The Benson signal., 1918-07-06

Speciaf attention Is being given by
the medical department of the army
in all camps to cleaning up spots
| where mosquitoes and flies breed. In
some cases it has been necessary to
/ dig channels in streams, drain swamps,
and put In ELABORATE ditching systems
to clean up Stagnant pools and streams.
I In caises where it has been impossible
Or impraeticable to drain swamps and
do sfinflar work, there's has been In
stalled q system for Keeping slow-niovf
ing streams and still Bodies of water
| covered With oil. AT all points within
the camp where there is the slightest
| possibility of mosquitoes or flies breed
I ing daily spraying Of oil is done.
Arrangements have been aompleted
i with the federal public health service
/ to carry out similar program in the
! territories adjacent to the camps. The
| health service has agreed to fill bogs,
| open streams, and drain Swamps, and
continue the oil spraying for a dis
tance of mile around each camp.
Special precautions have been taken
to prevent the spread of disease by
flies. Instructions were given Oh the
/ disposal of materials that were likely
to become breeding spots. Arrange
ments were made to protect all food
from flies. With this end in view, all
buildings in which food is prepared OF
stored were screened. Entrances to
the buildings have been vestibuled.
90 Ax-tr ho
placed in each camp. More than o.
100000 square feet of screening has
been placed in all camps,
To assist In meeting the present
shortage ia unskilled labor restrictions
have been temporarily removed On the
Importation of Mexican labor to bel
used in certain occupations. This step
supplements the order by which the
department of labor has arranged to;
bring Porto Rican laborerd anto this
country for work on government cons
tracts 1t is estimated that $4,000 iss'
landers can be brought In while transz
pOrtation is available.
New regulations on the subject OF
Mexican labor contain rigid provisions
to prevent any attempt at exploitation
On the part of prospective employers,
Wage rates current for similar labor
In the localities ia which the admitted
alien is to be employed are assured,
AS well as good housing and sanitation
conditions.
The quartermaster's department is
now supplying gas-prOOf food contains
ers to the soldiers in the zone OF OPP
erations In France. These containers
prevent seepage of gas into the con-
tainers and guard against contamina-
ton of the food. The men carry their
emergency rations in the containers
and all food brought up to the
trenches is carried in the new tins.
After the food is packed in the con-
tainers they are hermetically sealed.
1t is planned to use paraffin for seal
ing. as it settles in the creviceS In
such a way that it must be cut before
the lids can be taken off. 1t can be
applied by running the containers
through paraffin bath.
Because the supply of tin is limited
and there may not be enough to sup
ply the needs of the army the quarter
masters department is experimenting
with the wax paper box. Tests made
show that these boxes meet all condi-
tions satisfactorily. The tins and
'>boxes both are yermin and water
proof.
There are now AZ theaters, which
cost over $50O,000, in operation in
camps and cantonments throughout
the country. Nearly 100 vaudeville
acts have been brought from the large
circuits to play In these theaters only;
about so acts have been secured from
Chautauqua and lyceum bureausI 80
comedy companies are playing in these
theaters exclusively. Some of these
are original New York companies.
playing the summer season only, with
EXPENSES reduced about two-thirds.
The camps have been divided into
two circuits. In one the Liberty the
aters seat 5000, in the other the
houses are smaller, having a capacity
Of about 1,O0O\each. 1t takes from Il
to 25 weeks for production to be
staged in each house Of either circuit,
"Smileage" books. sold throughout
the country under the direction OF the
commission on training camp activi-
ties, contain coupons good for ad'
mission to all attractions in camp the
aterS.
Forty-six societies representing y
nationalities of foreign-bOrn citizens
are planning monster celebrations, pa
geants parades and speech-making In
the principal cities of the United
States for July 4. Represented in the
groups are Armenians, Assyrians, Bel
gians, Chinese, Czecho-Slavs, Danes,