20 Proceedings of the First Convention 



expected me to say "The World-Wide Crusade," for mosquitoes 

 have a world-wide distribution and all civilized countries and 

 communities have within the last few years become awakened 

 to the importance of such a crusade. England has been a 

 leader, for, although the mosquito plague is not a serious one 

 in the Island of Great Britain, her tropical and sub-tropical 

 colonies suffer severely from the diseases which are borne by 

 mosquitoes. In fact, we may safely say that the abundance of 

 mosquitoes in many of England's colonies has been the most 

 serious obstacle to the health of the colonists, and, therefore, 

 to the material progress of the colonies. She has sent out re- 

 peated expeditions of scientific men to many of her colonies, 

 and the English residents of many others have followed the 

 lead. The imperial government has given no very material 

 assistance in the way of large amounts of money, but private 

 philanthropy has been of great assistance. Germany, with her 

 infinitely smaller colonial area, has taken hold of the ciuestion 

 of mosquito extermination as an imijcrial measure. Italy, with 

 a large part of her home territory devastated by malaria, has 

 been a leader in the fight against malaria. Italy, however, has not 

 extensively entered upon a caiupaign against mosquitoes them- 

 selves, but against the disease by protecting her exposed sub- 

 jects against the bites of mosquitoes and by fighting malaria 

 with drugs. Japan has done some important work. The new 

 republic of Cuba is continuing the work outlined by the United 

 States officials when in occupation of that island. Mexico has 

 become alive to the iiuportance of the work, and her scientific 

 men are studying the distribution of mosquitoes and are enter- 

 ing upon the crusade with energy. In our new territory of 

 Hawaii the authorities have, within the last year, become fully 

 alive to the importance of the work, and energetic steps are 

 being taken. 



The main incentive to all this world-wide movement has 

 been the prevention of disease. Probably nowhere else in the 

 world has the motive of personal comfort entered into the 

 crusade as it has in the United States, and we have already 

 carried this aspect of the work much further than any other 

 country. When we consider the enormous sums of money 

 spent in the United States for luxuries, how much more should 

 be spent for bare comfort and peace ! 



Abundant evidence has been gained in the important work 



