Evening star., 1921-07-29
PRESIDENT DEFENDS
POSITION TAKEN0N
PELLAGRA REPORTS
Declares Administration Has
Not Exaggerated Conditions
. in the South.
BELIEVES FACTS URGENT
/ TO PREVENT DISASTER
Shows Cases Are on Increase IN
Answer to Letter Of Repre-
sentative Byrnes.

Replying to charges that the ad-
ministration had exaggerated pellagra
and famine conditions in the south
President Harding declared in a letter
to Representative Byrnes of Soutf
Carolina today. that official reports
indicated the contraryfand that the
governments investigation OF the slt'
uation would go forward.
The President wrote in response to
letter in which Mr.. Pyrnes had
characterized any belief that plague or
famine existed in South Carolina as
IAN utter absurdity." Both the public
health service reports and private ad-
vices from the south, Mr.. Harding
said, certainly justified the opinion
that a thorough investigation should
be made.
President Seeks Facts.
"You> may be assured" wrote the
President. that the last thing In the
administration mind has been to ex-
aggerate the seriousness OF the STU.
alton or do anything which would
cause undue alarm. The enort rs
merely to develop the facts IN order
that a proper course may be deter
mined in view of them
The President quoted from a tele-
gram from Charles O. Hearon. editor
of the Spartanburg, 5. C., Herald VINO
felt that the public health service was
ION the right track and should con.
tinue it's investigation"
Text of Letter.
The text of the Presidents letter
addressed to Representative Byrnes
follows:
Il have received. and have to thank
you for your letter of July q, and It's
illuminating Enclosures. The latter
include number of kilograms from
South Carolina regarding conditions
there as to food supplies and exist
ence of pellagra. Your letter sum-
marizes your conclusion from these
communications thus:
"'While assuring you that I speak
the views of our people in express
ing gratitude to you for the generous
spirit that prompted you to make this
appeal for aid. / am confident that in
South Carolina there exists at this
time no necessity for any greater CO.
operation on the part of the public
health service than is rendered at nj
other times.
!, ".And as the existence in South Caro.
lima at this time Of either a plague
or a famine is an utter absurdfty
there is no necessity for the Red Cross
furnishing aid. Should the state evel
be unfortunate enough to suffer 9
disaster with which the people of the
state cannot cope. we will gladly vel.
, come aid and ask for 1t. but I think
it would be unfortunate IL the Red
Cross is called upon to relieve a plague
and a famine of which the people OF
South Carolina are unaware.
Unfavornble Reports.
"It is gratifying to be assured thai
South Carolina is so fortunately stu.
ated, and we must all hope that full
information will show that condition.
generally are equally satisfactory.
Unfortunately, the reports indicate
they are not. One, dealing with Miss
issippi. says that in May 1,708 new
| cases were reported in the state: IL
June. about 2.400 and that further
increase over the June figures are ex'
pected in July. The reports indicate
that wide territory is affected, and
oming through the public health serv.
ice. strongly suggest the advisabilit,
of thorough investigation as a meas
ure of preparedness against further
Continued on Page 3, Column 81