The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1918-02-21
Red Cross Information

son is at Camp Cody. 1t IS one OF the
healthiest if not the healthiest can
tonments in the country. Complaints
in regard to it have been circulated,
either by disgruntled soldiers who
failed to evade the draft or by men
who are pro-German in their SYM
pathies."
. These were the statements made to-
day by Edwin H. Brown, Red Cross
field agent at Camp Cody who is at
his home in Minneapolis for few
days visit. Mr.. Brown has been at
Camp Cody for six months, in charge
of the Red Cross work at that station.
He has observed and compiled sta
tistics relating to the general health
of the camp, and from these Stats
tics and observations bases a state
ment contradicting in a large measure
the report of the investigating COM
mittee sent to Camp Cody by the
Minnesota Public Safety Commission.
1T is greatly to be regretted that
such reports as have been spread de-
rogatory to the camp should have
been given the wide circulation and
credence that they have" declared Mr..
Brown. "The most pitiful effect that
it will have will be to cause needless
worry to thousands of mothers whose
sons are at the camp. For another
reason it will be playing right into the
hands of German agitators.
"They would welcome any reports
that would help hinder our govern
ment in the work of preparation for
this war. Such stories as have been
circulated concerning Camp Cody will
have this immediate effect It will
make men, who are unwilling to en-
list anyway, redoubt their efforts to
evade the draft. It will give pro-
Germans further talking points and
it has already given rise to an effort
to have the cantonment moved from
Camp Cody, and undertaking which
would cause the. government an ex-
pense of more than a million dollars
right at this time when every dollar
must count and would, still worse,
mean grave delay in preparing our
troops for the combat.
"Now as a matter of fact Camp
Cody is one of the most healthful
spots in the world. There have been
many complaints that soldiers have
suffered from pneumonia. Several
years ago German scientists were sent
on tour of the world by their gov
eminent to seek the most ideal climate
for the cure Of tubercular patients
They investigated for more than a
year and finally reported that they
had found two regions practically
ideal for the cure of that disease
One centered at Phoenix, Ariz., the
| other at Silver City, New Mexico
| Camp Cody is less than 40 miles from
Silver City. Everyone knows that &
climate unfavorable for tuberculosis
would be equally unfavorable to the
development of pneumonia.
! There is this condition peculiar tc
the climate at Camp Cody. In the
, summer, even in the late fall and win
ter, the days are warm, the tempera
ture changing suddenly at night, be-
coming several degrees colder. II
, took several months before the mer
became accustomed to this sudder
change. They would leave camp al
night without their overcoats o,
sweaters and would be chilled before
they got back to camp. This induces
i colds, but such colds are largely the
fault of the mems carelessness anc
could not have been prevented. Now
there is a rule strictly enforced al
Camp Cody, that no man may leave
camp without his overcoat and sweat
er. That has helped to check the cpl
demic of colds.
Another cause that has induced
some pneumonia was an epidemic Of
measles late in the fall.
Mrs. Helen T. Sleeper, Wahpeton
N. D., has completed rs pairs of socks
in five months service with the Rec
-, Cross. She has done this work in ad.
dition to caring for her own duties as
housewife and working one after.
t noon week as instructor in knitting
at the chapter work room.