Evening star., 1921-07-20
|BLAME OLIVES NOW
| INSTEAD OF CRABS
Story of "Sick Plot" Among
Guests at Government
Hotels Secuted.

Tainted olives and not crab salad
and ice cream are now believed by
health department authorities to have
caused the illness among women liv-
ing at the government hotels on the
Union station and Senate plazas.
Resuming investigation OF the Ill
ness among more than 100 women at
the dormitories. DIR. Lewis A. New
field. assistant District health officer.
today discovered a portion of barrel
of bad green olives which have been
served in the dining rooms from time
to time. At the same time chemists of
the health department completed the
analysis of samples of the crab salad.
ice cream and other foods eaten by
the women last week. and reported TO
Health Officer William c. Fowler that
they were unable to find any germs in
these foodstuffs which may have
stricken the women.
Some of the olives were turned over
to the bacteriolgoists of the health
department and will be submitted to
a laboraory test this afternoon, in an
effort to ascertain if they contain
isolated organisms Of any kind. A
physical examination of the fruit,
however, showed that IL was tainted.
ties at the hotels not to serve it to
the guests.
No New Cases Reported.
, Reports Of additional cases of ILL.,
| ness among the women caused DR..
! Fowler to order his assistant to re-
| sumo the investigation. No new cases
developed today. it is said. and large
! majority of the women have return
| ed to work
| Miss Bertha Henderson and Miss
Henrietta Oldring, representatives, Of
| the women residing at the hotels,
| conferred with Secretary of Labor
Davis yesterday afternoon, and pro-
| tested against the closing of the
F.; CD building during August. 1t is
| understood that they also registered
| a complaint about the food served at
! the hotel and the present manage
ment. Another conference will be
| held tomorrow afternoon.
Published reports of sick plot
among the guests of the hotels as a
/ protest against her, were denied to-
| day by Mrs. Sarah r. Sumner. man
ager of the dormitories. The reports
stated that the more than 100 women
! feigned illness to show their discon-
| tent of the present management OF
| the hotels.
THE girls" said Mrs. Sumner,
| have been i'll. although not seriously.
l have not had time to investigate the
| reports thoroughly, but as far as
| know, they are untrue"
Would Welcome Investigation.
President Robert Watson of the
| United tates Housing Corporal ton,
which operates the hotels, today stated
in an interview that no request for an
investigation of the management of
the dormitories has been received by
Sthe housing corporation. I'VE court
the fullest investigation. however" he
| added
Until he has received a report OF
| the analysis of the alleged bad food
! from the District health department
| he will take no action, he asserted.
| The matter of investigating the al
| legged bad food now is entirely in the
/ hands of the health department. he
pointed out.
Mr.. Watson said that the health
| department previously had inspected
the kitchen and dining room at the
! dormitories, and mad rated them
| cleanliness and sanitation.
Referring to the report that dis.
| satisfaction among the girls at the
! hotels was caused by the closing OF
dormitory CD, the housing corpora
ton head said that this step wal
| taken as a measure of economy, ex.
planning that it would be useless ts
| operate twelve buildings when there
| are only enough occupants for eleven