The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-26

some tood, aand that there is grave threat of an epidemic of pellagra. Shock to People
 It must bring a shock to the 1 American people to realize that A great section of their own country. | which they are won't to think of Al 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 as well give it its right name. It is of course. a consequence of the economic disor- ganization following the war, and 1t demands instant and vigorous atten- 'loh' our people, so long and so often moved by splendid charitable ness toward the unfortunates of otb- l CT lands, will never permit such an 1 affliction here at home
 | Moved by a realization that tba-e must be no delay in coping with such condition, l am writing to ask won 1 IT the Red Cross can make an imme- 1 dlate investigation and report the present situation, the outlook for the l future, and the measures necessary for prompt and effective relief I am enclosing copy of the report which l Surgeon General Cumming has made
 
 the Red Cross possesses the organi- zation and means to make, perhaps l in cooperation with the public health service, survey and outline or necessary measures. Inasmuch as promptness and accuracy are vitally important in such a matter. I will be glad to enlist any public instru- mentalities that may properly be em. ployed to assist in the task Address Letter to Cummins
 "Concurrently with this letter, | am also addressing one of like tenor to General Cumming suggesting, as l am also taking the liberty to do with you, that you and he confer about the matter. You may be as- sured of my full cooperation. It is proper for me to add that if your survey shall develop the need of leg slative provision for special relief. I will be glad, when the evidence is at hand, to lay it before the Congress and ask the authority that I have no doubt it would promptly grant, once the need be shown.
 Please consider me ready and anxious to help in any proper way by conference or otherwise"
 The President also wrote to Sen ator Dial of South Carolina, as fol- lows:
 My attention has been called to your letter of July IS, addressed to surgeon General Cumming. Your in- terest and concern in connection with it's subject matter prompts me to forward to you, which I am doing herewith a copy of a letter which I am sending to the surgeon general on this subject"
 Hundred Thousand Victims
 Latest reports received by the pup Hc health service were said to indi- cate that pellagra this year in the cotton belt would claim about 1O0.- 900 victims. of whom 1t was esti- mated 10 per cent would die
 That pellagra would show a heavy increase this year was foreseen last fall when the cotton market failed. said statement issued by the health service. Most American cotton sis raised on shares by tenant farmers who are carried by the land-o own ing planters for about six months each year, during which they are provided with food and clothes fol themselves and their families, to he paid for when their crop is sold in the fall. Last years crop, however. is still unsold and neither tenant nor planter has received the money On which they had depended The plant CTS are almost moneyless and are unable to obtain further credit from the banks which also are hard pressed. Nevertheless, the tenants must be carried till next fali with-no assurance that the cotton markee will come back even then.
 Tenants in Bad shape
 Inevitably there is pressure all down the line and the tenants, whose credit has been reduced to the dis appearing point, are obliged to live on the cheapest foods possible. These foods. salt pork corn meal and mo- lasses, valuable as they are when balanced by other foods, lack certain elements that are absolutely essen- tial to the maintenance of health. And the other foods are beyond the purses of the tenants.
 Conditions have been getting steadily Worse for months and the cumulative effect is becoming se- rious. It takes about five months of this particular kind of mi-starva- ton before pellagra begins to mani- fest itself, but after that it does 50 with appalling rapidity. This second stage is now well under way"
 The public health service in it's President Harding's letter, suggested two remedies---to help the victims d,- rectly and to help them to help them selves, former of which was sa, to be the only one immediately ap- plicable.