[Enclosure]
The Secretary General of the League of
Nations (Drummond) to
President Wilson
London, 23 June,
1920.
20/31/36ASir: The attention of the Members of
the Council of the League of Nations having been drawn to the
overwhelming epidemic of typhus at present devastating Poland
and from thence spreading to other countries of Europe, it was
decided at the Council Meeting held on 13th March last, to
request the Health Conference, about to meet in London, at the
British Ministry of Health, in April, to anticipate at this
meeting the work of the eventual permanent Health Organisation
of the League of Nations, by dealing with the emergency of
epidemic typhus in Poland and to submit to the Council plans for
united official action.
Full consideration was therefore given by the Health Conference
to the question of typhus and its dangers and a comprehensive
report (a copy of which will be forwarded at an early date32) was presented
to the Council of the League of Nations (during its recent
[Page 284]
session in Rome)
containing suggestions as to how the peril could best be
combated.
In this Report, special stress was laid on the fact that recent
statistics showed the appalling rate at which the epidemic was
increasing, and demonstrated the rapid manner in which it was
spreading to other countries.
Attention was drawn to the fact that although Poland was making
every effort to remedy the tragic situation, she would
necessarily be unable to combat successfully the disease within
her own frontiers or to prevent the danger of a constant stream
of typhus into the vast regions of Europe, unless adequate help
were forthcoming from all Members of the Family of Nations.
The Council of the League of Nations considered the Report of the
Health Conference and agreed that every country in the world,
either from her geographical propinquity, her commercial
interests, or from humanitarian motives, is concerned in giving
help to Poland and the surrounding countries in this grave
crisis. The Council was of the unanimous opinion that the
unhappy state of Poland is of such a nature as to justify the
combined action and collaboration of all Members of the Family
of Nations. A Resolution was therefore passed, a copy of which
is attached to this letter.34 The campaign against typhus to prove in any
way effective must be carried out within the next three months.
During the winter, typhus increases rapidly and climatic
conditions in Poland produce almost insuperable difficulties
during this season.
The raising of immediate funds to enable the Commissioners
appointed to dear with typhus to begin work at once had,
therefore, to be considered. Great Britain has agreed to pay an
immediate instalment of £50,000 (without prejudice to the final
amount of her subscription) provided that four other countries
advance a similar amount.
An additional £1,750,000 is required to raise the sum of
£2,000,000 indicated in the Resolution (the minimum amount
required to deal with the present situation in Poland, exclusive
of those sums which may be supplied by voluntary and relief
organisation). I am instructed by the Council to invite the
United States Government to contribute in the most generous
manner possible to the proposed fund. Any contribution which the
United States Government may decide to make should be forwarded
with the least possible delay to the account of Mr.
Vaughan-Morgan, Chief Commissioner for Typhus, Lloyds Bank,
London.
I have [etc.]
