The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-06-20
NO REASON FOR ALARM.

The fact that the state press as
ISOLATION did not call off it's meeting
in Pensacola, and that the meeting
was characterized by a large attend.
ance. principally from South Florida
speaks well for the confidence tina,
the people of Florida have in The
statements issued by the State Health
Board, and shows that they place
every reliance on their ability to han
die the situation which has developed
here.
The situation in Pensacola is under
splendid control and has been from
the first. Business as usual" has
not only been the slogan, but has been
carried out to the letter. While there
has been the utmost vigilance main
tanned and state and federal authori-
ties arrived at once upon the scene to
take charge of the city and to place
around its citizens and visitors every
possible safeguard. 1t has not been
necessary to maintain any quaran-
tine, and were it not for the daily re-
ports which are made to the press
for the safety of the public, no visitor
to Pensacola would so much as sur
mise that conditions here were not
just as usual
Not a ship is permitted to dock I'M
less it's hawsers have on them the
guards to prevent the rats from get
ting from ship to shore, and the fed
eral authorities are on hand, and have
been for several days, bent on the ex-
termination of every rat in the city,
A rigid campaign to the same end
should be waged in other coast cities,
and nothing along this line has been
written which better expresses this
obligation to the public than the fol-
lowing from the Tampa Tribune:
"The second death from bubonic
plague having been reported officially
from Pensacola, it behooves athe au-
thorities of all port cities of Florida to
start the machine in motion to rid
their city of the plague germ carrier,
the rat and the flea that lives on him.
There is no reason to be alarmed
unduly over the fact that this thing
has appeared in a Florida city. But
there is urgent need to prepare for
the most yiligant crusade against dirt
and germ carriers that Tampa and
every other Florida city ever waged.
Not a ship should be permitted to
tie up to a Tampa dock unless it's
haswsers have on them the guards to
prevent egress of rats from the ship.
Nothing should be unloaded in bulk
like packing around fruit until it is
absolutely sure there is not rat hid
ing in some part of the stuff. And
fumigation should be thorough.
along the wharves, the water
fronts and in the business prats of the
city, especially, the rat hunt should
start at once.
"Dr. Ralph N. Greene, state health
officer, tells Pensacola, only by elm
mating the rat can the present danger
be removed and the occurrence of flu
ture cases prevented That being
true for Pensacola, where the plague
has already crept in, it is far more
important truth for Tampa, when
by this rat elimination we will be pre-
venting the occurrence of a case here.
''Tampa's health officials are busy;
in fact they took steps to organize for
a fight before it become openly known
here that the first case of bubonic
plague ever in Florida had been found
in Pensacola. These officials will tell
us what to do, and common prudence
and common sense will dictate that
we do it immediately and completely.