The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-12
THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION WANTS
 GORGASAS ADVISER.
Invited to Be come Permanent Member of Staff of Foundation.
 Considering Offer


 Washington. April i1.--Msjor Cen ersI William C. GorRas, surgeon gen eral of the United states army, was invited tonight by the RockefcIler Foundation to become permanent member of It's staff in the capacity of general adviser In matters relating to public ssnitation and the control of epidemics.
 General Gorgas is wanted by the foun- dation particularly at this time to direct the campaign against the typhus scourge devastating Servia Whether he actually will go to Servia probably wtll depend on the general himself if he accepts the offer.
 The offer was made tonight by Jerome D. Green. secretary of the. Roc. .eseller Foundation, who in conference with General Gorgas outlined the plans and ican Red Cross, with which the Founda- ton is cooperating.
 Considers Invitation
 General Gorgas took the invitation un- der consideration, indicating that he probably would give his answer within a few days. II IS understood the gem eral expects to consult Secretary of War Garrison and possibly President Wilson before reaching q decision. Being entitled under the law to ,ctire at any time he desires, it will not be necessary for the surgeon-seneral to re. sign his commission in the army to ac- cept the new post unless it should be- come necessary for him to go to Servia As an officer on the army s retired list he could not take charge of work within the territory of belligerent nation. General Gorgas selection for the post of surge on-general and later promotion under a special act of Congress to the rank of major general followed his bril- liant work in the Panama Canal zone W here his conquest of disease made DOS. sible the building of the big waterway. The general first became famous by cleaning up" Havana, where he was chief sanitary officer from 1898 to 1902 In 1913, with special permission from Congress- he went to South Africa from the British Government to work out sanitation problems
 The general declined to comment on the invitation, other than to say hs appreciated the honor deeply.
 Native of Alabama
  General Gorgas. who is native of Mobile, is 61 years old. He has had S5 years active service in the army. MT. Greene, after his conference with General Gorgas, issued statement in which he said:
 "The Rockefeller Foundation has ir- vited General Gorgas to become per manent member of its staff in the ca . pacity of general adviser in matters i relating to public sanitation and the control of epidemics.
 ] When in cooperation with the American Red Cross the Foundation undertook to control the epidemic of | typhus and the threatened epidemic of | cholera, the trustees naturally thought 1 of General Gorgas as man pre-emi- nently fit to be of service in this emer- 1 Eency.
 1 The Foundations invitation con l te mp1ates his retiring from active | eervice as he is now entitled to at any i time. but it does not contemplate his resignation from the army unless hc should be assigned to duties of sucli nature as to be incompatible with l the regulations affecting retired off cers. Such duty would be involved l in his going to Servia at the present ], time. The sanitary commission AmeIi- Ito Servia in charge of Dr. Richard P. Strong. aof the Harvard medical school { as director. The Rockefeller Founds- < ton is .co-operating with the American 1 Red Cross in the support of this expe l dition and If General GDrgas should Laccept the Foundatiohs offer lie l houbtless will be largely Influential in ] detek1pipines the nature 8i1d ex tent -0f .<tts p6xfIetRe ticn if ta sorks