PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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0885
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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22969
SIR,
72
No. 122.
MALTA.
COLONIAL OFFICE to ADMIRALTY.
[Copy to Governor, July 20, 1904. Confidential. L.F.]
Dowhing Street, July 7, 1904. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty with reference to your letter of the 17th of June, and previous correspondence, the accompanying copies of further paperst relating to the Mediterranean Fever Inquiry.
2. With regard to the last paragraph of your letter of the 17th of June, I am to inform you that the number of investigators will be five, namely, Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce, Major Horrocks, Staff Surgeon Shaw, Dr. Zammit, and Dr. Johnstone, that the cost of the inquiry will depend upon the progress made, but that, leaving out of the question the salary of Staff Surgeon Shaw, the additional expense which will be thrown upon Naval Votes in connexion with the investigations to be carried out during the present year will probably not exceed £300.
I am, &c.,
20390
SIR,
No. 123.
H. BERTRAM COX.
COLONIAL OFFICE to SIR J. WEST RIDGEWAY.‡
Downing Street, July 8, 1904. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to enclose, for your information, a copy of a circular despatch addressed by Mr. Chamberlain to the various colonial governments on the 28th of May, 1903, in which he summed up the steps which had been taken up to that date in connection with the investigation of malaria and the training of medical officers in the treatment and prevention of tropical diseases.
2. In the last paragraph of that despatch, Mr. Chamberlain emphasized the fact that the work which had been done should be carried further, and suggested that colonial contributions might be paid into a common fund, out of which the objects to which his despatch had referred might be subsidized. He added that should his suggestion be entertained by the Crown Colonies and Protectorates, he would propose to "appoint a Board to advise the Secretary of State as to how the moneys received can at any given time be best allotted, such Board to consist of the Medical Adviser to the Colonial Office, a representative of the Royal Society, some leading London physician, one or more representatives of the Crown Colonies, and one or more members of the Colonial Office."
3. The result of this despatch and of subsequent despatches addressed to the colonies and protectorates by Mr. Lyttelton has been that a sum of at least £1,500 a year is now available from colonial funds for a period of five years. Further, from the 1st of April next a sum of £500 a year will be available from Imperial funds for a similar period, and the Secretary of State for India is inviting the Government of India to consider favourably the question of making a contribution from Indian revenues to this general fund.
4. Mr. Lyttelton accordingly considers that the time has now come to appoint the Board which Mr. Chamberlain's despatch indicated, to advise him as to how the moneys received from the various sources can at any given time be best applied.
5. The functions of the Board would be advisory. They would be asked to advise the Secretary of State what money, if any, should be allotted at a given time to a given agency, and on what conditions. The agencies which are at present at work in the direction of the improvement of life and health in malarious colonies are the London School of Tropical Medicine, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the Tropical Diseases Committee of the Royal Society, and the Colonial Nursing Association. These agencies may well hereafter be supplemented by others. It will be the duty of the Board to ensure that annual accounts are supplied
• No. 109.
† Nos. 111 and 114. Similar letters were addressed to Bir Patrick Manson, Sir R. Moor, and Sir T. Barlow.
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of such funds as may be allotted, that progress reports are made, and that such accounts and reports are submitted to the Secretary of State for circulation to the colonies, for submission to the Lords of the Treasury, and, if thought advisable hereafter, for publication, in Parliamentary Blue Books or otherwise. It would be the duty of the Board to ensure that the special needs and wishes of the con- tributing colonies are considered in allotting the money, and that the various agencies subsidized are not allowed to duplicate each other's work. In a word, the main object of the Board is to secure the co-operation of the various agencies now or likely to be in existence for the improvement of health and sanitation in the tropical colonies and protectorates, and to ensure that full value is obtained for the contributions which have been or shall be received.
6. Mr. Lyttelton proposes that the Board shall consist of two representatives of the Crown Colonies, one of whom shall be specially connected with West Africa, of a member of the Royal Society, the Medical Adviser of the Colonial Office, a London physician, and two members of the Colonial Office. Mr. Lyttelton instructs me to ask whether you would be good enough to give him the benefit of your services in the matter and became a member of the Board.* Should you be able to accept this invitation a further letter will be addressed to you, giving you the names of the other members of the Board when they have been appointed, and any additional details that may be necessary.
7. The meetings of the Board would be held at this Office at any hour which might be most convenient to non-official members, and it is anticipated that very few meetings need be held in the year, and that each meeting will not occupy any great length of time.
8. Should you wish, before answering this letter, for any personal explanations, I should be glad to give them when and where it may be convenient to yourself.
I am, &c.,
20390
SIR,
No. 124.
C. P. LUCAS.
COLONIAL OFFICE to THE ROYAL SOCIETY.
Downing Street, July 12, 1904.
[The first five paragraphs are identical with those in No. 123.]
6. Mr. Lyttelton proposes that the Board shall consist of two representatives of the Crown Colonies, one of whom shall be specially connected with West Africa, of a Member of the Royal Society, the Medical Adviser of the Colonial Office, a London physician, and two members of the Colonial Office. Mr. Lyttelton would be glad if the Royal Society could select one of their members to serve on the Board, and would venture to suggest that Sir M. Foster, who has been associated from the beginning with the investigation of tropical diseases which has been carried out at the instance of this Department, and is well acquainted with the scope and aims of the present proposals, should be asked to represent the Society. Should Sir M. Foster be able to accept this invitation, a further letter will be addressed to you giving you the names of the other members of the Board when they have been appointed, and any additional details that may be necessary. †
7. The meetings of the Board would be held at this Office at any hour which might be most convenient to non-official members, and it is anticipated that very few meetings need be held in the year, and that each meeting will not occupy any great length of time.
8. As it is desirable that the Board should be constituted as soon as possible, I am to ask that a reply may be sent to this letter at your early convenience.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS
NOTE. All the gentlemen to whom this invitation was addressed accepted seats on the Board. NOTE. The Royal Society subsequently selectel Sir M. Foster as their representative.
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