Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-22
THE REAL MI MCAN BORDER RAIDS
ny I!i:DERIC }. IiAskI,

WASHINGTON. y. c.. July 1.-The
occasional forays of Pancho Nilhcross
The Rio Grande are not the md dan
rerous Mexican border raids, Or the
hardest against which TO dend the
country The worst menace con
tanned in the continuous s,t,m OF
Mexican refugees who pour acss the
International bridges. laden wit germs
OF smallpox ana typhus. Thdhordcr
war which the United state. public
health service Is waSiug agaiit these
diseases is the most importai phase
OF the Mexican campaign, so "a as the
protection of American life All health
is concerned
Few persons realize the extct of this
border immigration from Drthern
MEXICO. About tho time Of 10 Car
RIAL incident, when IL looked although
war between Mexico and III United
states was unavoidable. and WIN Mex
lean leaders were placarding I. coun-
Try with messages To the Mc1an pa :
triotS about how they woul march
triumphautly TO Washington .he said
patriots We're crossing the International
bridges ut The rate Of nearl 5000 a
week. They We're not on tn way TO
Washington. either. Their or' object
was 10 get out OF their below father
land before the big row sta,.d
This Mexican Immigration ross the
border * vevitable baromct. o! con :
d!tions in Northern MexlcI When
things are quiet. the ,raniGfalls on
10 almost nothing. but whe fighting
starts. TN. desire for chang OF scene
becomes widespread. Whichever side
is getting licked proceeds TO contribute
ten To la.0o0 MeNicans to y popula :
ton OF the border States.
Now the problem OF hauling this
horde OF poems. coming ronfl country
al ~ lily L. 40
OF the most difficult the quaint!ue Of
;iCers have ever faced. II the first
place. they had few facilite for the
work on the ground. LaStDcccmhcr
"A case OF typhus was rcport4 from La :
redo and within n week NE public
health service had corrs,f men on
tin" border. hundreds Of gallons Of
gasoline. kerosene and vulgar were
obtained in which 10 bath the lousy
and reluctant peon, shower, aths we're
erected steam chambers ws" obtained
from the Mexican government. and
within few weeks a faiiy effective
quarantine was pmt into :ition
Quarantine Against rphus.
This quarantine is primarily and
principally a war upon ie common
louise. which is the only kbwn carrier
- typhus. This dangcrousd disease has
always been present upol the MeNi-
city During the war ii halbccn stead
lily carried northward blythe armies
and is now "A continuous rnacc along
the border Every Mexica. whose per-
sonal effects and adornutnts include
one or more lice is potible carrier
OF typhus. The batting atraGe OF the
louise in Northern Nex!o may be
Judged from the fact tat of ls5O
MeXicans who were trcatl at FL Paso
pnl | hnI . N
Easolin" and vinegar torid them OF
these vcrm!n.
Every Mexican who CRISES the line
10y one OF the intcrnapnal bridges
Is inspected as possible carrier OF
tvphus. II he is found b be one. h,
must either go through the process
prescribed by the public ralth service
or return to his native hnd. good
many go back, and nonepf them seem
10 enjoy tho disinfectini process. In
addition TO taking bah in gasoline
and vinegar they are hccinatcd and
given q shower bath-th latter n com.
picte novelty and n god deal OF a
shock TO most of them
In this way, nearly ~ OF those who
cross the international bridges arr
pretty thoroughly disirfctcd; but the
quarantine cannot be ntde perfect foi
two reasons. In the fist place. per-
feet quarantine aGainSI typhus would
nacessitate n twelve-dS detention &c
see whether any symptoms developed
This is imnossible. Tofeed and house
every Mexican who 6psSed the line
for twelve days would ie n tremendous
e,pcnsc, and would arbunt to feeding
a largo part of THE population OF
northern Mexico. TO whenever
Mexican needed twelf days OF free
board. he would mcry have to cross
tie border, and fci lice would al
ways serve as mca TICKET. so de'
tention is out Of the Question.
Constant Crossin OF Hordcr.
Again, with n BIDDER $500 miles
long. marked by an Imaginary line OF
b,. a river which ma2be wadcd, swum
OF, crossed in hoat 1t is Impossible
t. stop any man Mo is really de-
mined to cross tho border unobscrv-
Ell. 1t is n wcll-knofn fact that there
is constant surreptiious crossing OF
tho Mexican hordcrto cvadc customs
and immigration lajs. No doubt the
United States quarntinc is TO some
extent cvadcd In thssamc way. How
ever. the guarantee. considering Its
necessary Limitations. has been re.
| markably effective. The public health
officers were on TN ground promptly
! after the disease tachcd tho border
! and fought its sprtad from tho first
! This naturally gaT them n great ad.
| vantage. for. II til disease had once
| gotten n good stat In this country
| it would have beci too latc for quar-
| antine measures.
AS 1t is. the dfease has appeared
| sporadically upon his side OF the Dor
| der. but almost exclusively among Mex
leans. Sixty cascJwerc reported from.
! FL Paso County h six months, and
| there have also cen cases In other
parts OF Texas, an In New Mexico and
Arizona. No cpidmic is feared on this
aida. howavAr hntr a n fnfccted Ma