The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-08-19
RESTRICTED SENSE
FOR FOOD SHORTAGE
Reports to President Harding Are
That There is No Actual Famine
In South.

age in the Southern states has as
sumed the proportions of famine
only a Scientific, restricted
sense" but undoubtedly has been,
accompanied by an increase in pei
lagra, the public health service re-
porved to President Harding today as
a result Of the special investigation
undertaken at his request.
The iiffdings Of the public health
officials, the report said, were based
largely On incomplete statistics sub
mitted by Southern state health
commissioners at a recent conference
here. In, a letter to the president,
Surgeon General Cumming declared
that despite the criticism of some
Southern officials regarding the ad-
ministration's course the information
collected 'sfully confirms, in my opin-
ion, the position Of the public health
service with respect to the increase
of pelfagra in various parts of the
South"
"Menoranaana Of Information" l."
Detailed figures were not made
public, but a memorandum of sup
elemental information accompany
ing the surgeon generals letter was
summarized as follows tonight in a
statement issued at the White House: !:
-.Information indicates definite
increase Of pellagra this year in Ala
bama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Okla
hona, Texas and probably North and
South Carolina. Some evidence also
indicates an increase in Georgia. In
Kentucky and Virginia testimony
points to a decrease. Conservative
estimates indicate 5000 deaths and
100000 cases of pellagra in the coun-
try in 1921"
Failure to diversity crops is blain-
ed by the surgeon general for the
food situation throughout the South,
which he advised the president was
acute in some localities when con-
sidered "from the standpoint Of a
physiologicaliy complete diet" such
as is required to prevent peHagra.
s.It quickly became apparent" Sur
seon General Cumming said, "that
the interest of the assembled health
olacers centered principally about
two points:
81. The basis for holding that
there existed an increased prevalence
oftpellagra;
a2. The use Of the word famine
in describing caustive conditions.
$50 far as the first point is con-
cerned, all the health officers pres
ent, with the exception Of the state
health officer of Mississippi stated
that no reliable morbidity statistics
were available for their states. In
Mississippi, the only state having
trustworthy statistics, the increase Of
the disease in the first six months OF
the present year was about double in
the corresponding period hast year.
Standing by Position:
ga number Of the state health Off
GERS, on receiving the call to the con-
ference secured telegraphic reports
fron physicians in various parts OF
their state, believing that these might
Serve as an index Of peilagra condi-
tiens, though they had no comparable
statistics for previous years. Others
submitted statistics showing the num-
Der of deaths from pellagra in the
first six months Of 1921 and in the
corresponding period of previous
gears. These data. were admittedly
incomplete. A careful review Of all
the facts elected by the conference,
fully confirm, in my opinion, the po-
sition of the public health service
with respect to the increase of pei
lagra in various parts of the South.
''In so far as the use Of the word
famine is concerned the public
health service pointed out that it, had
used the term in a scientific, restrict
ed sense, referring to a diet which
lacked some essential element or
elements.
"It was clearly brought out that
in various localities in the South,
conditions were such that the essen
tial foods required to prevent the de-
velopment Of pellagra were obtain
able only with difficulty, and IN some
instances, were entirely beyond the
reach of the poorer working people.
1t was shown that the situation has
been brought abou; largely by the
custom of one-crop farming. So.long
as the one-crop paid handsome re-
fI,,oc os -, +bo rosa Of cotton IN no