Evening star., 1923-10-14
BY BEN McKELwAY.

by BEN MckEL"A1.
H UGS, germs and the epidenics
* they cause take no account
of political boundaries or en-
tangling alliances, and the
| United States Is taking a prominent
part in the work of the league of ma
tions to bring about closer under
standing between the men in all
countries engaged In the common task
of making the world a healthier place
to live in.
DR.. Normal V Lothian, an official
! of the health organization of the
league of nations, is now in the
United States directing a tour of sew
| enteen representatives of European
and Latin American countries, MAX
! ing a study of municipal health sys-
| TENS He is spending his time be-
! tween Washington and the cities Wis
! tied by members of his party. DR..
Lothian believe this interchange of
public health officials - the third
which has been arranged by the
! league of nations in the last year
/ will lead to closer cooperation and
| greater uniformity among nations in
/ their common fight against epidemics
| and in the solution of health prob
| lens generally.
| The foreign health officials spent
| two weeks in Washington recently
\ studying the machinery Of the United
| States Public Health Service, and
| then divided into three groups TO visit
| different sections of the country and
{, obtain a general working knowledge e
| of state and city health organizations.
! At the conclusion of two months
\ spent in the field the delegates Will
return to Washington for further
conferences before returning to their
! homes.
! Mission Non-PoliticaI.
| Calling attention to the non-politf-
| cal character of this work, DR.. Lo-
THAN emphasizes the helpful partici-
patton OF the United States in the
present visit of his party to this coun-
try and in many other Of the leagues
activities. Health officials of this
country have attended a number of
! conferences in Europe under the aus
pices of the league of nations. and
| Surgeon Gen. Cumming of the United
/ States Public Health Service. with
DR.. Chagas Of Brazil, has been in
/ trusted with the task of maintaining
! liason between the health committee
| of the league of nations and the Pan
| American sanitary bureau. DR. Ed
gar Sydenstricker, chief of the bu-
reau of vital statistics of the Pub
| lie Health Service, has been loaned
to the health section of the league
iof nations and is now acting as chief
! of archaeological intelligence. The
other officials of this country's pub
I. lie health service have started to
Europe under the interchange fell
lowships provided by the interna-
tional health board. They will study
special conditions in Europe. Four
other interchanges of health officials
similar to the one now being held in
this country are planned next year
under the league OF nations, and this
country doubtless will be represented.
Germany and Russia. two countries
not members of the league. are rep
resented by delegates to the present
gathering of foreign officials in this
country. and both of these countries,
DR.. Lothian states, have co-operate ed
with the league in its Investigations
and efforts to check the spread OF
!typhus and other epidemics abroad.
Problem Is Vast.
The problem before the league in
its health work can be readily un-
derstood by the picture sketched by
Dr. Lothian of the vast, surging sea
of immigrants in eastern Europe be-
tween Russia and the new border
states. where 25,000.000 or more cases
, of typhus and other diseases are cut
| ting deeply into the population: the
| recent problem offered by the Greek
refugees; the serious menace of ma
laria in a number of countries and
1.-THE increased danger of spreading dis