The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-30
Measure introduced is First
Step Toward Effective
B a title Against Recur-
renee.
HARDING AND FESS
BEHIND MOVEMENT
Bill Pending in Both Houses
of Congress Asks for Five
Million Dollars for Invest
igation Work.

! Washington, d. c., July 29.-Con-
| r--ess is being told plainly. clearly. and
straight-from- home. that the people
want their government to get busy
| Immediately in a nationwide cam
paign to head off a recurrence of the
dread influenza epidemic.
Letters and teiegrams by the thou
sands are coming to members Of both
houses urging them to work fc- and
vote for the Harding-Fess bill which
appropriates s5.0o0,0o0 for influenza
investigation.
This measure is the first step in a
comprehensive and .effactive fight on
the flu. 1t proposes to do what cam
not be done otherwise. for it places
the United States government in c,Tr-
mand and back of the anti-flu fight.
And 1t proposes to keep the govern
ment there until after the flue germ
has been tracked to it's lair, and until
its ravages upon human life is ancient
history
Under the Direction Of U. 8. HsaIth
Service.
The Harding -Fess bill. If it becomes
law, would place the United States
Public Health Service in direct charge
of the anti-flu fight. This service
would cooperate with the medical de-
with other public and private research
laboratories that have facilities for
assisting in the work.
Senator Warren G. Harding and
Congressman Simeon d. Fess. both of
Ohio, introduced the bill, but the
father of the measure is the Ameri-
can Medical Association, which at its
annual convention urged the necessity
of governmental appropriation and
in vestigation of influenza in this
country. The medical associations
anti-flu stand has been warmly sup
ported by newspapers all over the
country. These two factors-and an
other-make it seen probable that the
bin will pass, and with little opposi-
ton, The other factor is !, the ava
lanche of word from home which has
come to individual members of con-
gress urging the passage of the anti
flu bill.
Other Legislation Clogs the Wheels.
There is however, a possibility of
delay. Congress is deluged with work.
packer legislation, the treaty. the
League of Nations. the railroads. other
appropriations, and a mess of all sorts
of bills. This is why there is need
of further. and stronger, prodding by
telegram from back home to a con-
gresham or senator will aid in hav-
ing the anti-flu bill hurried through
both houses and signed by the presi-
dent
Until this is done the anti-flu fight
is at a standstill. Nothing much worth
while has been done since the recur-
ring epidemic of last spring. And
today there are indications of a re-
curing epidemic on the threshold. One
Ohio town, Berea, according to word
to Congressman Fess, is peppered
with the flu" And the report goes
on to say that the epidemic there is
worse now than it was last winter.
That is an indication, health experts
say. of the condition in which other
localities may be plunged as fall and
winter approach. 1t was in late Au-
gust last year that the flu epidemic
struck this country with such force.
starting at Boston and sweeping all
over the country. from ocean to ocean.
until there was scarcely village
which remained unstricken.
0reater Death Harvest Feared.
Tne coming of the epidemic found
.ne nation unprepared to cope with
IT. Ano SO say these health experts, /
are httie less prepared for re- |
curing epidemic. They fear that an
other nationwide epidemic this fall |
and winter viii take an even greater !
toll OF life. and cause a larger econo-
nomic loss than the first.
IL has been estimated that 47o0o0 !
deaths In America last year were caus-
ed by the flu. and that the economic |
loss ran into the billions of dollars.