The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-01-08
TYPHUS AND FAMINE .
RAGING IN POLAND
Nv I.lOvd Allen


Warsaw. (By ail.)-Poland hop
ed to start reconstruction work last
summer: but the Bolsheviki inva-
sion almost succeeded In reaching
Warsaw, shattering every hope Of a
brighter year. Hundreds Of thous-
ands Of acres Of food crops were ruin
ed by the Soviet occupation which
took place just at harvest time. To-
day Poland is in the midst of a
terrible winter, almost Arctic in its
severity, with a very serious coal
shortage. Ten million tons of coal
are needed at once, according to Off
ciaf estimates that have been care
fully checked by American officials
here.
The grain shortage is even worse.
Poland must purchase $500 cars Of
grain from America and 1900 cars
from "Rumania, paying the Ruma-
mans 4,50O,OOO,OO0 Polish marks.
Wherefore the cost of bread must
be increased to the working people Of
this hard pressed land, which the
Bolsheviks OF Moscow and the Ger
mans are trying to capture. using a
hundred skillful devices for crushing
the none too strong Polish govern
ment.
Meanwhile the gas supply of War
saw and Cracow has been shut off
because Of the coal shortage.
Always the Bolshevik military
pressure menaces the safety OF Po-
land from the east. To prevent swift
occupation Of the entire country and
the disappearance Of the Polish state
from the map OF Europe, Poland is
forced to maintain an army Of 5OO,-
900 men. This is heavy drain on
the states resources. But this army
of half a million is one of the prin-
ciple mainstays Of European peace.
Poland, according to official govern
ment reports here, typhus and fam
inc are raging worse than any win
ter in history. Typhus fever was
brought Westward from the far away
Ural Mountains and the dark pro-
vinces Of Russia, when the Cars
millions over-run Poland in 1914 on
their futile attempt to reach Berlin
| Since 1914 suffering from typhus
has been indescribable. While only
about seven per cent Of Polish suffer.
'ers lie from typhus, the mortality
among Americans and European
who contract the disease is eighty
per cent. For this reason the west
ern European powers. France ant
England especially, realize the dang
er Of a typhus-ridden Poland to tn
remainder OF Europe.
Americans. however, took the Leaf
in fighting typhus. sending to Polan'
the largest relief expedition ever or
ganfzed. composed Of 500 American
soldiers. % officers under Colone
} Harry Gilchrist. With fifty trail
loads Of typhus fighting equipment
; valiant work was done. But the 10
, of cleaning up the menace has no
| been completed: 1t has scarcely bee
started. despite the expenditure O
> millions Of dollars.
, The Polish Ministry Of Health de
? scribed this impossible health situa
. tion to ME. Briefly, Poland has 81
. 00O.0O people more or less, Of whoI
r 100 per cent are lousy. Until most {
. them are deloused. typhus cannot b
| wiped out, because the louise carrie
s the typhus germ from afflicted to tn
healthy.
8 Polish officials arc wearied OF Cal
s rying on the fight. They realize tha
n until actual reconstruction start
a when soap. clothes. shoes and til
/. absolute necessities Of life arc agai
y within reach Of the population. p
II land is apt to remain what Is prol
t ably the worst typhus hole outsit
II Russia.