Checking Disease In Japan

Northern Advocate, 4 September 1945, Page 2

Checking Disease In Japan

YOKOHAMA. Sept. 2. Brigadier-General George Rice, 3th Army surgeon, said army doctors feared a severe winter in Japan, with a strone danger of a higher disease rate as a result of cold and malnutrition. Since this affected not only Japanese civilians, but several hundred thousand Americans who would be stationed in the Tokio melropolitnn area by that time, said General Rice, lie believed the United States would furnish relief to civilians if malnutrition became acute. Tuberculosis and dyseijterv had inci;eased in recent months. Civilians still received only one-fifth of the rations allowed the Japanese soldier. Agricultural production had been greatly reduced as a result of war ravages. The Army medical administration had already asked for 70 to 80 field hospitals for civilian patienls. Another Bth Army staff officer said plans had been made for limited relief supplies for civilians. The plans were formulated on the ground that the Japanese seemed able to provide for their troops, hence they could lake care of their civilians. Army doctors discovered that the Japanese had pumped water in from the mountains, but it contained only onelenth part chlorine to 1,000.000 gallons, whereas the United States standard was one part chlorine. Japanese said that the chlorine made the water smell bad. The Army had asked the Japanese to bring the chlorine content to the American standard. Wherever the Army finds sanitation conditions a menace; to the health of the troops it will take steps to improve the situation.