The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-08-13
NATIONAL DEFENSE
/. IS ADVOCATED BY
FAMOUS SCIENTIST
Rockefeller Foundation Special
ist Says 'PacificlstS Should
Study Conditions In Hawaii
HEALTH SERVICE HERE :
RECEIVES HIGH PRAISE
l.'< r# + ----
Doctor WEIGH Unfolds Mission To
China TO Commercial Club
Members

VI
{ al am not militarist. But just
before leaving home 1 joined the
League for National Defense, newly
organized back East. And am sure
that il the so.called pacifcists could
visit Hawaii, study your problems and
observe your defensive preparations
here they would not oppose so strong.
" all plans for military defense by
the United States.'h ~.
Such was one of the final comments
by DR.. William H. WEIGH, renowned
scientist and president of the board
Of directors Of the Rockefeller Foun-
dation for Medical Research, in his
short talk at University Club lunch
con in his honor yesterday. The com
ifIent was merely a concluding remark
on q subject aside from the main theme
Of his informal address, but he made
clear and unmistakable his stand on
the question Of national defense,
brought to high pitch now by the
ing on this country from both sides
of the great conflict.
Interested In Hookworm
For the main part Doctor Welch
confined his talk TO a discussion Of the
larger aims Of medical science as per-
sonified by the Rockefeller FOunda-
ton. He has been in Hawaii three
weeks and Ia en- route to China, where
the Foundation has instituted exten-
sive medical research assisting the mis-
sions and people there. He is mem
Der Of the China Medical Board. The
Foundation is materially assistin" n
number of institutions in the Orient,
among them the Union Medical Gov.
lege at Picking, and the Harvard
School, at Shanghai. The purpose is
to modernize medicine and surgery in
the oriental republic. s'"
One thing which the Rockefeller
Foundation ia, deeply interested in is
the hookworm, which medical scion
lists are convinced Is the bane of
nearly all races living in the tropics.
"Only few days before l left
New York said Doctor Welch, "a
conference was held by the Founda
tion 3 scientists and the sentiment
was expressed that yellow fever can
be stamped out of the world, by the
gradual elimination of the fever carry
ing mosquito. The possibility of this
has been demonstrated here in Hawaii
and by General Gorgas in the Canal
zone. 4.en.s ~
would Destroy Mosquitoes
eve are convinced it can he done.
II is, as I say, merely question Of
reducing the mosquito population. The
Rockefeller Foundation proposes to as,
sumo the burden Of this big task. 50
long as the yellow fewer mosquito re
mains il Is a serious menace to Pan
ANA Canal, where it formerly abound,
ed in the most dangerous numbers.
at also is very common on tn"
west coast Of South America-RO much
80 that IL has served thus far as
practical protective tariff to the ma
tives. They are virtually immune, 1t
appears, but to foreigners who com"
to their shores the mosquito and HIS
attendant germ have proven so deadly
that there is perforce very small i'm
migration down there
The determination of the yellow few.
et insect, said Doctor Welrh, should
pTove practicable and should Weld
enormous returns on the money invest
ment required. II is not difficult 70
stop or prevent breeding and the IN
sect is shOrt.lived.
Health system Here Excellent
Doctor WEIGH, paid high ro"n'I-
ment to the health authorities OF Ela-
vail, saying the Territory Is far ahea
OF most OF the states in sanitat on AMI
general health affairs. Hawaii. nv
like so many states, particularly in
the East, is not hampered in her heath
work by politics, and the federal a"'
territorial authorities work harmon
iously together.
In spite of this however. Hawaii has
many vital health problems to solve,
though her climate Is one of the best
in the world, he remarked. He NG'eed
surprise that the Islands should be so
free from malaria and kindred mala
dies. Discussing leprosy, Doctor WEIGH
said he believed medical scientists
were gradually getting 1t under con
troll and clearing away some or the
mystery that has shrOuded 1t for zen
turies, though the only certain safety
as vet seems to come from early 'om-
prehension and segregation.
High Praise For Hawaii
He paid high compliment to Hawai-,
her scenic beauties and the hospital
l, ity Of her people. He offered a con
structive criticism of tho information
available for tourists, remarking that
the information he had been able to
obtain was fair enough as far as it
went, but II did not impart enOuGh
solid knowledge of the island %ondr"S.
He thought a guide bool, romrarah'"
to Baedeker should be compiled for the
benefit Of visitors.