The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-29
AID NEEDED FOR
100000 SERVIANS
Rockefeller Foundation Tells
of Conditions in Stricken
Land.
TYPHUS Is CHIEF MENACE

The Rockefeller Foundation War Re-
lief Commission, which was cent TO Eu-
rope to study conditions among non
combatants and TO recommend the most
effective methods of relieving distress,
has reported concerning conditions In
Servia. Referring to the losses in tho
wars the report says:
I'm the Turkish and second Balkan
wars Servia is said to have modified
@67. $3.50 men out OF 2o4j.95O inhab.-
tants. to have lost 81 900 men and to
have had $4,000 wounded. At present
the country is mobiizing every one cap
able Of military service. except in Mace
donia.
For three years now Servia has
had no opportunity 10 repair the farm
implements which have been wearing
! out to replace the cattle. horses and
vehicles which have been used up in the
| army: To enable it's merchants to re-
plenish their depleted stocks and stores /,
TO renew it's supplies OF homespuu tex
tiles and to repair its roads. railroads
and buildings"
After telling Of the devastation caused
by the war with Aus;ria-H Hungary die
report says that 100000 Scrvians are In
want and adds:
The plight Of these wretched people
IL aggravated and complicated by the
prevalence OF epidemic disease among
them which. through any efforts Of their
own, they are quite helpless TO control
II will be possible to illustrate the ex-
| tremity of the destitution among the ref
usees by a brief description of the con-
ditions personally observed by members
or the commission in Nish, the tempo
Il ~ Of Of
This city. which has n normal popu-
lation of about $4,000. now shelters a
| population estimated At about 10000.
/ The congestion is due In part to the
/ 'nfux Of refugees and to the presence
OF persons connected with the Govern
ment or drawn there by the fact OF the
Governments temporary occupation Of
the place.
"A group OF about 7i5 refugees occ i
[ pies the buildings and grounds OF an
ancient convent. The buildings are very
old and are of one story with low cell
/ ings and small windows They drink
water from we'll which is probably
contaminated. About 225 refugees oc-
cupy school building Eleven small
school rooms were used with the mum
! Der OF occupants in each ranging from
/ fifteen 10 twenty-five. There we're no
beds. The ravages of starvation and
disease were appalling
/ on disease in Servia the report says
that typhus typhoid and recurren'
fever are epidemic and that there are
smallpox and scarle; fever in some COM
munities Cholera is expected with the
warmer weather OF spring The typhus
was started among the 60 600 Austrian
prisoners which the Servians have cap
tured. These prisoners We're sent to
different cities and the seeds Of typhus
have been widely scattered. II is esti-
mated that there are 80. 900 typhus cases
In Servia and unless measures are taken
20 check the disease II will spread Nor
mally thcre are only 400 physicians in
Servia. Many from other countries have
Joined with these. hut several doctors
and nurses have died. The report tells
that this disease is not only menace
10 Servia hut TO tho Whole world The
Servian Government has invited .he
presence or an American sanitary com
mission which will he fully empowered
TO institute vigorous measures to cope
with the epidemic This commission is
under the leadership OF pr. Richard y
Strong. professor Of tropical diseases In
| Harvard Medical School
The Serbian Agricultural Relief Con,
mi'tee received contributions Yesterday
amounting to s295,50. Total receipts 70
date are SiS. 263 20