The President Favors High Ranking for Medical Men
Title
The President Favors High Ranking for Medical Men
Creator
David Lawrence
Identifier
WWP15579
Date
1918 January 1
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
President Wilson has just given his approval to a piece of pending legislation that vitally concerns the medical care of our troops in the field. For many months, complaint has been coming from our medical officers in France that their military rank is insufficient for them to get the attention they deserve from officers of the line. No matter how great the reputation of a physician, he can today hold no higher rank than that of major. Consequently when he urges that specific things be done to safeguard the health of troops, he must wait his turn at staff headquarters while colonels and brigadier generals and major generals in other branches of the service command prompt cooperation.
No One to Appeal To.
Medical men cannot always persuade laymen of the urgency of the things in which they are interested. In the army, rank cuts so much of a figure that majors keep at respectful distances from colonels and brigadier generals. The major in the medical corps in active service has no one higher in rank to whom he can appeal if a line officer sees fit to disregard a recommendation.
The President has examined the situation carefully and evidently believes it is one requiring early action for he has expressed himself in writing urging the adoption of remedial legislation. The proposal which is now pending in the Senate Military Affairs Committee was introduced by Senator Owen of Oklahoma, and would redistribute the number of officers in the entire medical corps. For instance out of the 21,000 physicians commissioned for service with an army of 3,000,000 men there would be fifty-two major generals and fifty-two brigadier generals, 840 colonels and 840 lieutenant colonels, 4,980 majors and 6,720 captains.
Reserve Men Held Down.
Of course, out of the 780 officers in the regular medical corps there are physicians of rank up to that of major general, but the 21,000 doctors in the medical reserve, of whom 14,000 are now in active service, cannot be commissioned of higher rank than major.
Many of the men who have volunteered for the medical reserve are recognized in their communities, and oftentimes by the whole country as leaders in their profession. The added pay means nothing to most of them as they have left lucrative practices to serve in the field. Some of the letters from France written by doctors who are not accustomed to be subordinated to laymen, especially colonels of the line who are so much absorbed in their own duties as to give scant attention to the needs of the medical officers, indicate that a very serious situation may be brought about in the care of sick and wounded unless there is reform.
Men of such importance in the medical profession as would command the respect and attention of the country if their names could be given have urged the immediate adoption of corrective legislation.
Expect Bill to Pass.
The Council of National Defense has taken an interest in the matter and the President’s approval is expected to help get the bill through Congress.
Nothing new is involved in the request as the British army has several lieutenant surgeon generals of the rank equal to major general in the American army and thousands of colonels.
This measure is understood to be in accord with the practice, too, in other armies and has not been attended to before with respect to our own army because of the rapidity with which the medical corps has been compelled to expand. Difficulties that it was thought would not occur have, however, arisen and the entire medical corps will unquestionably benefit by the reorganization that will follow the promotion to higher rank of the men who best knew what is good for the health, sanitation, and care of troops in the field.
No One to Appeal To.
Medical men cannot always persuade laymen of the urgency of the things in which they are interested. In the army, rank cuts so much of a figure that majors keep at respectful distances from colonels and brigadier generals. The major in the medical corps in active service has no one higher in rank to whom he can appeal if a line officer sees fit to disregard a recommendation.
The President has examined the situation carefully and evidently believes it is one requiring early action for he has expressed himself in writing urging the adoption of remedial legislation. The proposal which is now pending in the Senate Military Affairs Committee was introduced by Senator Owen of Oklahoma, and would redistribute the number of officers in the entire medical corps. For instance out of the 21,000 physicians commissioned for service with an army of 3,000,000 men there would be fifty-two major generals and fifty-two brigadier generals, 840 colonels and 840 lieutenant colonels, 4,980 majors and 6,720 captains.
Reserve Men Held Down.
Of course, out of the 780 officers in the regular medical corps there are physicians of rank up to that of major general, but the 21,000 doctors in the medical reserve, of whom 14,000 are now in active service, cannot be commissioned of higher rank than major.
Many of the men who have volunteered for the medical reserve are recognized in their communities, and oftentimes by the whole country as leaders in their profession. The added pay means nothing to most of them as they have left lucrative practices to serve in the field. Some of the letters from France written by doctors who are not accustomed to be subordinated to laymen, especially colonels of the line who are so much absorbed in their own duties as to give scant attention to the needs of the medical officers, indicate that a very serious situation may be brought about in the care of sick and wounded unless there is reform.
Men of such importance in the medical profession as would command the respect and attention of the country if their names could be given have urged the immediate adoption of corrective legislation.
Expect Bill to Pass.
The Council of National Defense has taken an interest in the matter and the President’s approval is expected to help get the bill through Congress.
Nothing new is involved in the request as the British army has several lieutenant surgeon generals of the rank equal to major general in the American army and thousands of colonels.
This measure is understood to be in accord with the practice, too, in other armies and has not been attended to before with respect to our own army because of the rapidity with which the medical corps has been compelled to expand. Difficulties that it was thought would not occur have, however, arisen and the entire medical corps will unquestionably benefit by the reorganization that will follow the promotion to higher rank of the men who best knew what is good for the health, sanitation, and care of troops in the field.
Files
Collection
Citation
David Lawrence, “The President Favors High Ranking for Medical Men,” 1918 January 1, WWP15579, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.