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Show flfll MI IS AMERICAIl BE New York Health Commissioner Commis-sioner Declares Danger Is Very Real By HAROLD D. JACOBS. United Press Staff Correspondent. NKW YORK, Feb. 12 The (rreatest menace confronting tbe lnlted States today In th possibility of a typhus plasue. according to Ir. Royal H. "ope-land, "ope-land, hrultli pommiwiinnfr of New York City. The disease is being kept out of the country and so far th only known rases are those of ImmlKriint detained on un island In Nw York bay. The danger is very real, Copeland said In an Interview with the United Press today, unless federal. state- and t port authorities cooperate Immediately; in combating the Influx f ImmlgrantH from the typhus infected districts of Kurope. RIGOROUS INSPECTION. Following his recommendation to r, ewmei,t WHsim that utt Immigi alien I from these disease ravaged ureas be I mopped. Dr. Copeland issued an order . requiring all trans-Atlantic pawenpors arriving here to pa mm a rigorous health examination before admission. This ! became effective today. Hlmtlur action) waa taken by the New Jersey health j authorities In this port. j "If typhus wpre permitted to get ft foothold In New York the entire conn- ' try would be expoaed to the greatest plague in Its history, a situation beside be-side which our recent influenza epidemics epi-demics would be nothing." Dr. Cope-land Cope-land Mid. MOST DANGEROUS. "Next to the bubonic plague, typhus Is the most dangerous communicable disease known. The death rate ranges from 20 to 50 per cent; that of influenza influ-enza Is negligible In comparison. tHhould typhus get a start In this con-gented con-gented city there is little doubt it would claim a million victims before it was curbed. It would sweep across the country like a gicantic prairie fire. Industry In-dustry and social life would be paralyzed. para-lyzed. The country would become as a huge desert. One might estimate the postilble deaths by the fact that typhus has claimed OOO.OOu fn KuH.-ua alone in the I a l few months. "The common carrier of th disease is the typhus louse. - Hut once the disease dis-ease becomes epidemic. It Appears to , be communicable by almost any ; means. i "We can avert tlie possibility of such a calamity befalling the country If we get together and stop this flood of Immigration Im-migration from central and southern Kurope. Huch a step, together with ordinary sanitary precautions, would eliminate the danger we now face.' CONFER AT WASHINGTON. WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 New methods to safeguard the peope of the L'nlted States from Ku rope's typhus ty-phus epidemic were under consideration considera-tion today by the federal officials. Confidence whs exprenned, however, that the more than thirty-five cases! iounu among passengers aoof.ru steamships arriving at New York would not result in spread of the disease to the United States. Imposition of new regulations both abroad and at American ports was considered as likely to result from a i conference today between F.wlng la Forte. a)Munt secretary of the irea- ; ury In charge of public health, and : burgeon General Cumming of the oub- I lie health service. j A ban on admission of Immigrants ' from typhus infested districts cf Ku- ! I rope, however, is not regarded a. warranted war-ranted In view of the precautions already al-ready taken and contemplated. Secretary Sec-retary Tumulty has informed nr. Royal S. Copeland, New York City health commissioner. , Commissioner Copeland In a telegram tele-gram to the White Hou recommended recommend-ed the imposition of such a ban. |