Evening star., 1941-09-04
Citizens Groups
Will Lead Fight
Against Rats
Real Action Needed
To Control Rodents,
Bell Declares

Pushing ahead with plans for an
all-out war on one of the citys worst
enemies-the disease-carrying rat
Health Department officials today
called on every civic group in WASH
ington to enlist in the campaign.
Ambrose P. Bell, Health Depart
ment engineer named to coordinate
the drive, declared that health Off
cials must have the active co-opera-
tion of every citizens group to fight
any kind Of a winning war against
the obnoxious pests.
In direct appeal TO civic leaders,
Mr.. Bell said:
This is really a citizens cam
paign. Every citizen must make it
his job to find rat hideouts. 1t
doesn't mean merely having your
name on rat-control committee. If
we're going TO accomplish anything,
real action is needed"
Citizens to Garry Out Program.
Mr.. Bell said the entire program
will be carried out by citizens
groups, with the close cooperation
of the Health Department, the
United States Public Health Service.
the Medical Society of the District
and other health agencies.
He admitted it would take some
time to organize the citizens units
into effective anti-rodent fighters
because the civic season is Just get
ting under way, and plans for the
program will have to be presented
to the various groups as they begin
meeting during the next few weeks.
Some ground work already has
been laid, however. The Columbia
Heights Business Mems Association
has pledged support and has re-
quested DR.. Lyman Kebler, chair
man of the associations Health
Committee, to present list of
names for a Rodent Control Com
mittee at the groups meeting next
Tuesday.
Federation Will Cooperate.
Mr.. Bell said Harry N. Stull, preSi-
dent of the Federation of Citizens
Association, also had agreed to pre-
sent the matter to the federation
at the earliest possible moment.
Co-ordinator Bell explained that
the Federation has been asked to
administer the campaign funds to
be raised by individual citizens unit
to defray the costs of materials and
batting operations. Under present
plans, each civic group will be asked
to raise whatever amount is ex.
pected to be needed for its particular
section. All of the funds would be
turned over to the Federation. which
would reimburse the Health Depart
ment for rat poison distributed to
housewives and others.
The Health Department has no
funds available for the campaign.
but it does have access to a supply
of rat poison made available for the
drive by the Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice. The department said it also
has about 3,l00 traps available, and
would be able to get another 1000
or 5000 from the United States
| Public Health Service on short
notice if they are found to be
needed.
Will Find Infested Areas.
The traps will be used in cases
where rats fail to take the bait.
Mr.. Bell said the poison (red squilD
will be mixed with hamburger or
salmon or some other kind of bait
(about one pound of poison to every
30 pounds of bait) and distributed
to rat-infested areas.
First step in the campaign will
be to determine what areas are in
tested with the rodents. The citi-
zens' groups will be asked to name
chairmen to handle publicity and
appoint square supervisors" and
block managers"
The block managers will make in
vestigations to find the rat hideoutS,
and the square supervisors will ham
die the distribution of bait and
/ traps and tabulate their results. In
! structions on how to use the bats
will be supplied to housewives,
building owners and others.
Health officials are emphasizing
/ the importance of the rodent war by
pointing out that rats can spread
the typhus germ and half dozen
other serious maladies.