The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-08-02
CALL CONFERENCE
HEALTH OFFICERS
MEN FROM SOUTHERN STATES
WILL MEET IN WASHINGTON
Senators and Members of House De-
ny Report of "Semi-F anime" and
Epidemic in South

Washington, July o0.-Acting with
the approval Of President Harding
Surgeon General Cumming of the
United States public health service
today invited state health officers Of
13 southern states to meet in Wash
lington August to consider the Sit
uation in connection with reports Of
threatened pellagra epidemic in
parts of the cotton belt:
The health officers from these states
were asked to meet with public health
service officials from Texas, Louisi-
ana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Flor
ida, North and South Carolina and
Virginia.
Coincident with che assurance Of the
invitations, Representative Byrnes Of
South Carolina introduced a resolu.
tion requesting the president if not
incompatible with public interest to
report to the house all the facts with
in his knowledge on which he based
his recent letter to the American Red
Cross in regard to conditions in por-
tions of the cotton belt.
About the same time, half a dozen
Southern senators presented in the =
senate denials of reports of a pella-
gra peril in their states. All read
kilograms or newspaper statements
declaring that no shortage Of food
such as necessary to bring about a
pellagra epidemic existed in the
South. They also denied that there
were an abnormal number Of cases
of pellagra this summer in the South.
Surgeon General Cumming issued
the invitations for the Washington
conference after presenting report
to President Harding in response to
the presidents request made Monday
for survey of the situation as found
by the public health service and the
Red Cross.
The president in his talk with Cum
ming today is understood to have
called the attention of the surgeon
general to statements by health offic-
ers in the Southern states challenging
the authenticity of the public health
service reports. DR.. Cumming in re-
ply told the president the reports were
based on a careful investigation con-
Quoted by the health service and on
telegraphic reports from state health
officers. These two sources, DR.. Cum
ming told the president, showed the
increase in pellagra cases and condi-
tions told noted by the public health
service in it's statements.
Representative Byrnes said he
would endeavor to call his resolutions
up for consideration within the next
few days.
The resolution quotes from the let
ter sent by the president to DR.. Liy
ingston Farrand, president of the
American Red Cross, to the effect
that reports "indicate that due to the
depressed cotton market many thous-
ands of people are unable to self their
one product for money Wherewith to
obtain necessary variety of whole
some food, and that there is grave
threat of an epidemic of pellagra."
Mr.. Byrnes said, in commenting on
his resolution that reports from the
health authorities in the South failed
to show any such alarming condi-
tions" as were laid before the pres
ident and that there was general de-
sire to know how the information on
which the president acted was obtain
ed and from whom.
Protests from officials of Florida
and Georgia concerning reports of the
spread of pellagra in the South were
read also in the house. The secre-
tary of the governor of Florida in
telegram to Representative Sears of
Florida said there was neither pesti-
lence nor famine in Florida nor any
semblance of either"
The Georgia health commissioner
in a telegram to Representative
Wright of Georgia said that Jne re-
ports he has received from all Sec
tions of the state indicated there was
no increase in the cases and many in
stances showed a decreased number
of cases and deaths.