The Washington times., 1918-12-29

A MONG other things which the war
~ has forced upon the attention Of
4 = science has been q very careful
study Of rats. We tolerate the rat In times
of peace; but In the great war our gen.
erals found that the rat is q greater enemy
than many armed divisions of hostile
troops. And science now knows many
things about rats which we've never
known before.
The rat has constituted one Of the most
important and difficult Of our minor prob
lens during the great war. II has added
seriously to military expenses; II has
notably modified much construction work
in France and IN this country. augmenting
its cost; and 1t has We'd with the 'eootie"
as q cause Of discomfort and carrier Of
disease among the lighting men at the
front.
With q view to mitigating its depreda-
tions the United States Government sent
some time ago to France an expert Of the
Biological Survey. Major z. A. Goldman,
who made thorough study Of the subject
over there. His main task up to now has
been to devise means Of protection for
NdIGuOubEt anu OlUGT ElIuCluTtS ubGu
the storage Of supplies. Professor Cha
vigny, the distinguished French scientist,
has also made an intensive study Of the
pests.
AS everybody knows, such structures
have been erected and are at present
maintained on an enormous scale. The
imagination Of any one who has not seen
them can hardly grasp their magnitude.
Located In or near towns and at railway
functions, so as to be convenient for trans
portatlon, they require capacity adequate
for the storage Of every kind Of supplies
need by millions Of men.
Rats will destroy anything, nothing that
is not Of metal being safe against their
attack; but as might 60 without saying.
food and clothing have chiefly demanded
protection against them. Despite all pre-
cautions, they have eaten or rendered
worthless many million dollars worth of
uniforms, shoes and precious edibles.
And they added enormously TO the
horrors Of life In the trenches. Every
where the pest has added to the annoy
ances and burdens Of our armies.
The rat is q burrowing animal. Its
original and natural home is a hole il the
ground. In trenches and dugouts, there
fore, 1t Is thoroughly chez lui las the
French would say). finding its surround
ulSS alIOBeln6F bulJhDle anu bdllsIaCIOIy.
whereas with man, the situation IL quite
opposite. Under such conditions, there
fore, it has the soldier at a great disad-
vantage.
1t lives IN a hole in the trench wall or
wherever a burrow may conveniently be
dug, hiding In the daytime and coming out
at night to prowl for proVender. There
are usually plenty Of scraps Of food-left-
overs from the soldiers rations-for II to
feed on. II really hungry, II will nibble
their toes while they are asleep. II feeds
on the dead and wounded lying helpless
in mo Mans Land"
The rat since prehistoric times has been
a companion and parasite of man. In the
trenches 1t achieves close intimacy, be.
coming extraordinarily fearless and impu-
dent Meanwhile. grown fat and saucy
with an ample food supply, 1t breeds and
multiplies at a fabulous rate
Our fighting men "over there" could
beat the Germans. but they never had half
q chance with the rats, which were in a
literal sense too many for them. A trench
system Is Just about the only piece Of
human construction that cannot be made
ratproof Major Goldman looked over the
situation and gave It up as a bad job.