The Washington herald., 1919-11-23
NEW YORK CITY
By o. o. McNTYRE


ner in his honor at the Ritz he told
for the first time a dramatic story OF
how an apparently simple American
invention saved the lives Of thouss nds
of British soldiers in India. Mr..
Smiths story was received with up-
Usual interest because in his audience
were a great number of men OF ge-
nius-men who have literally STUN.
bled into fortunes by inventions.
While Mr.. Smith was In India the
men were troubled with typhoid
germs and the germs of other dis
eases which were ravaging the troops.
Chemists finally declared that 1t was
largely through the water that the
diseases were spread among the SOL
diers. As a result wells were estab-
lished at all the military stations
throughout India and soldiers were
not permitted to drink water secured
anywhere else.
This did not prevent the spreading
of disease. In fact 1t became worse
and medical experts and diagnosti-
cIsns Meie called from every nation
in the world. Four New York nledi-
cal men went to India to investigate
and nearly al of them agreed that
through some mysterious agency
troops were being fed deadly
germs. a.. ,rs sjlS
=. set in a process of elimina-
tion. Every food was watched, eX-
amined and tested. Finally the last
'hin'' srsr""trd proved to be milk
but this was easily remedied by es-
tablishing me Military Diaries all
through India. The plague increased
Instead of di'ni'isrrd. II became one
Of the most battling mysterious trage-
dies with which nIiItaTy authorities
ever had 10 cope. The military
strength in India would finally have
been exhausted had not some meth
DDS of combating the evil been found.
At length 1t was discovered that the
bottles of milk. before reaching the
dairy Gcpots for distribution. had been
tampered with. That is, natives were
removing milk and substituting
water. which contained all the germs
that were decimating the troops.
Aluminium bottle caps. made in Swed-
en-. were used and curb"d The plaques
somewhat but not for long.
The world was being secured for a
simple little invention that would pre-
same effect as the non-refiIlabIe milk
bottle in preventing substitution. The
situation was so serious that Great
Britain called many of its engineers
and expert machinists into confer
ence.
Then a cable came trickling through
one day from America. stating that a
Chicago man, a workman. by the
name of Tevander. had invented a
standard cap that acted as a perfect
seal for milk bottles. Thousands upon
thousands were sent to India and
soon the plague was stopped for the
substitution OF water for milk was
made impossible. Mr.. Smith made a
plea for America to watch milk sub
stitution, declaring that in IT was the
greatest menace TO public health the
world could know.
I wonder If any of my readers
could tell me the name of the au-
thor of the following; quatrain. hicIr
l like extremely. Should any gentle
reader know whence it cometh I
shall be grateful for the informa-
tion:
King Solomon and King David led
merry. merry lives;
They had many. many concubines
and many. many wives:
But as old age o'ertook them. they
had many, many aualms
So Solomon wrote the Proverbs
and David wrote the Psalms"
II is Just 50 years since the late
King Edward VII came to visit
America, then on the verge OF civil
war. He saw n city OF five-stOry
skyscrapers and a great West. where
bufaloes were arranged for dis
tinguished visitors. The young
prince who arrived this week saw
many momentous things changes
from those seen by his grandfather.
The prince easily won New York.
Good reports have been coming back
from newspaper men of the princes
behavior. He has been undergoing
some trying experiences. but he new
er whined, and no task seemed too
great for him. Ny impression of
him was lasting. He had a clean
lock-mentally and physically. His
teeth were white and even. his skin
clear and healthy. He had gentle
ways. In fact. his every act gave a
true insight of his character-a
thoroughbred gentleman. / do not
believe any foreign visitor to these
shores made such splendid I'M
preston upon newspaper corre-
spondents. who are, in my opinion.
the keenest Of all judges of char
acter and worth.
The opening OF the grand opera
season at the Metropolitan was
more auspicious than ever. despite
the fact that it opened the same
night of the Horse Show. lneXor-
able time will eventually decree
that Mr.. Gatti-CaSazza shall not ,li-
rect Mr.. Caruso delight: but fortu-
nately that eventuality is indefinite
~ postponed. The opening of the
opera season to the devotee of music
has the same delight as the first
snow fall to a child. "Tosca" filled
the first nights bill. The prices are
higher than ever this year, but it
makes small difference to the New
Yorker. Who wouldn't sell money
for a song?