The record-union., 1898-08-30
Surgeon General Sternberg Gives
Out a Statement
Relative to the Orders Assistance During
the Late War.
Denies That He Is Hostile to the
Organization, Except That He
Objects to the Sending Of Fee
male Nurses With Troops In the
Field Engaged in Active Serv-
ice.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29-The fol-
lowing statement regarding the medi-
cal corps Of the army and the Ameri-
can Red Cross Society was given out
by Surgeon General Sternberg to-day:
Owing to the pressure of my official
duties, l have not heretofore felt just
1hed in taking the time to make an
explanation with reference to my atti-
tude toward the American National
Red Cross Society.
1T has been repeatedly charged in
the newspapers that / am hostile to
this organization, and have refused TO
accept it's assistance in the care of our
sick and wounded soldiers and sailors,
and that as a result of this refusal
there has been unnecessary suffering.
These charges are without foundation
except in so far as I have objected to
the sending of female nurses with the
troops in the field engaged in active
operations.
I'VE have a Red Cross Hospital Corps
in the army of enlisted men, whose
duty it is to render assistance to the
wounded upon the field Of battle, and
to care for the sick in our division
field hospitals, and / have been of the
opinion that female nurses would be an
incumbrance to the troops during ac
tive operations; but so soon as serious
sickness developed in our camps, and
1t became necessary to treat typhoid
fever cases in our field hospitals,
gladly accepted the services of trained
female nurses for the division field
hospitals, but in our general hospitals
we have employed them from the first.
The general testimony from the sur
geons in charge of those hospitals has
been that their services have been of
great value. Very many of these
trained nurses have been obtained
through the kind assistance of the
Red Cross Society for maintenance Of
trained nurses, auxiliary No. 3, and I
desire to express my high appreciation
of the valuable services rendered to
the medical department Of the army
by this organization.
My attitude toward the relief organ
ization is shown by my Endorsement,
dated May 9Th, upon letter addressed
by Rev Henry c. McCook, Of Philadel-
pllia, to the President, and referred to
me for remark:
May 5, 1S9S-Respectfully re-
turned to the Adjutant General of the
Army. The plan proposed for the or
ganization of a relief association APP
pears to be well considered, and the
object in view will commend itself to
every patriotic citizen. But it is a
question whether the President should
give special privilege to any particular
organization. Other prominent irdi-
viduals in different parts of the coun-
try may be organizing for the same
purpose. One such proposition has
come from Chicago. While l approve
in a general way of an organization
for relief work proposed, it appears TO
me that it will be best not to give
any one organization exclusive prfvi-
leges. In case OF need, assistance
should be accepted from any organiza-
ton prepared to give it..
This has been my guiding principle
throughout, that relief when needed
should be promptly accepted without
reference to the source from which it
comes. The relief offorded by the Ma
tional Red Cross at Siboney was
promptly accepted by the surgeons OF
the spot, but it is evident that it was
entirely inadequate to meet the emer-
gency.
"a committee of the American Ma
tional Red Cross Society called upon
me in my office in Washington some
time in advance Of the landing of our
troops in Santiago, making an offer of
assistance. I received them most cour-
teously, and advised them to use their
resources in fitting up a hospital ship,
telling them that a hospital ship was
now being fitted up for the use of the
Medical Department, but that it was
not at all improbable that an emer-
eency would arise which would over
tax our resources, and that in such an
event a hospital ship, properly equipped,
having on board a. corps of doctors and
nurses. would be a valuable auxiliary.
Furthermore, the American Nation
al Red Cross Society has had full au-
thority to send supplies to all our
camps since June 8. 1898, and if there
has been suffering for want of needed
supplies, they must assume the respon-
sibility with the Medical Department
of the army for such suffering.
''The following letter was sent by me
to every chief surgeon of a department
or Independent army in the field on
June 9, 1893:
1.-The Secretary of War has approved
of the following proposition made by
the American National Red Cross So
ciety. and the chief surgeons of army
corps and divisions will cooperate
with the authorized agents Of this as
ISOLATION for the purposes indicated.
We can put any desired amount of hos
pital supplies-ice, matted milk, con-
densed milk-into any OF the volun-
teer camps in a few hours. Will you
be kind enough to bring this letter to
the attention of Secretary Alger, and
ask him if there is any objection to our
appointing a Red Cross representative
TO report TO the commanding officer
and the chief surgeons in every camp,
confer with them as to their imnledi-
ate needs. and if anything of any kind
is wanted, open the Red Cross station
and send in the supplies. We can do
this, not in a few weeks or a few
days, but in a few hours, and can fur
nish any quantity of any desired lux
ury or delicacy for hospital use. We
hereby tender our aid and put our or
ganization at the War Departments
service for cooperation in this field