The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-12-01
fSpecial To The Democrat)


 New York, Nov 29-Nine distin- guished Americans, all of whom at one time or another have won personal battle with tuberculosis, are sponsoring the twenty-seventh annual Christmas seal sale Which starts throughout the country on Thanksgiving Day with 2,0S4 local associations participating. The an- nouncement was made here today at the office of the National Tuber- culosis Association.
 Members of the natinal commit tee are: Eugene O'Neill. play wright; Roger w. Babson, statisti- clan; Harold Bell Wright, novelist; Professor Irving Fisher, political economist; Charles Wakefield Cad man. composer; Will Irwin, author; Hobart Bosworth, motion picture actor and director; and Dr William Charles White, chairman. Dr White is head of the medical research committee of the National Tuber- culosis association.
 In consenting to act, several members of the committee accom- panied their acceptance with per sonal statements.
 will Irwin: "Glad to act on your committee of ex-tuberculosis vic times. am proud of my victory"
 Irving Fisher: "The financial loss from tubercuolsis to the people of America, estimated at hundreds or millions of dollars year, Is wholly inadequate measure of the cost of the disease in terms of broken homes, blasted hopes. pow erty and pain. The twenty -eseventh annual Christmas seal sale this wear offers a chance for all to share in solving this community prob- lem."
 Roger w. Babson: Despite the declining death rate from tuber- culosis since the beginning of this century the disease still kills more persons between the ages of 15 and AS than any other. It is imperative that the preventive measures sue cessful in the past be continued If the ground gained is to be held.
 Hobart Bosworth: "The ten wears | spent in fighting tubercu- iosis were the best investment l ever made. I am amazed when think of the progress made In knowledge of prevention and cure. which the little Christmas seal makes available to everybody"
 Harold Bell Wright: ''As one who knows from experience what it means to come face to face with the White Plague. I am glad to give any help I can to the cam paign to conquer the disease"
 Charles Wakefield Cadman: "The years have proved that this work does inestimable good"
 In announcing the formation Of Christmas seal sale, the chairman, pr White. said the members were outstanding examples that tuber- culosis is curable, and that its pre- vention is a matter of great inn portance to society. "Tuberculosis is no respector of persons" said pr White. 1t still kills more people between the ages of 15 and 45 than any other disease. This is true de- spite the reduction of the ravages of the disease to one-third what they were when the first Christ mas seals were sold.
 'What the world would have lost had the members of this com mittee been born generation ear. Her. when the disease was almost universally fatal, is evident from the mere recital of their names. what 1t has actually lost in the premature death of others such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Frederic Chopin, will never be known. But there can be no doubt that the world has lost many scholars, dramatists musicians, writers, and actors who never lived long enough to find their way to fame.
 'There Is hope that science sometime will provide specific cnre for the disease. But all we have. so far, is hope, and certain definite promise from some of the new knowledge that has recently heen gathered. We are often dis appointed by finding things happen tn the germ in the laboratory that dn not happen, unfortunately, the same way in the human body. Un- til the problem of tuberculosis has haen solved, we need to redoubie ovr efforts along the lines which bave already achieved great suc- cess early diagnosis. followed by Sunshine and nourishing food.
 "The, experience of the members o, fhis committed" added pr White. "emphasizes again the need sor preventive work with. children. Most of the group had tuberculosis n fheir early youth. It IS an in- { ~~+