El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-19
MEN UNFIT FOR
ARMY A MENACE
Government Plans Special
Camps to Make Deficient
Men Robust.
D FREDERIC ]. HAskIN.

/ der the control Of a reclamation camp
commission. Men who enlist and are
found physically unfit may apply for
! admission to such camps As soon as
a man has been put in good physical
condition he viii be certified for
| service in the army.
This bill expresses q feeling which
I IS IN evidence throughout the country
ana IS reflected in congress that some
tnlng must be done about the health
OF the nation. For some years past
me stallstielans have been pointing
out TO us that while we have nearly
conquered many of the germ diseases,
the degenerative diseases are on the
increase This presumably is due TO
me increased erowding into cities
with resultant increase of sedentary
and otherwise unhealthful occupa-
tons.
Draft Shows Deficiency.
Now the draft comes along and re-
yeals the fact that q surprisingly
large precentage OF the young men OF
araft age, which the orators call the
flower of our manhood. are physically
unit to bear arms 1t Is stated on
good authority that 20 percent Of the
registrants have been found to be
This is the other menace to our na-
tional health which the statistics do |
not show because the venereal dis /
eases are often recorded as something I
else, ana many publications prudishly 4
avoid printing their names. In Eng !
land II was the same way before the ]
v ar, but now the English papers men !
ton these diseases In the headlines. I
They do this for the same reason that /
they mention the Germans in the /
headlines; namely, that the venereal /
peril They are now threatening 10 I
gain a similar place In this country i
u is estimated that we now have 90 /
buV0O0 syphilitics, and there can be 4
no no doubt but that our armies viii /
bring back injection from Europe.
Amount to a World Plague.
Ihese diseases, then, amount to a 1
world plague, and one of which the /
scientists OF all the world are well /
aware, but toward which the laftv
takes as cavalier and prejudiced an /
attitude as our great grand parents 4
cid toward sanitary protection against 1
germs It Is urgently necessary that l
the public should wake up TO the true
state OF affairs. The scientists point 4
out that unless the public can be con-
WINGED that this is not a moral cues
ton, but a question Of health. and that
Ccncealment and ignorance OF these
diseases utterly wrong. the strug-
gle Of science against them is greatly
handicapped. The world today faces a
plague Of these diseases. spreading as
much By innocent as BY immoral
means, which is threatening 70 be-
come almost as serious as the plaques
The proposed series OF reclamation
camps is intended largely as a cura-
tive measure directed against these
maladies, Just as the work OF the COM
mission on training camp activities is
4 preventive measure. Doubtless the
reclamation camps could also DO a
great work IN building up BY drills
and exercises the men who are
deficient in physical development.
In addition 70 these efforts to check
the spread Of coutagion, both the pub (
lie health service and the army medi- ,
cal corps are taking an Important ,
part in the great movement TO better ,
our national health, which has sprung
out Of the war. In this respect as in ;
s" many others, the war has been an !
accounting. which has Shown heavy i
deficits; and the nation has put forth
splendid efforts TO meet them.
Large Constructive Element.
Thus there is a large cOustruc tive l.
element IN the work which the pub :
lie health service Is doing IN the sani-
The jurisdiction OF the army medical
corps is limited largely TO the camps
themselves; but the health OF the SOL !
1iers is dependent upon conditions
IN the communities surrounding the
camps as we'll Hence the public
health service has been delegated the I
task Of cleaning up these eommuni- I
ties, and it Is proceeding about IL IN / ,
most thorough manner. Water sup I
plies and sewage systems, milk sup I
plies, soda fountains. are all coming =
n for a thorough oyerhauling. Flies :
Ind mosquitoes are being extermin-
lted, and their breeding places re
moved. The work that is being done !
S permanent work None Of these
VIII again be unsanitary .
lfter the war. The public health sery- =
&c is taking advantage OF the oppor- :
unity to clean up number Of typical y
and to point TO them as
examples for others. r
In the plans OF the army medical I
,orps to care for the sick and wound =
d men who are brought back from =
he European front. there is also =
arge constructive element, for they
Ian, not only to reeducate the u
NAMED but to educate the con- n
It not The federal bureau for yoca-
ional education is aiding in this
york with study OF methods The
rpy medical corps is now building Q
nd requisitioning hospitals IN Yari- 7
us parts Of the country in which | 1
arried on.
Among the European belligerents,
he war has been plague OF III 7
ealth. France perhaps the most civ 3
llLeQ country IN the WOT4us AaS DeEn
ct back many decades in the battle 2,
I science against diseases. The a
enereal maladies are reported as =
preading rapidly. while tuberculosis +
; almost as deadly as the enemy. l,
.ngland, too. has suffered heavily, "
7hile the half barbaric countries OF a
he Balkans have been desolated- Ser Il
las pitifully ignorant struggle "
gainst typhus is typical Z,
May Take Toll in America.
Will the war take a similar toll in .
merica- There is much reason for
oping that It viii not. II is true we d
ice the same dangers as the other /
elEgerents. We have already seen
ow diseases thrive in the training /
amps. Yet all medical authorities
gree that the problem Of sanitation I Ia
the training camps is easy COM &C
AIRED to CARING for the health Of any n
-my in the field. II
We have the Incompatible advan IL
.ge over the other countries that OF
e are preparing in this regard as re
ist as in others The European bel az
gerents were so pressed TO provide h;
OOPS and guns in the great emer- Re
sncy that the machinery necessary te
r safeguarding health was an az "a
rthought, and perfected too late to
event much disaster But we are Re
'eparing rapidly and thoroughly pl
ong medical and sanitary lines. as II
e measures recouuted in this ar ca
Gle show. And in all OF our ef- sa
rts there is a constructive thought
T the future. plan to gain some l.
ornament advantage from the great