The sun., 1919-08-24

States Public Health Ser
vice. Plainly, as the official indict-
ment of the rodent shows. we have ;oi-
Grated this dangerous and destructive
pest far too long. Heretofore We have
made 1t easy for him to live, to flourish
ant1lto multiply In our midst. But the
day of reckoning has come; either we
are to get rid of him by systematic eff
forts or pay the price Of his continued
presence at the rate Of an amazing
array of millions of dollars annually.
Obnoxious as the rat undoubtedly
is to most of US, still the great ma
jority of the populace have looked
upon him as unavoidable-one of ia
lures creatures intended to preserve
the vital balance OF animate existence.
This mistaken philosophy. IL such the
mental attitude can be called. has
given the rat just the chance that
he needed for his own security; and
1t has been only when we have paused
TO take heed OF the rats baneful ac-
tivities that 1t has dawned upon US
how much OF toll he levies year by
year. The authorities that have care
fully studied the rodents habits have
not hesitated to declare the rat the
worst animal pest in the world.
The Case Against the Rat.
According to a bulletin Just issued
by the United States Public Health
Service, the case against the rat is not
only convincing one, but likewise an
alarming one. The pamphlet says:
at is widespread and very popular
belief that, however obnoxious an
animal parasite may be, 1t has some
compensatory feature attached to It's
existence; that in natures scheme OF
affairs It fulfils some useful purpose.
A thoughtful consideration of tho
rat, however. fails to reveal any re
deeming feature that could Justify a
tolerance OF this highly destructive
and disease bearing pest. Perhaps in
other ages and under different sani-
tary conditions than now exist in civil
lized communities the rat served as a
much needed scavenger: but changing
conditions have robbed the rat OF even
this questions BILE argument for exist
ence."
It is quite true that the economic
losses caused by the rat and its men
ace to the public health have be-
stirred people from time to time 10
wage warfare against the animal, but
20 a great degree such efforts have
been spasmodic and scattered-indi-
vidual rather than concerted. These
retaliatory campaigns have amounted
10 little more than sporadic sklrmishes,
they have failed to do anything more
radical than to dent the battle lines, so
20 speak, of the rodents. The crea-
lures have increased, have continued
TO intrench themselves where they
could ravage at mans expense; and
hardly anything OF lasting value has
been, achieved in the way Of driving
these pests into'a corner where they
could be dealt with without mercy.
True, there is such an organization
as the International Association for
the Rational Destruction OF Rats,
which originated quite appropriately
in Denmark, whose unsavoPy state
was disclosed in Shakespeare's Ham
let" The purposes of the society are
TO spread information concerning the
mischief done by rats and to carry on
general movement for their destruc-
ton. Some good work to this end has
Seen accomplished In Denmark, Swe-
Den. Saxony and other countries. Ac-
cording to figures published a few
Years ago the Danish society had a
membership of more than 1000 of the
leading citizens Of the kingdom. Sc
far, however. no collective effort along
kmdred lines has obtained here, and
tne ume has now come. with every.
thing costing high. 10 see to Il thai