The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-07-29

ment Contradict Newspaper AS
sertions as to Prevalence OF
Disease, and Thinks Facts
Should be Officially Looked
Into.
Washington, d. c., July 29.-Reply.
ing to charges that the administra :
tion had exaggerated pellagra and
famine conditions in the South, Presi-
dent Harding declared, in a letter to
Representative Byrnes, OF South Caro-
lina.-today that official reports indi-
Gated the contrary and. that the gov
ernments investigation of the situa-
tion would go forward.
The President wrote in response to
a letter in which Mr.. Byrnes had
characterized any belief that plague
or famine existed in South Carolina
as IAN utter absurdity.' Both the
public health service reports and
private advices from the South, Mr.
Harding said. certainly justified the
opinion that a thorough investigation
should lie made.
You may be assured" wrote the
President, that the last thing in the
administration mind has been to eX
aggerate the seriousness of the situa-
tion or to do anything which would
cause undue alarm. The effort is
merely to develop the facts in order
that a proper course may be deter
mined in view of them"
The President quoted telegram
from Charles o. Heron, editor of the
Spartanburg, Is. CD Herald, declar-
ing that although there was nothing
alarming in the South Carolina situa-
tion, he felt that the Public Health
Service was "ten the right track. and
( Hhnllld cont tinue zitss. .invest tigations
s7 Text Of Letter
The text of the Presidents letter
follows:
My Dear Byrnes-I have received
and have to thank you for your le,-
ter OF July 81 and its Illuminating in
closures. The latter included a num-
ber of kilograms from South Caro-
lima, regarding conditions there, as to
food supplies and existence of pella-
gra. Your letter summarizes your
conclusions from these communica
tions thus:
"'While assuring you that | speak
the views of our people in expressing
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
cooperation on the part of the Pub.
lie Health Service than is rendered
at all other times. And as the exist
ance in South Carolina at this time
of either plague or a famine is an
utter absurdity, there is no necessity
for the Red Cross furnishing aid.
Should the state ever be unfortunate
enough to suffer disaster with which
the people of the state cannot cope,
we will gladly welcome aid and ask
for it,. but l think it would be unfor-
tunate if the Red Cross should be
called upon to relieve plague and a
famine of which the people of South
Carloina are unaware
ut is gratifying to be assured that
South Carolina is so fortunately situ-
ated and we must all hope that full
information will show that conditions
generally are actually satisfactory.
Reports at Variance
Unfortunately, the reports indicate
they are not. One, dealing with
Mississippi, says: That in May, LOO
new cases were reported in the state.
That in June about 2,400, and a fur
: ther increase over the June figures is
expected in July The report indi
Gates that wide territory is affected
and that coming through the Public
Health Service, strongly suggests the
advisability of a thorough investiga-
tion as measure of preparedness
against the further spread of pella-
gra another season. In my opinion,
this is highly desirable, and, confirm
ed by telegram from Mr. Charles o.
Hearon, editor of the Spartanburg
Herald, which you have been good
enough to forward to me-. In part he
says: Il am thoroughly familiar
with the pellagra studies that have
taken place here from the coming Of
the Thompson-Mc McFadden commission
!. with Captain Suer. OF the United
States army, and Captain Garrison, of
the United States navy, on their com
mission to the final report on the dis
case by DR.. Goldberger as the result
of investigation made by the United
States Pellagra Hospital in this, city.
That institution was closed last Jam
nary, Believe. but DR.. Wheeler, lrep-
I resenting the Public Health depart
ment. is still located here and is still
studying the disease. In my judg-
mert the situation is not alarming
but some Of us who have been inter-
ssted in the study III this part OF the
country have felt that athe govern.
nlent' s study OF beilagfa stopped just
s at the time 1t should have been Con-
1in<ied The disease subsidet In the
{I8ye " apnorfnal PROSPERITY and the
okpafts pfedicfeq af thqt time that Il