"Through health we can defeat the evil threat of communism," Brigadier General James S. Simmons, (Ret.), dean of the School of Public Health, declared last night at Houston, Texas.

General Simmons spoke on "Health and Manpower in Peace or War" at the banquet of the Third Gulf Coast Regional Conference on Industrial Health.

"Strong Communist forces are at work in this country and throughout the world, taking advantage of sick and impoverished people, exploiting their discontent and hopelessness to undermine their political beliefs," Simmons said. "Health is one of the safeguards against this propaganda."

Relating the nation's physical and economic welfare, Simmons said, "The need for manpower never lessens."