The Washington times., 1915-03-28
Most Deadly Agency.


Most Deadly Agency.
Not since the war began, said DR..
Trowbridgc, who came TO Washington
for tho unvcilins of the Red Cross build
ing. for which he was one of the archi'
tects. has any agency so deadly faced
the warning nations and neutral nations
as we'll.
And that is the foundation for the new
appeal the Serbian agricultural relief
committee Is about to sound throughout
the United States. To lighting this
Spotted plague believed to be the same
as the devastating black plaques" of
the Middle Ages, the Rockefeller Foun-
dation already has set aside $1,000. the
Red Cross has contributed $4,000, the
relief committee has raised $4,000, but
such is the magnitude of the fast
spreading epidemic that even this $4,000
will fall far short of what will be need
cd TO effectually check it.
DR.. Trowbridae was chairman Of the
original agricultural relief committee
which hoped to avert just such a con-
tingencS by checking the rush to the
cities and sending the Serbians back TO
their ruined farms. But before seeds
could be shipped and the farm imple-
ments provided. the plague set in. So
a subcommittee was hurriedly formed
Lambcr. DR.. William James, md Or.
w. Honnicut Draper. of New York; Or.
Herbert Charles Moffitt, of san Fran
| clso; DR.. Charles II. Mayo, of Rochester
MINI; Or; Frank Billings. of Chicago.
and DR.. William Henry Welch, and Dr.
Howard Eelly, of Baltimore.
Already fastening toward the scenes
| or the disease are noted French physi-
| clans and DR.. Frank Young. of New
| York. These men were warned by DR..
| pI, nf
| escaping death is less than two to one.
But despite this a number of physicians
| OF both this country and France are
expected TO go to Serbia within the
| neXt month.
| The next step. DR.. Trowbridge said.
will be a shipment Of blankets. bedding,
disintectants. and meteorological ma
| tcrials. This is now being arranged
Draper. wife Of DR.. Draper. A great
amount of such provisions will be
needed. for all clothing. bedding. and
materials used by each patient must be
| destroyed.
| "Worse Than Smallpox"
| 1T is hard to conceive tho virulence
| of this deases." DR.. TroUb bride said,
| for it is oven worse than our smallpox.
| Physicians themselves must be covered
by a sort of impervious sacking from
| head to foot, they wear rubber gloves,
and ointment is smeared about their
wrists. Only their eyes and nostrils arc
| exposed. The disease is transmitted by
a tiny insect. and to have one of these
means the inevitable contraction of the
| disease"
Just now. the architect said, one
American physician Is caring for l,6O
patients; all lying on the floor OF
dirty tobacco factory, unprovided with
beds. blankets or necessary. drugs
| This physician is assisted only by 81,
unframed volunteer men nurses.
DIR. Trowbridge conferred with Am
bassador Jusserand and with Mis-
Mabel Boardman yesterday afternoon
| Recognizing that the menace of tht
disease exceeds all national bounds, thu
wives Of the British, the Russian ant
the French ambassadors have 6ecom'
members of the committee though pre-
vously they declined to join other re
lief committees.
Is Important Call.
I'VE realized the difficulty of trying
to raise funds at this time" Dr. Trow
bridge explained. when America al
ready has responded so generously tt
the appeal from all quarters. Rut W.
realize, too. that this call transcend
any that yet has come. for it not onl
: affects those already suffering. but It
, spread may mean scourge like mod
ern times have not yet seen.
Modern science faces one Of its great
est battles right now in Nisch and Sa
. lonika. and the battle there will be on
of the greatest fought during the pres
ent struggle. How much will we raise
I do not know. | cannot even say nov
, how much we shall need. That depend
upon the quickness and surety of ou
: early work. We shall know more abou
: that when the brave physicians sen
their first reports.
, But. in the meantime we shall eXer