The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-20
Clothing Shortage Remedied
and Adequate Supplies Are
Now On Hand
MENINGITIS DECREASES
In ALL BUT ONE CAMP
Secretary OF War Baker Issues
Statement Covering All
Phases of Existing Army
Camp Conditions

washington, Dec. 19.-The worst
NJ the shortage of equipment ana
nvercrowding resulting in the excess
sive deaths In four army camps re-
ported by General Gorgas yesterday
has been passed.
The health conditions in all the
rsrns are Improving Adequate sup
niles and facilities are now AT hand
This was the result OF wide inquiry
today made public by Secretary
Baker. with figures as to the cIoth
ing supplies and the health report OF
rbe army for the week ending De
cember Ia.
Il want to say" Mr. Baker said to-
day. that Immediately upon the re-
csipt Of the report OF the surgeon
general Geographic instructions were
forwarded 10 remedy the conditions
he conpistned Of and ] am now M
formed that they have been remedied
almost completely.
No Observation Camps 1eas ,..#
NO observation camps for newly
admitted men have yet been estao-
hrhed because 1t has NOT yet been
decided whetheE to assemble all new
men for health observation at one or
Two certers, or TO eata places for
them In ea eh OF the camps
81 have lust been invited 10 re-
view of the men at Camp Meade, Md.
aud I arn Informed that every man
wilt appear there tomorrow in wooden
Uniform and overcoat. ! am inform
Ell that the Same thing IS true OF
Camp DevenS. ~ Aver, Mass. and
Camp Upton, at Yaphank, L. J.
Il had no previous knowledge Of
,be conditions OF menif gifts at Camp
Funston The site was chosen by a
special board upon which there was
p medical officer. There is this TO he
said. that it is not the locality which
carries the meningitis, but the people
fhsre. n the camp had been located
amy place else the people, from that
district would have brought menin-
gifts there.
Facilitates Taxed 20 Utmost
Mr. Raker explained that the rea-
snt for rhe slowness in furnishing
WOODEN garments IL sttat e~ery pos
sihle facility for their manufacture
IA the United States is now and has
been taxed TO the utmost. He explain
ed that contracts for the rnauufac-
fure of wooden cloth had been allot-
~dNwherever they could he filed by
William Eiseman, of the war indus
sfies board.
When the cloth had been secured,
Mr. Baker explained that the CON
tracts for the manufacture of the
uniforms had been let through Col
ffirish Mt the Philadelphia arsenal.
Sic said that he had received no evi-
Gerces that contracts had been let 10
xper who had no facilities for filling
rhem and that the work had been de-
layed by the law which forbids the
soliciting of such contracts.
The health report for the army of
the week enSng December Ia indi-
Gates that the increases in measles
pneumonia and meningitis have ce&s-
ed except in three or four camps The
nor effective rate OF the national
guard is larger than the week be-
fore. however, standing at ass per
thousand as against ASS for the week
previous. In the national army il
was 40 o as against 36. New cases In
tIe national guard were slightly less
oil the whole and about the same in
she national army for all causes.
Clothing Report
The report OF clothing on hand for
the various camps shows that there
was at least one of each item OF
heavy uniform. including cvercoats
On hand for every man in camp.
There were two and three blankets
per man on hand and two and three
pairs Of shoes and heavy underwear
In many cases. however. WOODEN
rslothinE for the Southern camps. or
dered shipped from Northern depoes
an the middle of November. had not
arrived on the date OF the reports
WOODEN uniforms for Camp Sewer
were only ordered shipped from New
York on November Is. There were
however. overcoats, heavy under
wear and socks on hand at that camp
for all men. At Camp Doniphan
there was a shortage of overcoats.
The camps in which measles show,
ed q slight increase during the last
week were Camp Cody. New Mexico
Camp Kearney, California; Camp
poniphan. Oklahoma: Funston. Kan
sas; Pike, Arkansas; and Travis
Texas.
At Beauregard. louisiana: Cody
New Mexico; Sewer. South Carolina
and Travis. Texas. slight increase ir
pneumonia Ii noted.
Meningitis cases have decreased ir
all but Camp Doniphan.