 A company makers of better things for a better living through chemistry starring Melvin Douglas Tonight's the one cavalcade is called citizen Strauss and here's our star Melvin Douglas Good evening. Our story is about a man who recognized a peril to our nation. His name was Nathan Strauss In the long struggle of enlightenment Against ignorance and prejudice Here's is a story to remember With Melvin Douglas as Nathan Strauss our DuPont play starts in the year 1892 You want something boy? Are you the veterinary? Well, hell, that's what the sign says The name is Johnson. We want you out of the Nathan Strauss farm Horses or cows cows Holsteins or Alderney? Alderney. Which one? Princess. Oh Fine cow princess What's the matter with her? She coughed Mr. Johnson. She does what? She coughed Mr. Strauss said it's serious. Oh does he? Mr. Strauss a veterinary? You're a fooling everybody knows who Nathan Strauss is. Is he a veterinary? I'm a big department store in New York. Yes, but he ain't a veterinary When it comes to cows, I'll say whether it's serious or not. All right, let's go. I Heard her Mr. Strauss. She coughed. What do you think? Well cows are like humans They can take cold. I'd say this is more than a cold. Yes, might be that's all right But I saw this cow six or seven weeks ago Hip-cop shape in That hurt you doesn't it princess. I tell you she's sick Johnson. Yes, you're right. I don't like the sound of that Well, not much use you're hanging around the barn. I'll stay with a mr. Strauss now you go on up to the house I'll do everything I can bar In the year 1892 on the farm of department store owner Nathan Strauss a pedigreed cow cost It was a sound that was to alter the pattern of a nation were not many days later the cow died Well being a man of inquiring mind Nathan Strauss ordered an autopsy. I Brought you a piece of her lung issue. Look at that mr. Strauss Diseased tuberculosis no question about it tuberculosis Johnson I milk princess myself one day last week. I I gave that boy a big dipper full of her milk Arnold there's nothing to get excited about mr. Strauss That milk was good the cow died of tuberculosis. Oh, that don't signify knocking milk is milk Arnold Yes, I am that you're having cold boy I'm taking you to dr. Abraham Jacoby in New York for a medical examination That's fine, but your waist down now The boy looks fine mr. Strauss. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with it I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that dr. Jacoby. I'll bring him again next month That's a good idea, but I think you'll stay well You mean that the milk of a tubercular cow is can't be transmitted to humans That's what Robert Koch says he discovered the tuberculosis What do you say? The medical profession agrees with dr. Koch. Do you agree with dr. Koch? I'm a member of the medical profession But you refuse to agree don't you I'm convinced that tuberculosis milk is responsible for tuberculosis children I'm convinced dirty milk spreads other diseases. Can you prove it doctor? I have a filing case full of death certificates that will serve as evidence Mr. Strauss of every three babies born today one baby will surely die before he reaches his fifth birthday One out of three thirty three percent I'd like to see those statistics don't mr. Strauss. What good will it do you? I'd like to see them You're a department store owner. You're a merchant not a physician. Do you think a merchant's conscience is smaller than a physician? There's a key And the filing case I warn you mr. Strauss You won't sleep tonight if I were you right go back and run my department store Coming to my office gentlemen. It's quieter in here. Thank you Now mr. Strauss this is a busy store and you're a busy man So this committee doesn't want to take your time you see Simpson if he came to the point You wouldn't take mr. Strauss's time on our own rush and mr. Strauss This committee represents the majority of the people of the city of New York That's just what I was saying and mr. Strauss We're asking you how you'd like to become a candidate for mayor. I beg your pardon. How would you like to run for mayor? But why me gentlemen? I'm not a politician. That's why Nathan Strauss is a good name. You're a philanthropist You have a stable of famous racing horses. You run a good business here. You lead a clean life people like it We're asking you to be a candidate for mayor That's very flattering. Well, what's your answer? There's a sheet of paper on my desk with some figures on it Last week within a radius of 12 miles from the city hall itself 1036 people died mr. Strauss. We're talking politics of that number 713 were children under five 664 were babies under two years and mr. Strauss I want to remind you we've come on a matter of great import 64% of those who died were babies under two years Isn't that important? Of course, it's important. This is Strauss. We made you a proposition. You can be mayor of the city of New York Now what's your answer? My answer is that the death of those babies was caused by tuberculosis typhoid de feria churus, scarlet fever, septic sore throat, and infant diarrhea before I accept the nomination for anything I've got to do something about that Listen mr. Strauss, I didn't know your reputation. They say you had water on the brain. No, you're quite wrong, sir I've got milk on the brain And I'm going right out now and inspect every dairy farm in this county. Are you mr. Lindsay? That's my name. What can I do for you, sir? I was told that this dairy farm sends more milk to New York City than any dairy in the county. You've been told right sir We've got a big establishment here What number of flies? Well, we have cows and milk and manure. There's always flies that goes together. I Was watching your milkers What about them? Don't they wash their hands before milking? What for they only get them dirty on the cows? They could wash the cows Look, I don't know your name sir, but if you came here to criticize David, how much do you want for this farm? Who are you? My name is Nathan Strauss. Oh I want to buy your farm. That's the best one I've seen But it's dirty. I want to make it clean. I'm not selling Then sell me your milk Well, that's different under my term. Ah, what term? Have every cow tested for tuberculosis. What for my terms mr. Lindsay? Scrub your barns scrub your cows scrub the hands and the fingernails of your milkers No, it isn't the way things are done my term mr. Lindsay And I'm willing to pay for those terms What do you get out of it a demonstration That murder can be stopped I'm convinced that I'm right mr. Lindsay, and I'm ready to back up that conviction with every dollar I own What's it you Kobe? Come in come in mr. Stars doctor I've just made arrangements to buy thousands of gallons of good milk What I like about you is that you've got presumptuous. Well, I'm going to be even more presumptuous I've been reading about a Frenchman named Louis Pasteur and what about that stir? He's found that if you heat milk Below the boiling point heat it to a temperature of 150 degrees and keep it there for an hour or so That the heat will destroy the germs in any liquid. Yes, mr. Stars. That's correct. Well, why can't I do the same thing with milk? Why not? Terrorist milk. Oh pasteurized milk, huh? You'll need technicians. I've already hired them, but I've even bought a building and a quick You'll need a medical staff dr. Freeman dr. Green and dr. Abraham Jacobi will be my medical staff They've agreed Do you dr. Jacobi? I Told you I like to present you on a risen an honest dairyman who won't be on my side once he realizes what we're after But I'm thinking of my own profession Nathan Strauss. You're not a physician neither is Louis Pasteur exactly He hasn't been forgiven for it He's considered an interloper. You'll be considered worse because you're not even a scientist. You're a businessman Stouse, I hope I'm wrong But something tells me the sky is going to fall on your head You are listening to the cavalcade of America starring Melvin Douglas as Nathan Strauss Sponsored by the DuPont company makers of better things for better living through chemistry Our DuPont play continues as Nathan Strauss a New York merchant in the year 1893 Embarked on the work of philanthropy and education without parallel in the Western Hemisphere Strauss began by calling a meeting of several dairymen Gentlemen, I have no interest in being your competitor. My only business interest is my store Oh, well people are going to be thinking that Nathan Strauss is out only for publicity I'm not an issue. The issue is that one out of every three babies are born to die before they're five And the people are satisfied with things the way they are. I deny that The people don't want milk from tubercular cows. All right We'll have inspections of our herds how frequently Every four years like now. Yeah, what's wrong with that an Inspection once in four years will do as much to make milk pure as a bath once in four years will do to make you clean So you're going to antagonize a lot of decent people as a friend. I warn you You're going to come in for a considerable abuse Abuse doesn't kill But raw milk will Say that's good That's my slogan Gentlemen, I'm sending my milk clean fresh milk into the slums of New York and if the mothers can't pay I'll give it away Just How would you like to be president of the board of health? Oh, I'd love to mr. McLaren What's the catch keep your nose out of milk? Tend to your department store Who sent you McLaren? It'd be a fool to tell you Your business mr. Strauss isn't milk. I'm supplying milk for 2,000 babies every day since I'm paying for it seems to me It is my business in another word You don't want to be president of the board of health. No, but I do McLaren, but to save lives Not just for the honor of holding office Well, you have to see it my way convince me mr. Strauss. I'm a tough man to convince All right. I will By the way, do you mind if I talk to mrs. McLaren this afternoon? Not at all But I warn you you'll find it just as tough as I am Oh, come in time we have company mr. Strauss, I believe you've met my husband as I have mr. McLaren May I present dr. Abraham Jacoby to McLaren and dr. Arthur Randolph green and pleased to meet you gentlemen Just what is this? You asked to be convinced This is McLaren. Will you convince your husband here? Tom McLaren, what do you see you're in quotes for the Margaret? I am What's in this picture which I took out of my own icebox what's in it milk who drinks it the children Tom McLaren. Do you love your children Margaret? There's some things they don't joke about What do you try to say your wife are trying to say the dr. Green took a sample of milk from this picture and analyzed it I did sir. I then took a sample of the waste from the sewer on history. Mr. McLaren I found one million one hundred and twenty six thousand bacteria per cubic centimeter of sewage my kids do not drink sewage dr. Green They drink milk cubic centimeter per cubic centimeter This milk is contaminated by twice as many harmful bacteria as city sewage Tom McLaren have a glass of milk. I never touch this stuff. Have a glass of milk Don't yell at me Margaret Dennis John Elizabeth Time for your milk children don't don't call the children Margaret leave them be how about all the women on this street right now They're pouring milk for their children milk that shows two million three hundred and fifty nine thousand bacteria to the cubic centimeter Tom we're not mothers We're murderers Mrs. Travis What do you want? I want permission from the board of Alderman to sell pasteurized milk at one center glass in every city park What else do you want? I want to permit to triple the number of my experimental milk people's what else? I want the right to go among the school children If I can educate the school children They'll educate their parents and there's something else you haven't asked for a job president of the board of health I Want that job very much and the mayor wants you Mr. Strauss Why do you do it? Costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars other people can afford it better than you and they aren't helping you one of them is I'll tell you a secret McLaren When I began this work, Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan called me and gave me his personal check for fifty thousand dollars That's fine. It must be costing you five times that Why you Mr. McLaren most men who can afford it make their contributions to society after they die I can't see it that way. Why should people profit more from my death than from my life? When I was a boy down in Georgia My father once opened the Talmud and he read What you give after death is lead What you give in sickness is silver What you give in life is Gold I'll remember that mr. Strauss Yes, sir And now I'll tell you something what McLaren you've got an army against you Don't ask me to tell you how I know But look out They're after you There's a man here to see you mr. Strauss did the gentleman give his name He did not sir, and if you'll forgive me. He's not a gentleman. I resent that I asked you to wait in the hall. I get lonely by myself You night in strouse. I am I got a summon for you for your arrest And my clarin was right By the way, what's the charge against me? You are charged with willfully and maliciously Contaminating and adulterating babies milk does the defendant realize that it is a criminal offense to adulterate milk I am aware of the city ordinance your honor and yet mr. Strauss by your own admission You caused milk intended for babies to be contaminated modified your do not interrupt the court You caused milk to be contaminated with foreign ingredients of a highly deleterious nature The baby's milk was modified with barley water and malt According to a formula of dr. Abraham jacobi in other words you plead guilty of trying to save baby's life Mr. Strauss you are contemptuous The babies don't think so your honor I want you mr. Strauss you would be better advised to allow counsel to speak for you your honor I intend no disrespect to the court But I would point out that someone is trying to intimidate me by using a court of law as a club. I Don't intimidate your honor The facts are with me The public welfare is with me the evidence of science is with me. You're wrong Science is against you as dr. Smith arrives your honor. Dr. Smith then where he would be a half hour very good The court declares a recess until such time as dr. Smith arrives Yes, your honor that's the evidence of my own scientific investigations And mr. Nathan Strauss he's melt to destroy bacterial organisms. He destroys the bacteria all right But he also makes the milk indigestible with your honor permit me to question dr. Smith once again mr. Strauss The court strongly recommends that you rely on counsel during this hearing counsel is a distinguished lawyer But he doesn't know milk. I do Dr. Smith you declare that pasteurization renders milk indigestible. I do say You said also that pasteurization destroys the nutritive properties of milk. I've proved it. Oh How dr. Smith what was the proof in my clinic? Your honor My clinic's crowded with babies suffering from scurvy and wreckage brought on I charge by the pasteurized milk Distributed by this publicity seeking medicine man I didn't call you names dr. Smith Well, we'll let that pass If it pleases the court may I be allowed to inspect the records in dr. Smith's clinic your honor Nathan Strauss is not competent to inspect anything. He's not a physician. I do not ask only for myself your honor I asked for dr. Abraham Jacobi and dr. Arthur Randolph green The court so rules Dr. Smith the court orders you to make your records available to dr. Jacobi and dr. Green and to admit them to your clinic Mr. Charles we've completed our examination of this clinic. Thank you, dr. Maybe step into your office dr. Smith. Well, you've taken more time than I Are I commitment? Strauss, I want to say immediately that I refuse to talk to you. I deny your qualifications and your competence How about dr. Jacobi's competence and dr. Green's? Dr. Jacobi Repeat to dr. Smith what you found Dr. Green and I studied your records and examined every baby in this clinic. We questioned each attending physician each nurse Dr. Smith, there is absolutely no substance to your charges and dr. Green will so testify in court Continued testimony mr. Strauss your honor since the inception of the pasteurization program Dr. Green has carefully studied 20,111 slum babies Who have been fed exclusively on pasteurized milk? Dr. Green I asked you a question. Yes, mr. Strauss during the hot months of july and august What has been your previous experience with slum babies? They die like flies in the thousands from what diseases, dr. Green milk for in diseases mr. Strauss septic sore throat infant diarrhea typhoid the death rate is enormous And now dr. Green will you tell the court how many babies fed with pasteurized milk? Have died this summer of 20,111 babies studied only six died This court joins in the applause for your work Thank you gentlemen What I've done I've done as a citizen But as the president of the board of health, I do say this Laws will be passed in our lifetime We shall see the inspection of dairy cattle for tuberculosis made mandatory by law We shall see pasteurization made mandatory by law I don't deceive myself that these changes will be made easily or without opposition But no good thing in history Has ever been introduced without opposition and now if the court will excuse dr. Green and me We must leave We have work Ladies and gentlemen, this is Norman Douglas in the slums of New York in the 90s before Nathan Strauss set up his milk stations Out of every thousand babies born 241 babies died Four years later of more than 20,000 babies whom he'd fed Only six died Do you want more evidence? Look in your baby's crib today Why speak not as an actor, but as a father How many of our children are alive because of the vision and the courage of this man? No physician. No scientist a Merchant who gave not only of his fortune, but of his heart to humanity Nathan Strauss Another American to whom we are indebted for life Next week the depart cavalcade will present another of your favorite Hollywood stars Virginia Bruce Our play is the remarkable story of Rose Knox the first lady of John's town, New York Be sure to listen Tonight's depart cavalcade was written by Morton Wishing grab music was composed by Arden Cornwell and conducted by Donald Voorhees The program was directed by John Zoller The DuPont cavalcade of America comes to you from the stage of the Belasco Theater in New York and is sponsored by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware Makers of better things for better living through chemistry Next here Fanny Bryce's baby Snooks on NBC