While sometimes these wars have been well, theyve catastrophic. There was the catastrophe of 1918, when an influenza epidemic swept through our own nation as well as the entire world. Unlike the battles of nation against nation, or humanity against the forces of nature when man has often had the opportunity to prepare himself, the battle against disease throughout the centuries have found men in the unfortunate position of having to combat this enemy only after it had infiltrated his community and infected much of the population. Recently, you have become aware of a pandemic, or a worldwide epidemic which originated in the far east and is now known as asian influenza. Because of the alertness and efficiency of the United States Public Health service, and the world health organization, a detection system similar to that of the aircraft spotting have been established throughout the world and has enabled us to recognize and follow the progress of asian influenza as it circles the globe. H