKHILL
American Committee Opens Field
Hospital Of Fifty Beds
in Tents.

| The American Red Cross is in receipt
Of copy Of letter from William c..
Cooper, acting principal of the Thes-
salonica Agricultural and Industrial In
stitute. near Salonih, in Macedonia, adj
dressed to DR.. ]. Henry House. the prin-
cipal OF the institution, who is now in
this country on furlough.
Driven Into Saloniki.
The following statements are taken
from that letter:
| THE war has driven the Turkish peo-
pie into Saloniki by thousands-on foot
on pack animals. on carts piled high with
their few earthly possessions and in
trains filled to overlooking with even
| women and children on top Of passenger
coaches. For the time being they were
housed as well as possible, but upon
the entry into the city Of the victorious
allies these helpless refugees were forced
into the streets and their few possessions
lost.
There not being anywhere near suf-
ficient food in the town to feed the in
habitants and refugees. thousands OF
men. women and children are dying OF
starvation. notwithstanding the fact that
American missionaries are using what
little funds they have in hand to buy
bread with which to feed the hungry.
At the date that the letter was written,
one loaf of bread was being distributed
among four persons for a days rations;
In other words. one person has only
quarter of loaf Of dry bread as his food
supply every twenty-four hours.
Money Is badly needed. The commit
tee at Saloniki Is spending 500 a day.
One hundred dollars will feed over 1000
people for twenty-four hours"
About $4,000 Available,
| Referring to the statement of condi-
| tions in Salonk, the American Red
Cross announces that within the past
month it has notified the Queen Of
Greece, through the American minister
in Athens, that about $1,000 is available
for her personal use In this relief work
This sum is now available for the use
OF the queen In connection with the SUI
ferers at SalOnki, with whose conditions
the queen is familiar. as she has recently
visited that city.
In q letter dated December 2, addressed
to Miss BOardman, Mrs. Edith Rockhtal
wife of the American ambassador to
Constantnople, states that the cholera
situation in Constantople has become
critical.
Having heard that at the village Of
San Stefano there were gathered many
soldiers without shelter or care, the first
secretary of the American embassy and
Maj. Ford visited that place November
%. They found that sick and wounded
soldiers had been thrown off trains at
this point.
In and about one building We're lying
some 500 men in complete restitution. 1t
was impossible to estimate the number
of the sick or dead. Dying men crowded
around wells, endeavoring to obtain
water, but too weak to do SO. Many
unburied corpses lay around.
AS a. result of the interest taken by the
Americans, the dead were buried and the
worst evils removed. The lives Of many
are saved by the segregation Of cholera
patients.
Help Is Rendered.
When the Americans first visited San
Stefano, the sick, the dying and the
dead lay in hopeless, helpless misery and
filth Since that time the Red Crescent
Society has furnished mattresses, and
the American committee has furnished
blankets shirts, linen, socks, medicines,
oil stoves, cups, plates and many other
necessities.
Through cooperation of several men,
bers of the British Red Cross Hospital
Unit. the American committee has been
able to start a field hospital Of fifty
beds in tents. Since taking hold of the
situation the Americans have sent sixty
convalescent patients away and still have
about 235 patients under their care. Many
Of the sick and wounded had been neg
lected too long to be saved.
The tent hospital above referred to is
under the entire control of DIR. Baynes, a
British Red Cross surgeon. but is being
financed by the American Red Cross.