Evening star., 1923-10-14
u. S. JOINS LEAGUE WAR
TO RID WORLD OF DISEASE
Cooperating Fully in Work That Has
no Political Aspects; Foreign E1-
perts Study Here.

ease through the growing nu.noer of
| International waterways.
The work Of the health section OF
.ne league is now directed toward
bringing about collaboration in the
gathering of information and REPORTS
concerning epidemics and obtaining
a greater uniformity in the prepara.
tlon OF statistical data by the differ
ehl nations TO render them more useful
10 al. An internatiAna! conference
VIII be held in Geneva within the next
Few months, DR.. Lothian states,
where an effort will be made to Gre
ate more harmony in the methods
employed by the different.nations in
! their health work.
The leagues health section now
maintains an Intelligence departments
Whlch acts as clearing house for
the collection and dissemination az
information concerning the spread OF
epidemics from one country to an
other BY cutting official red tape
IN large and generous patches. this
intelligence department acts as no
formation and promptly dispatchIng
II TO the health officials of q country
VINO need 1t. A fortnightly report of
chronological conditions throughout
Europe is given wide circulation BY
the league. and special reports ans
sent out when the circumstances war
rant \
Epidemics First Task.
Epidemics in eastern Europe was
the problem which resulted in the
creation Of the league health section.
To deal with il the league first ere
ated an epidemic commission, which
began its work in Poland. later ex-
tending into Russia. I4atvia and
other states, and more recently into
Greece. TO aid in caring for the refu-
gees which poured in from Asia
MINOR The commission gave such q
good account of itself that the health
section was created. while a special
FUND was set aside especially for the
commission to deal with unexpected
risks of spread of infection from sud
den calamittes or disasters affecting
large populations. The commissions
work represented a first experiment
m IN International sanitary co-opera =
tion on large scale.
one OF the important results of the
warsaw health conference called by
roland last year with the help of the
league. I'r. Lothian states. was a se-
ries of conventions between the bor-
der states of Russia and Germany:
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria.
bulgaria and others, designed 10
strengthen the sanitary defenses OF
the states concerned and to promote
closer cooperation between their re-.
spectlVe health administrations. The
treaties provide for prompt notifica-
ton of an outbreak of a dangerous.
disease. the area in which the out.
break occurs and the measures to be-
taken to guard against its spread. /.
Study Sleeping Sickness. :
The leagues health section is now,
undertaking an inquiry into health
conditions in the eastern Mediter-
ranean and Black sea ports and the
chief ports of the far east. An in
yestigatlon Is under way of the sleep
ink sickness and tuberculosis in
equatorial Africa, where the war re-.
suited in relaxed control. It is aiding
! in an effort TO obtain greater uni :
formity in antitoXins ard Biological
products. and in this latter connection
the United States sent representa-
tlves to q recent conference in Eden=
hurgh. and certain standards they
recommended We're adopted
| The officials now touring the United
| States and studying its health sys-
TENS represent France. Italy. Eng
land. Russia. Poland. Spain, Holland
Belgium. Greece. Jugoslavia. Ger
Brazil. Chile, Salvador and Canada
The way has been cleared for them.
| and they have been given free hand
| IN making their Investigations of how,
\ this country safeguards its national Z
! health. They will return 20 Geneva
| TO report on a health system uni,
versally considere: the best in the
world. In addition to the general
study, each man has been reuuesteds
10 inquire into some special conditions
upon which he viii make a report to
! the health committee in Geneva, or
| which is of particular interest to his
own country