The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-20
GOVERNOR URGES HOME
DEFENSE COMPANIES
Virginia Council to Press Campaign.
James River Line Matter Con-
adhered sd-pYetest- b.
Drafted.
MANY DOCTORS ARE TAKEN
Forty TO Go From Richmond and At
Least Two Hundred from state-Gen-
erai Nichols Would Reduce Unit of
yalue--Medais for Boy scouts.
MANY DOCTORS ARE TAKEN

Governor Stuart directed the VIZ
ginia Council of Defense. at it's meet
ing at the Capitol yesterday. to pro
coed at once with efforts TO induce
citizens IN every town. county and city
In the state to organize home defense
com panies.
The council is preparing call adj
dressed 10 the people of Virginia in
line with the governors wishes II
will be issued In day or two and
Will be so distributed throughout the
state that every citizen viii be sure
! TO zee it.
4 The 1aattsr Will also be ~npha al zsd
by means of public meetings and in
other ways.
The actual organization. equipment
etc. will be done through the office
Of the adjutant-generala at the direction
and under the authority of the gov
ernor. who Is now working on the
plans These Will be connected up with
the federal law the subject
! Meanwhile. Governor Stuart urges
that INN edate steps be taken through
out the state 10 begin the formation
OF home guard companies to meet any
situation that may arise. and also to
prevent unfortunate conditions from
arising.
i Discusses Water Transportation.
The council discussed a large mum
Der Of questions. among them the
transportation situation on the James
river. and ordered the following sent
10 Fairfax Harrison, president of the
Southern railway, who Is chairman OF
the war board of the American Rail-
way association. In charge Of the ma :
tton's transportation facilities:
The attention of the railway war
board is respectfully called to the
great necessity of the maintenance al
the service on the James river and
other Virginia waters which has or
years been furnished by the Virginia
Navisation company. but the possibility
Of the discontinuanoe of which is re.
l ported.
Should this service be withdrawn
r the injury to the producers of perish
able and other food products who are
! dependent upon 1t for the trauspor.
tation of their traffic. would be meal.
cula BILE and the public interests woulI
: be most materially prejudiced
1T is the earnest hope OF this coun.
ell that the report in question ia err
roneous and that in any event mean.
may be found to continue the service
/, as heretofore operated"
DIR. williams Tells of Medical Census
DR.. Ennion G. Williams, state com
missioner or health. made a report e
the council relative to the medical cen
sus of Virginia. He stated that prob
ably 200 physicians would be asked
for by the war department from THU
. state. and he said II was problem
to know how that many we're to b,
supplied with conditions as ,hey are
Forty physicians from Richmond hav
already been accepted. Ninety from
other actions of tho state have offered
: their services. of whom twenty-h
1 have been rejected
DR.. williams said that health con
. ditions in Virginia were better thar
ever and that there was less typhoic
, than for many years, He insisted
however. that there was great neet
OF health and sanitary education tc
remedy unheaIthful conditions anc
I pointed out that as physicians are
= called to the colors this need is en-.
phasized
Along this line the council gave
l prominence in it's discussion to a re-
= port from Mrs. r. 4. Munford chair
2 man OF the women's committee and
I highly commended that part of IL es-
peciahy that dealt with the subject
of health education" Mrs Munford
said that the department Of public
health of the woman's committee un
, der the chairman, Miss Agnes Ran
dolph, In CO. cooperation with Dr. will
! liams. had prepared plans for devel-
sping classes In Pablo health along