The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-09
WAR ON TYPHUS PLAN :
Of THE RED CROSS

Washington. June s.-War on tvphus
" TIL a view to preventing the spread
of the dread malady from Poland,
where 100 400 persons down with
rhe disease. to other countries OF -east- {
ern ard southeastern Europe Is planned
hy the League of Rcd Cross societies
d the World. the first great health
" ork on behalf Of humanity which the
organization, formed only three weeks
ago, has set out to perform. NEWS OF
anti-typhus plan. which is the result
of series of conferences between the
supreme economic council and Lteuten-
ant-General Sir David Henderson,. -df-a
rector general OF the League Of Red
Cross societies, reached American Red
Cross headquarters today.
Reports from Poland show. that
thousands have died from lack Of med
zeal care and that conditions Ia, Huns
gary and other parts of Eastern Eu-
rope. due to the appearance of typhun.
are such as to constitute a menace TO
the rest Of the world, Surveys made
on behalf Of the supreme economic
council show that the disease is spread
ing rapidly and that IT will take a Wig
orous campaign to check II before cold
weather sets In. Added to the menace
OF typhus is the danger OF. a .cheters
/ epidemic in these countries. the peo-
pies OF which are still suffering from
the shock of war and undernourish-
ment
| The supreme economic council has
Hp1sufBted 81 committee Of .Hrsslsh.
French and Italian representatlyeas to
confer with representatives of~sthe
| league Of Red Cross societies. thS@ob-5
/ ject of this conference being the prep-
| aration Of plans that wiz he Lsubmit-
I ted To tire governments OF the eoun-s
! tries of Eastern Europe. The neees-
sity for immediate action viii be pre-
scented to these governments. For its
| own part the League of Red Cross sos
cieties has addressed an appeal tor IT'S
| founder members, the Red Cross or
| ganizatfons of the United states,
Great Britain, France. Italy and Japan
and TO the Red Cross organizations OF
twenty four other countries who have
been invited to join the league, to- hold
! themselves in readiness to participates
t in the campaign against typhus, 80
The division of duties between the3
League and the supreme economic
council has been arranged, 1t being
agreed that the latter organization
viii place at the disposal Of the.
league all the surplus medical and
/ hospital supplies belonging to British
and American armies and insure trans
portation of the same while the league
Will supply and maintain the person
mel for the administration OF the relief
i measures. The League of Red Gross
| societies Will also provide the best
medical service and advice obtatna BILE.
| In this connection the league will be
In position to use. Immediately the
antltyphus plan receives governs
mental approval the methods for conn
batting typhus disclosed during the res
cent important conference at Cannes,
where the worlds leading physicians
| and public health experts were as-s
mbled.
The need for and objects Of the
League of Red Cross societies. which il
/ now preparing to take the field against
ttyphus. were set forth in d statement
issued by Henry p. Dawson, of New
York. on his arrival in this country
ten days ago Mr., Dawson is chairman
Of the board OF governors OF the
league.
/ In connection with the proposed
campai ign against typhus Lieutenant-
General Henderson. director general az
the league. said:
III the Red Cross league is charged
with the serious responsibility al. proc
tecting public health in this erfsts tho
people of the various nations must
realize that the fight Is their own and
that the league is acting as their In
strunent.
THE league will be pu. to the Sc
verest test at the very beginnipH az
its existence. We believe that. with
1.-THE aid Of governments, and with the
aid Of voluntary national societies
supported by the people, we can con-
troll and limit the spread of this epi-s
demic so that Europe VIII he saved
from disaster that would sure follow
the general spread OF the disease The
situation in eastern and southern Eu-
rope is too Serious to be COPIED with by
any single government or by any vols
untary society, The Red Cross leAguo
affords medium through which governs
ments and voluntary societies can co.
toperate and by means OF which ef-
forts may be co-ordinated
The league has at its disposal the
assistance of the most expert medical
advisors. trained by practical expert
ence in combating typhus 1t has al
ready the help OF the trained persons
ne of. the American and the British
Red Cross, both of which societies al
ready have units IN the field. and II
can call for aid upon other Red Cross
societies that are members OF the
league. 1t will be able to utilize under
expert direction certain medical and
other supplies now in Europe owned
by the allied governments and na-
tional voluntary societies. With these
means at it's disposal the league Is pre-.
pared to undertake the strategical al
ERECTION of tho campaign.