New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-19
TUE sr-RcrON STATEMENT
HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE RED CROSS AND
OTHER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS

Washington. Oct. ls-Surgeon-General Sternoerg
has sent the following lette- 10 the War Depart
ment Investigating Commission:
I have the honor to transmit terewith documents
reiating to the employment OF leiidr ,ord ,
American National Red Cross and other rehef or
I, has been repeatedly charged in the newspa =
rers that / have refused to accept the assistance
~ our sick and wounded soldiers. and that as re-
suit Of this refusal! there has occn s,
F. 60 tar AS have Objected 70 the sending Of
female nurses with To9 Ssya !" re Rd e Co. h5sPa
corus in the Army OF enlisted mon. wrose quiz y
~ battie ana to care for the sick In our division
field hospitals and have been oi tne opIn'on ~
,rmnn. during active operations. but so soon as
serious sickne.. developed IN our camps ana II or
aed hospitals gladly accep'ed The services NJ ne
trained ems" nor S6s1 me wo nave employed
hen hem rom the first . =.
Fs 5d!pss hd 5s me- s8SsP P
vicps were OF great value. Very many OF the Sc
rsnra nuT,e. y the Red cross soceT o M,n
tensnaa 81 Trained Nurses Auxiliary Ne. = ana !
desire 10 sxpTG 1snse y d n fho medical
q n. Any ny Ss Sa6na Red
called me in ny I nGr IN ~ oar rs6Ds
some t,ms IN nsganSe an n oer Of a.sisaHce
ca.yAd them most courteouslv and ADVISED mem 70
,ne ,hem thst hospital .hip now being fitted
mn Tor use Of the medical department. but that II
vas no, N all improbable tNat an emergency
uould arise which would overtaI our resources.
a,d ina, in .u-h an event n hospital shin properly
eGu,nrsd having on board n corps ~ doctors and
nnrses would De most valuable AUXILIARY Fur
,beymore the American National Red Cross AsSo-
c,st,or ras rad full authority 70 send agents and
supplies 10 all camps since June ., ls9. and X
here has been suffering for want OF needed sup
niias tnev must share the responsibility with the
medical department Of the Army for such suffer
inF -, -, Observation-Disclosures.
With reference 10 the supplies furnished nv rhe
Covernren, growing out ~ the fact INIT medical
orce-. IN the reld have been very -eedy - accent
sunnlie. from relief associations. which were freely
o~ared n ni even urged upon them. rather than 20
make -eouistio- for them. The volunteer medical
officers -snecisllv appear to have had great re-
luctance 70 assume property Responsibility. and
az :. wae necessary for 'hen ~ five -eceints for
,hev preferred rule. 70 accent these supplies
relief socetiNa even when they were present
IN ample amounts Mt nrld supply depot In the i'm
MEDIATE vicinity Of their camps The agents FUR
nishlng these supplies frequently inferred. from
the fact that they readily accepted. that
they could not have been inef from tire Gov
ernn1ent Thus sheets. mosquito bars. cots clint
cal thermometers and many other a-tc'es which
are upon supply table have been literally sup
been The Intention or the medical dshartrnent
furnish these md all other articles necessary for
the cr-s OF our sick and there has been no time
since the commencement Of the war when they
couId Not have been ohtaired uno, teierra ph ic
yeouisi.or sent 70 the Sureson-C;enernl NJ the
Army ~ ,or anv reason suffclont supply was not
on ha nd n, the field supply depot.