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Letter from [Henry Rose Carter] to S.W. Welch, [19--]

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N. M. C.
Welch
/LC

2121 California St., N. W.,
Washington, D. C.
Dr. S. W. Welch,
Chairman, National Malaria Committee,
State Health Officer,
Montgomery, Ala.
Dear Doctor Welch:

    In compliance with your circular letter to the members of the
National Malaria Committee inviting suggestions, I would say that
I am inclined to think that it would be advisable for you as
Chairman and Dr. Fricks as Secretary to reconsider the action of the
Committee at Chatanooga in abolishing the Sub-Committee of Educa-
tion and Publicity. The reason urged therefor was that this Com-
mittee had not functioned. If its functioning was desireable this
seems a reason for strengthening rather than for doing away with
it.

    When I say reconsider I do not mean that you would necessari-
ly decide that this action of the Committee was inadvisable, only
that you would give this matter consideration which I think it did
not receive prior to passage. [Your opinion on this matters after considerations will have much influence on my own'] Neither LePrince: van Hovenberg
nor myself approved of it, yet none of us were so registered. I

 
I
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was waiting for its reference to the Sub-Committee on Resolutions--
as probably were others--and the vote came as a surprise to me.
I do not quite understand how it was passed without reference to
this Sub-Committee. Has that requirement been rescinded?

    My recollection is that Dr. Leathers, whose resolution it was,
rather objected to any publicity save that directed by a State Health
organization. Personally, I cannot see the reason for this. I am
for anything that will result in the diminution of malaria. I feel
very much like St. Paul expresses himself in Phil. 1:18 about preach-
ing the Gospel. The control of malaria is the end I aim at. I am
willing for it to be done by any agency, including Germans and Bolsheviks.

    Dr. Leathers objections, if he entertains the objections I have
indicated, could be met, however, in one of two ways:

1/ In confining this Sub-Committee to education--leaving pub-
licity out.
2/ In making him Chairman of it--permanent if need be--in which
case, I am sure, its activities would not offend him.

    Under a resolution adopted at the Memphis meeting of the N. M. C.
(1917) all resolutions must go to a Sub-Committee on Resolutions and
are to be voted on in full Committee on their report. This resolu-
tion was not so submitted. I do not know whether this was through
inadvertence (of the Secretary and Chairman) or whether this rule of
proceedure has been rescinded. I note too that in the list of Com-
mittees, sent me recently by the Secretary, no Sub-Committee on Reso-
lutions is featured. Has this rule been rescinded.

    I am so little in the malaria work at present--my whole time be-
ing taken up with what I am at present engaged in, that honestly I
scarcely feel like expressing an opinion or writing on any malarial
matter. Nevertheless, it does seem advisable to bring this matter to

 
to
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your consideration. Indeed, the last malaria work I was engaged in--
abstracting and editing the malaria articles from current journals
for the men in the field--was distinctively educative work, and work
which I purpose to again take up when (if) I ever finish my present
job.

    With highest regards, I remain

Very truly yours,

National Malaria Committee
.