for the trusteeship, and in accordance with the Health Service Policy,”
planning for a central leprosarium forthe area was begun.
It was feared that leprosy, endemic throughout the Trust Territory,
was prevalent and widespread, and first estimates by medicalofficials,
based on a survey of the disease made on Guam in the late 1930's,
placed the possible numberof cases at 350. The definite number could
not be learned until a complete medical survey of the area was made.
By September 1947, fifty-two cases were isolated; “others were known
to exist but the patients remained on their home islands, segregated
only by community arrangement. Under such conditions it was not
possible to provide specific treatment andfacilities necessary for their
care.
The first recommendation for the establishment of a central leprosarium to be located on Tinian and provide care for patients from the
Trust Territory, Guam and American Samoa, was made by ComMarianas on July 31, 1947." CinCPacFlt preferred to postpone action
until the medical survey ship USS WHIDBEYhad gatheredstatistics
on the disease * but DepHiComTerPaclsobjected to a delayof possibly
three years while the survey was being conducted and urged that
interim arrangements be made at the earliest practicable date to care
for the lepers.” HiComTerPacls thereupon agreed to establishment
of temporaryfacilities and instructed DepHiComTerPacls to submit a
proposal for a leper colony that would also provide adequate
dispensary andsickbayfacilities.*!
DepHiComTerPacls submitted his proposal in December 1947 but
at that time recommendedthat the leprosarium be established on
Saipan rather than on Tinian. Dueto rollup and cutback operations
in the fall of 1947, a site in the Kagmanarea of Saipan had become
available and was more desirable than the Tinian location in that it
had the advantages of “being more favorably located for logistic support and medical supervision from the permanent naval establishment
and the civil administration unit,” and possessed “adequate suitable
land for cultivation, a beach for fishing and an ample.water supply.”
SL
”
Supra,
p. 855, fF. vo
20
.
Jaluit, 11: Truk, 4; Saipan, 6: Yap, 23; Palau, 4: Ponape. 4.
m ComMarianas ltr ser rérar dtd gr Jul 47.
os CinCPacFit ist end dtd 20 Aug 47 to ComMarianas Itr ser 16121.
2 DepHiComTerPacls ltr ser 139 dtd 17 Sep 47.
np ComTerPacls rst end ser 6169 dtd 16 Oct 1947 to Dep] fiComTerPacls ltr ser 139.
DepHiComTerPacls ltr ser 589 dtd 19 Dee 45,
901
SOObOuI