The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-13
CANAL WORK SUITS PRESIDENT
TELLS DOCTORS' MEETING 1T rs
BEING ADMIRABLY DONE.
Every Little Check \ Reason for Alter.
ing and lettering Plans Praises Gen.
Woods Work In Cuba and Says Ma
ton Cannot Sufliclently Repay Him.

OYSTER BAY, July H.-lhe Associated
Physicians of Long Island at their annual
meeting here to-day in the high school
building had for their chief speaker Presi-
dent Roosevelt.
The President bestowed great praise
upon the medical profession particularly
In its work of blazing the way for the new
Panama Canal. But the most interesting
part of the speech was the defense of Major
Gen. Leonard Wood, which vigorously
contradicts all the recent sumptions that
the Ma General has lost favor.
The President compared Gen. Wood to
Lord Cromer in Egypt and maintained
that in this country there is no way Of re-
warding sufficiently man like Wood.
At the close of the meeting there was an
informal reception and the President shook
hands with every one of the $50 physicians
present. In the meeting that followed the
President, Gen. Wood and Dr. George Henry
Fox, professor in the College of Physio ans
and S rye Jns Of Col mb.a, we're elected
honorary members Of the society.
rhe Presidents address in full follows:
Mr.. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE Asso-
CITATION, FRIENDS AND NEIaHBoRs: l needed
no invitation to come before you to-day.
All needed was permission. As soon as I
learned that this association was to meet
in our village felt that must take advan-
tage Of the opportunity to say word OF
greeting TO you In person.
"Of course, it is almost needless to say
that there is not and cannot be any other
lay profession the members Of which oc-
cupy such a dual position, each side OF
which is OF such importance, for the doctor
has on the one hand to he the most thor.
oughly educated man in applied science
that there is in the country, and on the
other hand, as every layman knows. and
as doubtless many layman In the circle
OF acquaintance Of each of you would gladly
testify, the doctor gradually becomes the
closest friend to more different people
than would be possible in any other pro.
fession.
"The feelings that man has toward the
one human being to whom he turns. either
in time Of sickness for himself, or, what Is
far more important, in the time OF sickness
Of those closest and dearest to him, cannot
but be Of a peculiar kind.
He cannot but have feeling for him
such as ne has for no other man. The
doctor must, therefore, to the greatest
degree develop both sides OF his nature
develop his nature along the two sides Of
his duties, although in the case Of any other
man you would call him mighty good
citizen il he developed only on one side.
The scientific man who is really first
class scientific man has claim upon the
gratitude of all the country. Any man
who is first GLASS neighbor and IL always
called in time OF trouble by his neighbors
has an equal claim upon society at large.
But the doctor has both claims.
yet, In addition to filing both Of these
functions he may All many other functions.
He may have served in the civil war. he
may have rendered the greatest possible
service to the community along any one Of q
dozen different lines.
Take, for instance, just what Is being
done in one Of the great works. OF this ooun-
try at the present time-digging the Panama
Canal. That is a work that only q big
nation could undertake or that big nation
could do, and it is a work for all mankind.
And the condition precedent upon success
in that work il having the proper type OF
medical work as preliminary basis. That
Is the first condition upon the meeting OF
which must depend our success in solving
the engineering and administrative prob
lens Of the work itself l am happy to
say that the work is being admirably done.
and / am particularly glad to have this
chance Of saying it.
Now and then some alarmisb report
will come from Panama. Just . couple
of weeks ago there seemed to be success
sion Of people coming up from Panama,
each one Of whom had some tale Of terror
to tell.
I'LL A. u t. k,oxk
il it is a victorious battle, that In the rear
you meet number Of gentlemen who are
glad that they are not at the front; who.
if they have unfortunately gotten at the
front, have come away and who justify
their absence from the front by telling
tales Of how everything has gone wrong
there.
1Now the people that fee from Panama
will carry up here just such stories as the
people that fee from the forefront Of .
battle carry to the rear With them. The
people to whom this country owes and we'll
owes go much are those who stay down
there and do not talk, but do their work.
and do it well.
Now, OF course, In doing great work
like that in the tropic, In a region which
until this Government took hold Of 1t was
accounted to be a region exceptionally
unhealthy, we are going to have trouble,
have some yellow fever, have a good deal
of malarial fever. and suffer more from the
latter than from the yellow fever, although
we will hear nothing like the talk about it.
we will have, every now and then.
troubles as regards hygiene. just as we
will have trouble in the engineering prob
lens just as occasionally we will have
troubles in the administrative work. When
ever any OF these troubles come there will
be large number of excellent but timid
men who will at once say what an awful
calamity 1t is, and express the deepest
sorrow and concern, and be rather in
cined to the belief that the whole thing is o
failure.
1T will not be failure. j. will be
SUCCESS; and it will he a Success because
we shall treat every little check not as Il
| reason for abandoning tie work but az
| reason for altering and lettering our plans
| so as to make it impossible that that par
| ticular check shall happen again. What is
being done in Panama ia but sample Of
| the things that this country has done during
| tho last few wears Of the things in which