The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-09-30
Huge Sums Spent to Stop
His Hindrance to
Shipbuilding
OFFENSIVE STARTED
BY ARMY EXPERTS
Miles of Trenches Dug in Lowlands Sur
rounding Shipyards in Effort to Dis
troy Breeding Places of Hun-Aiding
Insects-State officials Cooperate.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3O.-More than
one ally of the German emperor who has
attempted to interfere with the shipbuild
ing program has come to defeat. The
latest is the mosquito.
Most of the new shipyards have risen
from marshlands bordering rivers, lakes,
bays and inlets These marshy places
are the favorite breeding places of the
mosquito and millions fed so avariciously
on the men hammering out ships that, at
times, they were forced to leave the
ways and production was retarded. But
now a great. national mosquito fighting
army has been created and this force
is conducting a continuous offensive
against the insects.
The staff of this army is composed Of
mosquito fighting experts, who have
| fought and battered down mosquito Of
| fensives not only in this country but
also in the fever infected tropical zone
where the pests have been at their worst.
Among these in Lieut.. Col. Philip Schuy-
Ter Doane, a member of the staff Of
Surgeon General Gorgas who eliminated
| Nlt pest lIOul tIt i diidHid Adudi LOut.
He Is director of the department of
health and sanitation of the United
States shipping board and is organizing
the war against the mosquito in all parts
Of the country.
The cooperation of state, municipal
and private corporate interests has been
enlisted in this war. Miles of trenches
have been dug i'm lowlands about ship
Il
be drained and the breeding places d.
stroyed. Wherever il is impossible to
drain off the stagnant water, oiling is
rosorted to.
At the Hog Island plant near Phila-
delphia, the work is being carried On
with the cooperation of the state If
Pennsylvania. the city of Philadelphia,
the Westinghouse corporation, the At
lantic Oil Refining Co.. and other private
interests A fund of $2j0,000 has been
contributed and in addition the Atlant c
Toll Refining Co. contributes all the oil
used. A tract of marsh land of 9,l00 acres
had to be treated by sprinking pools
cutting down tall weeds, dredging and
Ldraining and within three months after
work started. the water area had been
reduced % per cent. Several big pumps
my SIdllOllS nave Deen erected ana en-
ployed in this work and more are plannc
Three thousand or more acres of tn.
land thus reclaimed, it is estimated will
be suitable for agricultural purposes and
it has been suggested that this land IC
turned over to the Boy Scouts of Phila.
delphia for war gardens. as the land j.
within ak miles of the central section q
Philadelphia
The state of New Jersey is co-opcrat
ing with the Camden and Gloucestcr
counties and the shipping board in worl
about the shipvards ON the New JERSEY
side of the Delaware river 1t is plannc,
to spend 100000 in this district tn
year
Chester, Pa, an important center f.
all kinds of war work. has a committr
that is working with the state and til
shipping board and the state has agree,
to appropriate $4,000 if 100000 can b
obtained from other sources Other place
at which work is being carried on alor
this line are Wilmington. y. G.. whic
has raised $4,000; Alexandria and Ham,
ton, Va; Los Angeles, Gals and abol,
4 the yards on the Gulf of Mexico.