The Alaska daily empire., 1917-01-18
AMERICANS PLAN A BIC CAMP AIGN
 SOON IN FRANCE
Measures to Be Studied for the Relief and the Control of
 Tuberculosis.

NEW YORK, Jan. 7.--(By maiD.-
 Study of the measures for the relief
 and control of tuberculosis in France
 and to ascertain along what lines American sympathy and generosity
 can be made most effective in com
 batting the disease, is to be under.
 taken by the Rockefeller Foundation, Iit became known here tonight through a letter made public by Gov, ornOr Whitman, in which he was
 urged to grant q leave of absence for
 Dr. Hermann NJ. Biggs, State Com.
 missioner of Health, that he might
 so to France to make an inyestga.
 ton for the Foundation.
 The Governor announced that he had granted Dr. Biggs the desired leave because in view of the urgency
 Of the request it could not well be lenIod. The letter written to the Governor by Jerome D. Greene, Sec retary Of the Foundation, was in part as follows:
 For some time past our represen- tatiyes in France have been much
 impressed by the need of effective measurs for the relief. and control of tuberculosis. A number of volunteer American agencies in France have asserted themselves with great zeal and uuselfishness to arouse sympathy of the American public and to do what could be done to provide hospit- al care for the most urgent cases that have come under observation.
 "A committee of French citizens also has been organized iu close CO., operation with the Government. and appeals have been made to us on be- half of the work undertaken by this committee"
 Stating that the Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation had been 50
 impressed with the gravity of the need that they had decided to take steps for relief, the letter added:
 With this in view they have sought to find the man who in all he country was best qualified, both IS a physician and as a public health administrator, to study the situation in France and to determine along the lines which help could be best. given. They have had no difficulty Tn making up their minds that Dr. Hermann M. Biggs was the man whose character and attainments fulfilled the requirements of the case.
 "They realized that it would be asking a great deal of Dr. Biggs to make the sacrifice involved in a visit to France, and that the state of New York had its first claim upon his services.
 They felt, however, that. if it | should be the happy result of Dr. l Bigg's going to France that the bene- fits of his long and wonderfully | fruitful service in New York could | be availed of in the organization of a campaign in that country the ef- feet in terms of human welfare would be so large and tar-rcaching as 10 constitute a very strong claim both on his public spirit and upon the generosity of the state of New York.
 "We are deeply graified to learn hat this claim has been recognized by you as governor of the State, and t is my agreeable duty to acknow. edge the obligation which the trus. ees of the Rockefeller Foundation eel for the consideration that has ,een shown for the appeal for Dr. 3iggs services
 'I may add that in an interview which l had with the French Ambas. ador yesterday he expressed him elf in terms of most cordial appre. iation of the sympathy and good will implied by the tender of Dr. Biggs' \ ervices."