The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-23

Had the plan prepared by the general
board during the Roosevelt admins
tration been adopted the United States
would now be within only three years
of a forty-eigh-battleship navy and
other vessels in proportion. But we
have at last great naval programme,
providing for sixteen capital ships,
ten scout cruisers, fifty torpedo-boat
destroyers, to cost not exceeding
81 100000 each, exclusive of armor
and armament; fifty-eight coast sub
marines and naval adjuncts necessary
to bring the navy up-to-date-sixty-
six vessels in all.
According to Admiral Dewey the
personnel of the navy is all that could
be desired. "Our officers are as good
as any," he said, "and l believe our
boys are the best gunners in the
world"
Under the army regulation plan the
regulars will be increased to 1854 Of
ficers and 5000 enlisted men on a
peace footing, and at the end of five
years the men serving with the col
ors and a large body of reserves will
total as large land force as this coun-
try should need in time of war-at the
start. And yet Mr.. Hughes finds no
good, nothing but evil, in the Wilson
administration. If his criticism were
accepted as just, the democrats are
not fit to legislate for the country.
But the people know better. The demo-
Gratis in the Wilson administration
have certainly demonstrated the fact
that they are lawmakers on far
reaching scale. Mr.. Wilson has made
mistakes; Congress has made mis-
takes, because it is human to err, but
did any President since Lincoln ever
accomplish as much in four years as
the present occupant of the White
House, or were more wise or bene-
ficent laws ever passed than those
passed by the Sixty-third and Sixty
fourth Congresses Assuredly no.
TN connection with the campaign of
education planned for Jefferson
county by the board of health and the
Medical association prominent place
should be given to the anti-tuberculo-
sis portion of DR.. Carol Fox's pro-
gramme. 1t is
Pressing Need for in tuberculosis
tuberculosis Hospital that the chief
enemy to
health is found and that being so, it
is here that the beginning of concrete
Improvement may well be made.
The law passed by the legislature
last year provides precisely what is
needed in this county as a modus
operandi," to quote helpful friend
of the cause. 1t puts the initiative In
the hands of the people and it is hard
to understand why any delay should
have occurred, unless the cause be the
anti-tuberculosis forces lack of funds
for pushing a countrywide educational
movement.
DR.. Fox recommends that a hospital
of at least one hundred beds be imme-
diately established under this law. 1t
is understood that he thought the ac-
commodations should be much larger
five hundred beds. The JEFF
ferson County Anti tuberculosis asso-
citation insists that provision for "less
than two hundred beds would be ut
terly unwise." This would be the first
unit and could be increased later as
necessity were shown.
The point made by those familiar
with the situation is that from forty
to fifty deaths from tuberculosis oc-
cur every month in this county, and
as can be readily imagined many of
them are so circumstanced as to be
full of peril to the household con-
cerned and to the entire community.
The least protected are those most in
need of protection-negroes and very
poor white people. To protect these
is to protect the whole public, but it
is plain that they can only be pro-
tected by removal of the sick to a
hospital.
In proceeding in this matter the law
requires that petition be signed by
a majority of the voters, showing the
cost of construction and maintaining
such hospital 1t is believed that
the people are ready to sign the neces-
sary petition. At any rate the move
ment should be started at once.
~ OCCASIONALLY one will meet in
~ his travels man who says he
would hate to live in New York, but
nine times out of ten the person speak