Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-29


PARIS, July Il. 1917.
81 OR some time past, and especially
H. in the last few months, news
has come from around Bor-
q deaux. Toulouse. Abb and Mar
bonnie of a mysterious malady, excep-
tionally dangerous. attacking horses
imported into France by way of Bor-
deaux from Argentine.
In the last few days comes news from
the cavalry and artillery reserves in
Brittany that the same ineXpiicable
disease" appears in horses brought
from the United States and Canada. 1t
is grave, and all the resources OF
French science are working on it Is
it an Epidemic Brittany is far from
Bordeaux and Toulouse; how could an
epidemic skip across without leaving
traces in between? How could an
epidemic have a double origin. in the
Argentine and the United States and
Canada? Is it poison? 1t would take
very subtle poison, indeed. to produce
its results.
no" grave III Is may ne judged ny
this: In south France the proportion
of Argentine horses struck has attain
ed. in certain weeks, as high as 30 per
cent of the importations, and the ami
mails, arriving nearly always in fine
condition, succumb almost Immediately
on arriving at the stables, and SO
rapidly that all efforts to save them
tn
sembIe a new kind of infectious grip,
according to some veterinaries. while
others, after autopsy, while still con-
GLIDING for infection, declare that they
cannot fix it's seat discover it's cause.
And now, among American horses ar
irving at Finisterre. seven or eight die
on the railroad train, and eight or ten
succumb the first hour in the stables
after giving signs of uneaSineSs never
lasting more than three hours. Doubt
less, the mystery will be cleared up.
Perhaps it is known already and the
secret being guarded tand perhaps
noD to preserve the precious animals in
the future.
The precious animals run practically
little risk in crossing the Atlantic.
Taking all importations into France
from Norway and Denmark, South
America. the United States and Can
ada. not more than one horse transport
in seventeen has been sunk, including
these days OIL futnleSS SupIHdIiHe az
lacks.
Zabriskie. chief veterinary of the ILL
fated British ship Mount Temple, has
given a CHASTITY description of it's sink
ing and the worst and really excep-
tional type of such cruelty.
The ma jority of horses, even on such
cannonaded transports as the Mount
Temple, nevertheless, die painless
death by drowning. And, i'll general.
the chances seem to be seventeen to
one that the sea trip across the Allan
tic will be but a pleasure trip of eat
ing, sleep and leisure. in comfortable
quarters. bracing sea air and excel
lent medical attention. The animals
are too precious to be let go sick en-
route.
At the beginning of the war the loss
of horses was awful. The first photo
graphs 1 saw in Switzerland (they
were German army photographs circu-
lated everywhere in pride) marked the
German swath in Belgium by dead
horses. In the battlefields of the Ger
man fligh, from the Marine the French
films were dotted with dead horses.
Blooded hunters from the cavalry,
smart roadsters. beasts of value, from
artillery and requisitioned farm stock,
from smashed wagon trains wandered
over the deserted plains, gaunt. thirsty,
famed and wounded. broken winded,
f,igh;eved audk discouraged.
T.:e Blu. - .:..i ,ae attendance