Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-09-18
SLECTIVF SERVICE
MENNSTRUCTED ON
PERSONAL HYGIENE
More Than 1000 Hear Talk
From Captain Russell,
Medical Director

More than two thousand seleetive
service men met at the armory last
evening In response to a call from
Provost Marshal General CrOwder. The
meeting was called in order that pros
peetive army men might near addresses
ON personal hygiene and also on insur'
anee and allOtments for soldiers.
Captain ]. Frederick Thorne of the
Red Cross gave the men the following
facts:
Married men are required to make
an allotment of $15 month for their
families the government giving an
equal amount. An allotment may also
be made to dependent parents to the
amount of $40 each. The maximum that
the government gives is $50 a month.
In addition to the $15 a month of the
soldier, the wife gets SIS, with $40
month for the first child, $50 for the
second and $5 month for other child
rem until the maximum of $50 month
is reached
Soldiers are urged to take out in
suranee but not compelled to. How
ever, 80 per cent do protect their fam
lies with insurance from $1,000 to the
maximum, $4,000. The government re-
serves the right to transfer this in
su-ance after the war to any of the old
line companies. Insuance policies are
paid in installments running over a
period Of 20 years.
Men who are crippled are taken
care of by the government and assisted
to learn Il new business or profession.
While soldier is in the service, no
mortgage may be foreelosed nor can
his land be sold for taxes nor can a
soldiers family be elected from a
home nor can the landlord charge an
excessive rent.
In case Of dire need or the delay
of allotments, The Social Service de-
partment of the Red Cross will advance
money and this is not to be regarded
as charity but as part of the govern
ment's bushes to see that the fam
lilies of soldiers do not suffer.
Death Rate Reduced
Captain R. L. Russell of the medi-
cal corps of Camp Lewis told the men
that those who arrive at Camp Lewis
in a diseased condition would be sep
grated from the others, and kept in the
venereal ward until completely cur
ed. That the government never sent a
man across the water for service who
was in diseased condition.
During the Mexican war Of 1851,
he said in the American army 100 out
of every 1000 died of preventable dis.
eases. In the Civil war, 60 out Of every
100 died of preventable disease and in
the Spanish American war of 1898, the
ratio was 25 out Of every 1000. But in
the present war, the medical depart
ment had reduced the deaths to five in
every 1000 per year.
Captain Russell spoke plainly on
what the soldier who was diseased had
coming to him in army life. While in
the venereal ward, the soldier is prac-
tically isolated from all healthy sol
diers and all the time is under guard
He has no privileges and when so af.
fected, loses his pay and while he is
not exactly an outcast, he is next thing
to it.
When the 9lst Division was ordered
across the water, not a single diseased
man was permitted to 90 with it. Such
men of the 9lst were segregated and
left in the veneral ward at Camp
Lewis.
Governor Withycombe in a short in
troductory address said that he was
glad Oregon was 100 per cent Ameri
can, but that it panied him very much
to note that certain class Of laborer'
were trying to establish "A hour week
of labor. 81 believe in labor, but this
is no time for such action" he said.