The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-07-28

the company.
must be no delay in coping with such
a condition, am wiling to ask you #
the Red Cross can make ali immedi-
ate investigation and report the pres
cnt situation, the outlook for the fu-
ture, and the measures necessary for
prompt and effective relief. / am en-
closing a copy of the report which
Surgeon General Cummings has made
and asking to be advised whether the
Red Cross Possesses the organization
and measures to make, perhaps in
cooperation with the public health
service, a survey and outline of nee
essary measures. Inasntuch as
promptness and accuracy are vitality
important in such a matter. l will
be glad to enlist any public instru-
raentalities that may properly be en-
rloyed to assist in the task.
Concurrently with this letter, l am
also taking the liberty to do with you,
that you and he confer about the mat
tire. You may be assured of my full
cooperation. It IS proper for me to
add that if your survey shall develop
the need for legislative porvisions for
special relief, I will be glad, when the
evidence is at hand, to lay it before
the congress and ask the authority
that have no doubt it would prompt
ly grant if the need be shown.
"Please consider me ready and ann-
GUS to help in any proper way, by con-
ference or otherwise"
Latest reports received by the pub
lie health service were said to indi-
cate that pellagra this year in the cot
ton belt would claim about 1000 VIC
tins, of whom it was estimated III
per cent. would die.
Increase in Pellagra
That pellagra would show heavy
incrase this year was foreseen last
fall when the cotton market failed"
said a statement issued by the health
srvice. Most American cotton is
raised on shares by tenant farmers
who are carried" by the land own
irg planters for about six months each
year during which they are provided
with food and clothes for themselves
and their families, to be paid when
their crop is sold in the fall. Last
years crop. however, is still unsold
and neither tenant nor planter has
received the money on which they had
depended. The planters are almost
moneyless and are unable to obtain
further credit from the banks which
also are hard pressed. Neverless the
tenants must be carried till next fall
with no assurance that the cotton
market vii! come back even then.
"Inevitably there is pressure all
down the line and the tenants whose
credit has been reduced to the disap-
pearing point, are obliged to live on
the cheapest foods possible. These
foods, salt pork, corn meal and mo-
lasses valuable as they are when bal
anced by other goods, lack certain
elements that are absolutely essentlai
to the maintenance of health. And
the other foods beyond the purses
OF the tenants. :,
conditions have been getting stead
ily worse for months and the cumuia-
tive effect is becoming serious. Ii
takes about five months of the partlc-
ular kind of semi-starvation before
pellagra begins to manifest itself but
after that it does so with appalling
rapidity. This second stage is now
well under way"
The public health servic IN us
statement issued prior to receipt OF
President Harding's letter, suggested
two remedies-to help the victim dl-
rectly and to help them to help them.
selves, the former of which was salo
! to be the only one Immediately ap-
rlicable.