The New York herald., 1922-07-23
MOSQUITO SITUATION
| AT Crisis in JERSEY
Insect DesperadOes Ride on
Raids Unresisted by
COwed Populace.
NOBODY'S LIFE SAFE
Female Air Pirates Attack
Workmen Trying to Lay
Insecticide.
AIRPLANES MAY BE USED
Experts Say War Department
Alone Can Cope With
Winged Wolves.
AIRPLANES MAY BE USED

Though low curses and unladyIike
language transpire from verandas and
apartment windows Of Manhattan
these mosquito vexed nights as the in
visible enemies Of the human race
practice their suctorial deviltries, 1t
may help to know (since misery loves
company that Jerseys plight is
worse. Across the broad Hudson,
where anguished Jerseymen, anoint-
ing their wounds. lift bitter lament. the
situation Is no less than desperate.
government is discouraged and i'm
potent. The populace Is cowed. Mos
quitoes as big as bats have broken
the spirit Of the people and now hunt
unopposed.
The Hudson County Mosquito Ex-
termination Commission, once naughty
and confident. confesses defeat and
cries for airplanes as the only possible
means Of combating the terrible flying
wolves. Lewis e. jackson, one of the
great mosquito sharps of North Amer
aca, hitherto unbaffied. said yesterday
the only possible way to rout the YAM
,pires of the marshes-females all-is
oy fast flying airplanes raining great
quantities of poison gas
Inc savage enemies of the night are
invulnerable to buckshot, which glances
lightly from their armor encased bodies.
and 1t has been found impossible to
score much with rifles on account of
the speed of the mosquitoes. which is
greater that that of the wild duck capa-
BILE. when urged of 100 miles an hour.
Workmen Attacked.
Mr.. Jackson conferred yesterday with
Pisistratus Pifcafilly. canary bird dealer
CT Unionsuit street. Jersey City. an au-
thority on mosquito determination, and
agreed with Mr. Pifcafilly that unless
airplanes are sent to the relief of near
Jersey the State and national authori-
ties may have to be held to great blame
Mr.. Pifcafllly reported that 1t has be.
come impossible TO send gangs Of work.
men into the marshes or to any of the
innumerable pool breeding places, be-
cause the savage females attack and
mangle the workmen before even q
beginning can be made at laying down
mosquitocide. Instances Of this nature
came to the attention of the jersey
Journal, a very reputable, accurate
newspaper with a passion for the truth,
and that journal has done what 1t can
to warn the people of the peril and
to sound the call for planes.
Here Is an opportunity for New York
sportsmen." Mr.. Pifcafilly said at his
canary works last night. LET them
come over here single or in squadron
formation and with machine guns or
war chemicals. or both. We will fur
nish expert guides--though guides are
really not necessary. I promise them
sport. though 1t will be accompanied
by considerable danger. My son.
Josephus Pifcafilly, was out in his J-N-4
single scatter last night, but could do
little alone. He was attacked by a
squadron of female mosquitoes. and.
though he thinks he killed several with
machine gun fire. was eventually COM
PEELED to retreat and. indeed. to make
a forced landing in the meadows be-
cause of damage done to wings of his
plane. There, protected by fires and
occasionally firing his very pistol, he
managed to pass the night. Not an
experience that even a courageous lad
cares to tackle alone"
Mr.. Pifcafilly said probably an ap-
peal would be made to the Federal
Government. He said 1t was useless
to ask Agriculture to do anything; that
Il was Job for the War Department.