The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-07-28
THREATENED WITH
PELLACRA EPIDEMIC
PRESIDENT CALLS UPON RED
CROSS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
SERVICE FOR REPORT.

coupled with an epidemic of pellagra
in a large section Of the southern
cotton belt, President Harding today
requested both the public health SER
wee and the American Red Cross to
make immediate investigation and re-
port what could b'. done by the Fed
eral government to relieve the situa-
tion.
The fullest cooperation of al! FED
eral agencies in the relief measures
was promised by the President, who
declared that if found necessary con-
gress would be asked to pass special
legislation. He urged that nc time
be lost in ascertaining the actual con-
ditions and applying to them an ef-
fective remedy.
The threat of famine and plague"
the President wrote to the health SER
vice and the Red Gross, seemed to
arise from the fact that depressed
markets had made it impossible for
the people of large section OF the
south to sell their stocks Of cotton,
The resulting shortage of money, he
said apparently had deprived many
thousands of the variety of food nee
essary to ward off pellargra.
Presidents Letter.
The President in his letter to Sur
eeun General Cummings said:
81 have been greatly concerned to
note the public statement from the
public health service as to the men
ace of pellagra and conditions at
least of semi-famine in a large Sec
ton of the cotton belt. That such a
condition is obviously temporary in
,cident to the economic dislocation fol-
lowing the war, cannot lessen our
concern. Famine and plague are
words almost foreign to our American
vocabulary, save as we have learned
their meaning in connection with the
affections of lands less favored. and
toward which our people have so
many times displayed large and gen
erous charity.
Immediate and effective measures
oil ameloriation are manifestly de-
manded if conditions even approx
mate the gravity suggested by the
public health report. It is unthinka-
BILE that we should delay for a single
day the institution of such measures.
Therefore am writing to ask you
for the most complete possible repors
that can be made at once-provided
there is anything tc add to what yoi
have already made public-and es-
pecially for a suggestion of proper
measures to deal with the situation.
81 am also writing to Doctor Liv-
ingston Farrand, head of the Amerl-
can Red Cross, in the same TENOR
end suggesting that cooperation be-
tween his organization and your own
might be helpful; having in mind the
reed for haste in making full sur
vey, and in planning relief measures.
I wish you both to be assured OF my
cooperation and of all aid that can
approximately be given through the
executive departments, and to know
that in full information about the Sit
uation shall max, apparent that le.c-
islative action is necessary | will en-
a proper showing be prepared to ask
the requisite authorization from the
congress"
In his letter to DR.. Farrand, Mr..
Harding said:
Recent reports Of distressing con-
dition among the rural population in
a large section of the cotton belt are
confirmed by public statement from
the public health service. They indi-
cate that, due to the depressed cot
ton market, many thousands of people
are unable to sell their one product
TOR money Wutle Will w oDeoAAh - ~A~~
essary variety of wholesome food, and
that there is grave threat of an cpl
demic of pellargra.
"It must bring shock to the Amer
ican people to realize that a great
section of their own country, which
they want to think of as immune
from such experiences, is actually
menaced with famine and plague. For
that is what it would be called If 1t
should befall in any other country
and we may we'll give it its right
name. It is, of course, consequence
of the economic disorganization fol-
lowing the war, and it demands in
slant and vigorous attention. Our
people, so long and so often moved
by splendid charitableness toward I'd
az, ,,,for+,nates of other lands, Will