Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-09

gates.
X i
Then about the middle of Septem-
Der came the influenza. which smash
ed gil records
Influenza Sends and sent the
Up Death Rate. 80 rae up p. from
thousand in year to 206 and a little
more. OF course, the influenza did
not strike the camps aIone-it swept
over the earth. 1t is sometimes not
realized that this epidemic caused
more deaths than any other plague
set down in medical history 1t is
reported that the lowest reliable esti-
mate places its death toll at a mil
lion human lives, and the highest
holds it responsible for six times that
number. The closest calculations of
It's fatal work in the Army camps in
this country place the number of it's
victims at not fewer than 1900. And
this figure is placed against approx
mately 1000 deaths from all other
diseases. Only 10000 deaths were in
ficted by the enemy. What the death
rate from disease on the other side
is has not reached this side SO ac-
curately that it may be given, but it
is said to be lower than the loss on
this side, emitting from both the loss
es from the epidemic
A comparison cannot be fairly made
between the sick rates of the A. z. f.
and the men who were in the camps
on this side the Atlantic, SO the pres
ent sick rates cannot be taken as a
measure OF efficiency of treatment.
Mliltary authorities are diScharging
men from the Army as fast as the
pressure OF Congress and the wishes
OF the men can be met; but only the
Physically mt can receive their dis
charge. Hence all the sick men are
left in camp and the well are leaving
as fast as the Army will let them go.
All the sick that can be transported
TO this side are brought here. and they
swell the sick lists. Hence it is plain
That the sick rate, which is based
upon the number of thousands of
men IN arms. must continue to soar.
but the doctors are not responsible.
Under recent order of the war
Department the custodians of the COM
pany funds of
Fund Question n regiments
Proves Pulling. . %s.' IN .hs
are directed TO deliver to the director
OF Army finance all the funds held by
| them prior to the rehabilitation of
the several regiments It is not clear
to the officers of~the National Guard.
to the state adjutants general or to
the officers Of the militia bureau of
| the War Department what the uIti-
mate disposition of these moneys will
be or ought to be.
| The men of the various companies
| will cease to have any military status
! when they are mustered out of the
| United States Army, and with the
abandonment of the company Or
! ganizations there seems to be no one
with legal title to the funds Many of
the companies are the same in per
sonnet or are the successors to the
| National Guard companies that origi-
mated the fund: but others are com
posed of men from different organi-
! cations of the guard, and still others
were never connected with the guard
but came into the service by way of
| the selective draft
/ Again, while most of the companies
from the National Guard had funds
/ of their own, this was not SO in all
, cases, as some of the newly formed
companies either had no. funds or
only those small sums that came
from the older companies out of
! which they sprang. But this does not
end the complication; for while most
| of the companies had money or re-
ceiyed it from enthusiastic friends
when they entered the federal Army.
a considerable portion of the funds
now in their possession was received
after they had entered the United
| States Army, and therefore ought in
no event, SO the War Department
claims, to be returned to the Ma
| tional Guard.
/ The attitude Of the members Of the
company toward the War Department
plan OF disbursing their fund was
shown in the instance Of one organi-
zation which, when it became known
that the War Department wanted
possession Of its money, made the
fund look like the apple that would
not have a core. The company gave a
at dollar apiece, consumed the en-
tire fund
The action of the militia bureau If
the War Department. under Brig. Gen.
J. w. Heavey, in
Strongly Favors its recommends
National Guard. srsss 10 ., Con :
how earnestly It Is striving to
strengthen tho National Guard. No
one Is q more earnest advocate Of
military training than Gen. Heavey
but he Is nrm in his belief that he
has no more ardent supporters'in this
faith than in the members Of the
guard-especially in those units that
have seen service in this, the great
est of wars. It is his belief that ouly
men who have had military trai.ine