The copper era and Morenci leader., 1914-12-04
PROPER WORK FOR AN ARMY.

con4pshed in that time?
We may pass over the political questions in
volved, both domestic and international. Maybe
ii was mistake to send our army there; maybe
il was mistake to relinquish control of Next
SOS front door at tllis-time But let's see what
our boys in khaki actually did.
Vera Cruz, when the troops landed there in
April was dirty and unheathfu1 1t had been SO
for centuries. When the sniping stopped, and
1.-THE dead were buried and order was restored and
the rnunicir,al government was in running order
again the invaders set about to make the place
habitabe according to the standards of race
that respects health and loves soap. That meant
La tremendous job of housekeeping
The place swarmed with flies and mosquitoes
which the natives regarded as inevitable Affections.
b cause there were flies, there was typhoid fever.
Because there were mosquitoes, there lalarlal
fever The flies fourshed because every street,
csc1v stable every house and every restaurant or
cafe was filthy. The mosquitoes fourished because
the streets we're poorly paved and drained and be
cause there was stagnant water everywhere
tuberculosis was rife, owing to the poor
housing and the native distrust Of fresh air. Dy,
sentary had ways been epidemic there in the
an outbreak Of smallpox. The water supply was
bad.
Well the army got down to hygienic bust
ness.
Every man, woman and child in Vera Cruz
was vaccinated against smallpox Every person
that entered the city was vaccinated. Soon the
disease was stamped out
Then the army attacked the flies. The sold
iers went through the city building by building.
They made every householder clean house. and
showed him how, They made the cafe remove
the accunulations of years from floors walls,
ceilings, cellers,. closets and ranges They con-
denned unsanitary refrigerators They removed
and destroyed all garbage and organized sys-
tenn of garbage disposal. Soon the flies had
vanished.
d They tackled tie mosquitoes, draining. the
swan1ps filing up depressions full Of water ban
ming rain Barrels and open csters, putting the
sewers into working order, cleaning out cutters
and paving the streets. Every contaminated well
was sealed or flied up. Every possibility of any
human being swallowing disease germs was
guarded against.
The army doctors looked after the health
of the natives, well as the soldiers, in every
particular Thy opened dispensaries and treated
all corners free. The population is healthier at
this moment than ever before.
The most notable job was the cleaning up of
the famous old fortress-prison Of San Juan de
Ulloa. 1t had not been cleaned for about 900
years, and was filled with indescribable filth The
army jumped in and did thorough job, using up
tons of soap, sulphur and other disinfectants
They then used it for barracks, setting free the
political prisoners and those against whom no
charge was recorded.
Now. many persons may say that all this is
a fine achievement, but rrndignihed and even
task for the nations soldiers.
But it is not rather the very highest and
noblest work an army can be devoted
Always heretofore armies have been raised
afid kept for purposes of destruction. Is not this
army that invaded Vera Cruz forerufiner of all [
the armies of the future, that shall fight not their
feilowlrnen, but the hostile forces Of nature.
We o, ght to have big standing army b
Bit that army ought to be devoted to precisely
such taeks as that accomplished in Vera Cruz. !
It ought to drain swafnps. It ought to ifrigate
deserts. Il ought to build bridges. 1t ought to
protect the forests. 1t ought to make rivers \
and prevent devastating floods. 1t II
ought to open up new territory like that of
wealthy but undeve1oped Alaska.
We shall always need armies to fight nature,
which is only real enemy, and foe whose con-
quest should confer honor higher than any gain
ID from slaughter.