Evening star., 1946-09-25
Medical and Sanitation BUDGET

! In Poland, the seeds were turned
over to the Polish government for
distribution through regular chan
nels to the users by Maurice E. Hays,
an American, chief of agricultural
rehabilitation in the UNRRA mission
in that country.
Wheat Seed Shipped.
In May and June, 5000 tons of
winter wheat seed were shipped
to Poland. The seed consisted large
ly of Kharkov wheat grown in this
country, Mr.. Guecke explained.
Mr.. Wilson pointed out that $1,000
tons of seed rye were sent from
Czechoslovakia to Poland under
UNRRA. This had to arrive by
yesterday, in time for the planting
season. In turn, UNRRA sent 81 300
tons of wheat for food to Czecho-
slovakia. Otherwise, Mr.. Wilson
said, the Czechs would have had to
eat the rye and would have deprived
the Poles of a seasonable harvest of
this crop. This planting of seed
rye means an anticipated harvest of
2, 100000 acres, Mr.. Wilson said.
Another major division of
UNRRA's work is in medicine and
sanitation-a program calling for
$155, ,6O5, 900.
China obtains the largest share
of the medical and sanitation
budget, with 81 100000 being sup
piled.
Gen. Edgerton, mission chief
there, acts on the Chinese govern
ment's requests and forwards them
here. They 60 before Irving Sol
Inns, director of the Division of Med
ical and Sanitation Supplies in the
Bureau of Supply. His deputy di-
rector is Richard K. Myers. Both
are Americans. After they act, the
requisition is forwarded to the State
Department for action and, if ap-
proved, as in the case OF all other
UNRRA requests, purchasing agents
of the United States Government
obtain the goods.
Shipments Stemmed Epidemic.
DR.. Wilbur A. Sawyer, director Of
the health division of UNRRA, ex-
planned the shipping of cholera vac
cine to China aided in stemming an
epidemic there. The stage was set
for sweeping outbreak, the doctor
explained, when the vaccine arrived,
preventive measures and treatment
were administered and the epidemic
minimized.
DR.. Sawyer left for China in Feb
ruary and was in Canton, shortly
thereafter, when there was a chol-
era outbreak there. With the aid
Of japanese war prisoners, the sand
filters of the pubic water system
we're cleaned and the water chlori-
mated. The many wells in the city
from which the people draw their
water supply, DR.. Sawyer said, COM
plicated the problem.
The cholera vaccine went from
Toledo, Ohio. On May 27, the first
plane left with anticholera sup
plies and during May and July, 49,
600 vials of cholera vaccine were
shipped in dry ice.
In September, 1945, the United
States Army's Air Transport Com
mand planes were routed from La
Guardia Field in New York to China
and few in lover the Hump" with
UNRRA anticholera vaccines, equip
ment and personnel to combat
a threatening epidemic around
Chungking, the doctor recalled.
Some of the 1916 anticholera car
goes were shipped by surface YES
sells to China While a ship takes
six weeks, plane can fly to China
in five or six days.
Services Cooperate.
In China, the vaccine and equip
ment were turned over to the gov
ernment, and the UNRRA health
services in the various major dis
tricts of the liberated areas Coop
Grated. A chief medical officer,
nurse and sanitary engineer COM
prise an UNRRA unit.
UNRRA's chief OF medical serv-
ice in China, located at Shanghai,
is DR.. Berislav Borcic, Yugoslav
who has spent years in China and
was formerly with the League OF
Nations, DR.. Sawyer recalled.
In Canton, the cholera epidemic
seems to be receding, DR.. Sawyer
asserted. Medical supplies and
equipment were flown down from
Shanghai to Canton to aid in pre-
vention and treatment. Some OF
the vaccine Is made in China and
UNRRA assisted in sending cultures
to one Of the laboratories there
Water purifying equipment, appa-
ratus for treating victims with salt
solutions through the veins, as well
as vaccine and serum were sent by
UNRRA to China to aid in combat
ing cholera.
DR.. Sawyer explained that
UNRRA's program in China Is to
continue until March 81 of next
year. He said that UNRRA officials