Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-02-26
War Department Will
Take no Action Against
Procedure
VACCINATION OLD
Method Was Discovered
More Than 1000 Years
Ago, Says DR.. G. w.
Mccoy.
(By Isaac Gregg

washington, ~Dfuary So'-
While officials of the War De-
partment deprecate the action of
certain labor unions ir forcing
their members to resign from the
national guard, it was said to-
day that there is absolutely
nothing illegal about such ac-
ton and that the Department it
self will take no notice of the
case. The matter was called to
the attention of the Department
by Colonel Thomas F. Foley, COM
manding the l01st Massachusetts
Infantry. A member of the ma
tional guard at Worcester was
requested by the labor union of
that city to resign from the ma
tional guard. Colonel Foley
thought it advisable to communi-
cate the facts to the War De-
partment.
1t was said at the Department
that a number of similar cases
have taken place throughout the
country and while members of
the national guard were supposed
to enlist for a stated period.
their commanding officers usual
ly permitted them to resign from
state service at their own request.
The idea of the labor unions in
forcing their members to resign
their doing duty in case Of walk
from the guard is to prevent
outs or strikes. It is generally
stipulated that such members of
the labor unions may re-enter the
service in case of actual war
fare between the United States
and another nation.
Dwight F. Davis, of st. Louis,
member of the War Finance Cor
poration, it is understood has
been selected by President Hard
Secretary of War to succeed
ing for appointment as Assistant
Colonel J. Mayhew Wainwright,
elected to Congress from New
York last November.
Davis, who was a lieutenant
colonel on the staff of the
Thirty-Fifth Division during the
world war. was a candidate for
the Republican nomination for
Senator from Missouri when Sen
ator Spencer was elected.
Davis is President Of the Ma
tional Lawn Tennis Association
and is the donor of the famous
Davis Cup.
"Vaccination is an outgrowth
of mans effort to protect him
self from the pestilence by us
ing natures methods of de-
fense." says DR.. e.. w. Mccoy,
director of the Hygenic Labora-
tory of the United States Pub
lie Health Service. primitive
man noticed that recovery from
first attack from most diseases
gave immunity against other at
tacks; and some 1000 years ago
he began to inocculate his fellows
with small pox when conditions
seemed propitious instead Of
waiting for nature to do it at
some time when conditions might
be very unpropitious.
"Innoculations against small
pox were made in India and in
China an early as 300 B. C..
Later, when the disease reached
Europe, innoculations went with
it, supplemented by a new meth
cd called selling smallpox"--ex-
posing well person to contact
with one i'll with the disease so
that if he survived he would be
proof against it.
Before the days Of vaccination
conservative estimates show that
one-third of all persons had
smallpox and one-tenth of all
deaths were due to it. Today
smallpox is rare; many physi-
clans have never seen case;
and, where vaccination is con-
sistently practiced no deaths
occur from it. Formerly small
pox was considered a children's
disease; and it still! is chiId's
disease = where infantile and
school vaccination is neglected.
Witness the Philippines, where
four or five. years ago, after
years Of neglect Of vaccination
-