The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-10
MILITARY SURGEONS MEET
OPENING SPEECH DELIVERED BY
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT.
Speaks Of Hardships and Dangers OF
Heaters While on Field Of
Battle.

Washington, June 5.-Before ar as
semblage that crowded the National
theatre President Roosevelt today
|cpened the eleventh annual conven-
ton Of the Association of Military Sur
geons Of the United States.
On the stage with the president
were Secretaries Moody, Root and
Shaw, General Sternberg Of the army;
Surgeon General Rixey Of the navy,
Surgeon General Wyman OF the Ma
rine Hospital service; President II. B.
Mcfarland Of the board Of commits
sioners of the District Of Columbia,
Right Rev. Henry Satterlee, bishop
Of Washington diocese Of the Episco+
pal church; President A. A. Adams Of
the Medical Society of the District
of Columbia, and Major George Hen
derson, surgeon of the National Guard
of the District Of Columbia and chair
man of the committee on arrange
ments.
When the president and party ar
rived the Marine band, under Director
Sentelman, struck up Hail to the
Chief" and the audience responded
with vigorous applause.
Bishop Satterlee delivered the in
vocation and Major Henderson then
introduced the president, who spoke
in part as follows:
Presidents Speech.
"Mr. President, ladies anu gentle
men, l am glad to have the honor to
bid welcome to the delegates of this
association and to meet as friends to-
day.
"The members of this association
combine two professions, each of
which is r%ightfully held in high honor
by all capable of ~appreciating the
} real work of men-the profession Of
) soldier and the profession of doctor.
, "The conditions in modern civiliza-
: ton tend more and more to make the
average life of the community of
great softness, m of great ease, COM
. pared to what has been the case in
Lie II pdSC, anu, 6CAC1Cu1CA, IO6CCAAOA
7 with all the advantages that have
7 come from this softening of life, this
rendering it more easy, there are GER
: tain attendant disadvantages also.
"It is a very necessary thing that
. there should be some professions,
some trades where the same demands
L are made now as have been made in
: the past upon the heroic qualities in
a man, and those demands are made
= alike upon the soldier and upon the
7 doctor, and how much more upon
: those who are beth soldiers and doc
! tors; upon the men who have contin-
ua1ly to face all the responsibilities
and all the risk faced by their broth
. ers in the civilian branch of the pro-
fession, and who also, in time of var
must face much the same risks, often
u exactly the same risks that are fac.
ed by their brothers in arms whose
q training is to kill and not to ure.
(Laughter.)
Saw Them at Work.
1T has been my good fortune, gen.
J. tlemen, to see your body at work in
the field; to see them carrying the
= wounded and dying from the line
themselves as much exposed to danger
as those they rescue, and to e them
working day and night in field hos
pitfalls when eve the intensity Of the
. strain could hardly keep them awake
SO tagged out we're they by having
each to do the work Of 10. .(Applause.)
: II welcome you here. I am glad to
n have found it absolutely ~indispensa
BILE to supplement the work Of the in
q dividual by the work OF individuals
gathered into an association. With
u out this work Of this association, you
> cannot give the highest expression tc
g the individual endeavor and it would
9 be a great misfortune if the military
members of the surgical and medical
professions did not take every ad
vantage of their opportunities in the
+ Il cn~ a uvo Il, that - fc %olxnn Inv tho mann