Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-30
D. c. NOW TO WAGE
PLAGUE WAR ALONE
With Epidemic Under Control
U. S. Public Health Service
Reiinquishes Authority.
SERVICE STATIONS MERGE

With full assurance that the influ-
ensa epidemic that has taken its toll
Of nearly 1880 lives In the District OF
Columbia in the last six weeks now
is under control. the local situation
is to be turned over to the Distric:
health officials and local physicians
tomorrow.
Surgeon H. s. Mustard Of the public
health service. who has eo-operAtcd
with the District health efbciaas in
! combating the epidemic. announced
service under his direction with head
quarters at the Webster School 10 to
be disbanded after today.
Emergency service stations at Wiz
SON Normal Curtis and Van Ness
schools and the emergency service for
colored people at Armstrong Manual
Training High School are to be cont
solidateo at the Webster School head
quarters, HEder the direction OK tae
local health authorities.
Decrease in New Cases.
Today's report to the District health
department showed only thirty deaths
from influenza in the tWenty-fcur-
hour period ended ut noon today.
While thia was an increase Of four
deaths over the preceding tWenty-
four-hour period. the number Of new
cases showed . decrease OF t2S over
the period ending at noon yestercaJ.
Only 1853 new cases were reporos6 II
the twenty-four-hous period cnded at
noon.
Surgeon Mustard this morning an
nounced that after today no further Calls
for physicians will be received at the
Webster School headquarters. but that
Of physicians in the four divisions OF the
city will continue to receive treatment
until the patients make complete re-
covery.
The order Of the Commissioners per-
hitting the churches to open tomorrow
viii enable the communicates Of the
various churches to attend the weekly
tprayer meetings tomorrow night. All
Saints day, which occurs In the cal
| endars of the Catholic and Protestant
Episcopal churches Friday will be OBJ
served with all the ceremonies inch
dental to the celebration of that occa-
sion.
The attendance Of worshipers will
| it is said, be unusually large, due to the
fact that there have been no services
in any of the churches for . month.
No Protests From Theaters.
| District health authorities consider it
rather remarkable that not a single
protest was received from the theater
managements or the moving picture
houses against the order of the Com
missioners closing their places. alonS
with. the churches ana schools anu
other places of public gathering. nor
were any efforts made by the places
of amusements to have the order re-
scinded at the time the moves were
made by the church interests.
The manager of one Of the 9Th street
moving picture houses said yesterday
that a short time before the Commits
sioners ordered them to close, when
the epidemic was gathering force ana
the death list was mounting high, the
fear of contagion was so strong IN the
! minds Of the public that the business
done by practically all motion picture
houses was at such a low ebb that none
lof them were even making expenses.
and under. the then existing conditions
would have been forced to close for
want of patronage.
| houses have been closed advantage
has been taken of the time by re-
painting, making needed Improve
ments, renovatirg and putting the
places in the best Of condition.
The managers, Immediately after
hearing Of the order of the Commis-
| sioners resembling the closing order
| of October 3. permitting them to re-
open Monday next, got busy Tor the
| opening. The film supply houses,
which have been idle since the show
houses closed, are busy supplying the
| reels necessary to operate the houses
Sterilization Proves Effective.
Statistics gathered by the Army
camps, it is reported, show that where
clothing, bedding. dishes and other
things used by patients suffering from
influenza have been properly steril-
lied all danger of contagfon has been
removed, and to the contrary where
sterilization has not been followed
the contagion has been communicable
in very many cases. Boiling water
is said to be certain death to the
germs of the influenza
The Library of Congress. which has
heen closed to the public during the