Evening star., 1950-06-19
HeIieoIond, PonteIIoriu
Moy Be Used by Science
U. N. Group Proposes
Once Fortified lslunds
Be lnternutionulized
By Themes R. Henry


The menacins islands OF Helisoland
IN the North Sea and Pantellaria in the
Mediterranean may be internationalized
as scientific observatories
Proposals that the former. Its fortifica-
tions demolished. be retained as q
biological station and the latter as q
combined international biological station
and astronomical observatory are re-
ported by UneSco, the scientific and
cultural organization Of the United Ma
tions. They would be removed forever
from war strategy,
Heligoland. a barren island trans
formed by the Germans into q fortress
which was the Reich's major safeguard
against naval attack in both World
Wars. lies in the direct migration route
OF birds flying across the North Sea It
has been a bird observatory for more
than q century. The Germans also set
up there a marine biological station
which made notable contributions to
science over a generation Active in the
movement for its Observation-Disclosures
are the British .Roval Socie'v and the
Royal Geographic Society. The move
ment is led by Col. H. Meinertzhasen.
probably Europe's foremost authority on
migrations.
Pantellaria Was Fortified.
The barren rock Of Pantellaria be-
tween Tlnisia and Sicily came suddenly
into history when the Italians trans
formed 1t into the 'Heligoland OF the
Mediterranean" during the last war. 1t
was a serious menace to Mediterranean
Sea traffic and had to be reduced before
the invasion of Sicily was practical.
It also is in the direct path OF migrat-
ing birds between Europe and Africa
and would be an ideal place for the
study Of Mediterranean plants and
animals OF more significance, however
Is the proposal now before the United
Nations for the establishment OF world
astronomical observatory somewhere in
Southern Europe. with a branch in near
by North Africa for special study OF the
sun.
In the last report Of the organization
Pantellaria-instead of Malta as was
first proposed-is suggested as an ideal
place for such an establishment.
A new disease maculatum fever. has
been established by Public Health SerV-
Ice bacteriologists.
It is closely akin to Rocky Mountain
spotted fever. Thus far 1t has been pos
sible to inoculate only guinea pigs ana
rabbits with it. but it is quite probable
that it exists among humans and Is mis-
taken for something else.
1t is spread by cattle ticks. Spotted
fever is spread by dog ticks. which also
are pests of wild animals. Like spotted
fever and typhus germs. the organism
responsible for maculatum fever is one
Of the rickettsia which seem to I'LL gap
between bacteria and the most minute
of living things, the filterable viruseS.
Milder Than Spotted Fever.
The new fever. first suspected about
10 years ago. apparently is considerably
milder than spotted fever. Strains OF the
latter, however, differ greatly in their
virulence and it may be that only weak
samples of the maculatum ticks have
been encountered. Assuming that mani
festations in humans are not very sert-
Gus, however. 1t easily could be presumed
that they would pass without diagnosis
in country districts. where the disease
would be most probable.
There is no certain evidence that there
ever has been a human case, Public
Health Service bacteriologists say. Also.
they explain, the fact that the disease
seems to be quite mild in animals does
not guarantee that 1t might not be very
serious in men and women.
The rickettsium responsible appears
to be very closely related to that spread
by the dog tick and. in experimental ami
mails it has been found that an attack
of the new fever definitely protects
against future infection with either
spotted fever or murine typhus, the form
usually encountered in this country.
This may open a way to new means
OF protection, II 1t ever can be established
that humans are susceptible to the dis
ease and that it runs q mild course
among them