Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-09-22

/ And the question was asked by others
equally curious. Nobody seemed to
know. Major General Lejuene, COM
mRndant Of the corps said they were
there all right, but could vouchsafe no
additional information. The navy list
showed marine officers regularly as
signed to the Camaguey post, but the
warrant for such duty seemed to be
lacking.
Sent to Guard Sugar Propertles
Finally red-taped papers were found
which showed that, back in 1917,
shortly after Cuba entered the war
on the heels of the United States, the
Cuban government had requested the
State department to permit the sta
tioning Of American marines at CANA
guey to guard the great sugar prop
critics there against pro-German plots.
The American government, anxious
to conserve the sugar supply, sent the
marines from the Guantanamo naval
base, and there they have been ever
since. Only diplomatic negotiations
probably can remove them. The Navy
department and the marine corps will
see that they are there until called
off by the President.
Nurses Training School.
Uncle Sam has just inaugurated a
training school for nurses. The
courses will be for four years, and the
training will be under the direct SUI
pervision Of the United States public
health service, with headquarters in
this city. Among the inducements to
| young women to enroll is the govern
ment's guarantee to house, feed and
train them, besides the payment of $50
month during the first three years,
and $40 month during the final year.
The students also will be presented
with diplomas when they become pro-
ficient, and will be given opportunities
to assist in caring for disabled milf
tary patients.
The first schools are at Fort Nc
Henry, Baltimore, and at Fox Hills,
Staten island. Other schools will be
opened later in the year, and they will
be conducted at certain hospitals Of
the public health service.
Increase Of PeIIagra.
Despite the indignant denials
of some of the southern states,
it appears likely that there will be a
decided increase in the extent of pei
lagra in the South this year. Surgeon
General Cumming, head of the public
health service, recently sent to Presi-
dent Harding a letter which, 1t is de-
clared, confirms this view.
The letter recounts that the confer
ence Of health officials which met re-
Gently in Washington had objected
principally to the allegation that pei
lagra was on the increase, and that
the increase was caused by a fam
inc"
"In so far as the use of the word
famine is concerned" Doctor Cum
ming wrote, "the public health serv-
ice pointed out that it had used the
term in scientific, restricted sense,
referring to a diet which lacked some
essential elements of nutrition"
Doctor Cumming remarked that the
state health officers present at the
conference had voted against the fol-
lowing clause in a resolution submit
ted by one of their members: ave
do not regard the situation in any
sense as more serious than in the
last several years."
Marked Increases Shown.
The letter said that, with the excep-
tion of Mississippi, no reliable NOR
bidity statistics were available from
the South, but that Mississippi figures
showed pellagra had doubled in that
state in the first six months of 1921.
A memorandum was attached to the
! White House statement embodying the
letter from Doctor Cumming, as fol-
| lows:
Information indicates definite in
crease of pellagra this year in Ala
bama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Okla
hOma, 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 es-
Inmates indicate 5000 deaths and 1OO,-
600 cases of pellagra in the country in
1921"
Doctor Cumming said 1t had been
brought out that, in various localities
in the South, conditions were such
that the essential foods required to
prevent the development of pellagra
were Obtainable only with difficulty
and in some instances were entirely
beyond the reach Of the poorer work.
ing people. He explained that this
situation had been brought about
largely by the custom of one-crop
farming.
Helping With Proper Food.
ut was gratifying to learn Of the