The New York herald., 1921-02-20
FORD OFFERS AID
TO DR.. COPELAND
in TYPHUS FIGHT
Asks What Interests Are
Hindering Cheek 10 Ma
tiOnal Menace.
TWO REMEDIES SEEN
Improve Quarantine Condi-
tiOns or Bar immigration,
Commissioner Says.
TWO REMEDIES SEEN
ELLIS ISLAND DEFENDED
SurgeOn-General Puts RespOn-
sibility Squarcly on Quar-
antine Officials.

Henry Ford. through his newspaper
the Dearborn Independent telegraphed
Health Commissioner Copeland yes
terday 70 let him know what inter
ests' are hindering his fight to keep
typhus out OF the United States and
what he wants done.
will you please wire us a statement
at any length on the situation result
ing from unrestricted immigration,
the message stated What threatens
for the future? What steps should be
taken? The gravity of the situation in
our opinion demands putspoken dec
laration of causes
Commissioner Copeland replied to
be done at once: either an embargo
placed on immigration ar quarantine
conditions Immediately improved.
Every Immigrant n Menace.
Having come from Europe so re-
Gently" DIR. Copeland said, and hav-
ing observed at first hand the suffer
ings Of the peoples there, | cannot
bring myself to the conviction that
an absolute embargo should be placed
on immigration. Except as last re-
sort 1t is not my desire to deny Eu-
ropean peasants the right of asylum
here.
Nevertheless, so long as quarantine
conditions in these Eastern ports con-
tinue as inefficient as at present II
must be admitted that every irnmi-
grant coming from an infected port is
a menace to the health Of our people.
''It is not enough for quarantine of-
ficers TO inspect the passengers OF steam
khips with the view Of determining at
that particular moment If there Is any
infectious disease on board A truly ef-
fectve quarantine examination would 90
further--it would determine whether or
not there are possible carriers OF infec-
tious diseases on the ship.
This would mean as regards typhus
that every vermin infested person would
be regarded with suspicion. If every
person from suspected areas entering
an American port Is disrobed, delousei
and equipped with clean clothing the
danger a. typhus will disappear at once.
Ellis Island Clean"
Tndigr ant denial Of DR.. Copelani's
charge { ,at Ellis Island Is unclean and
inlmigrA ts become infested with ver-
min there was made yesterday BY Byron
r. Uhl, Deputy Commissioner OF Imrni-
Lfa1 1nrip =.
Wallis had not returned from Washing
ton.
"The conditions at the immigration
station on Ellis Island are satisfactory
Mr.. Uhl said. The island Is absolutely
al n. The report that immigrants of
tho Adriatic became infested here Is a
damnable lie, and you can quote me as
saying 80.
THE newspapers arc inaccurate In
their reports about the typhus situation.
particularly as TO the three cases discov-
cred nj Cortland, n. y. Printed reports
stated the cases were children who were
admitted January 8. Our records show
tho only immigrants bound for Cortland
who have passed through Ellis Island
yince that date were. three adults"
The inspection OF immigrants arriving
from Ellis Island and by train from Bos-
ION continued and 90l persons were eX-
..mtned. Flftt-threc were neld up rs
possiblc typhus carriers. One suspected
tvphus case was found. but physicians Of
the Health Department disagreed as TO
inc diagnosis DR. William l.. Somerset
thought IL was late measles; DR.. Isaac
smith OF the Brooklyn district said Il
was typhus. The victim is Jack Lansa-
lotto. I years old. who arrived February
from italy He is in Kingston Ave-
nue. Hospital.
snrgcon-GcncraI's Statement.
Surgeon Gen. Cumming issued n
statement bccaus. Of the cxtraordi-
NARY publicity given to the typhus sit
nation at the Port Of New York and
the erroneous impression created by
some OF the representations. lie said in
part