The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-11
MEDAL FOR CHURCH
ONE OF THE HEROES OF LA GUAS.
 MAS REWARDED.
President Roosevelt Makes Presentation and Pleads for an Incrense in
 the Medical Corps of the Army.

 Washington, Jan. 10--one of the he- roes of the battle of La Guasimas, Cuba, in the Spanish American War. was rewarded today with a medal of honor conferred by Congress for con- spicuous gaIlantry in action. The re- cipient of the medal was Capt. James Robb Church. of the medical corps of the army who during the Spanish War was First Lieutenant and Assistant Surgeon of the 1st Regiment. United states Volunteer Cavalary, the Rough Riders"
 The presentation of the medal was made the occasion on account of tfe notable character of Captain Church's services of a brilliant ceremony. In the presence of distinguished assemblage including Secretary of War Taft. Lieu tenant General Chaffee, Chief of Staff. and the members of the general stan of the army, and several officers of the navy, including Surgeon General Rixey, All in full dress uniform, and members of the Executive Council of the Amer iean Medical Association.
 President Roosevelt presented the medal to Captain Church The cere- mony took place in the Presidents pri- yate office and adjoining the Cabinet room. Tn presenting the medal the President said
 "There is no distinction which con- fers a greater honor on any American in military or civil life than this--the me honor coveted above all others by every man in the military service of the United States.
 Tt was my good fortune as Colonel of the Regiment in which you served to he an eye witness to your gallantry and to bear testimony to 1t by letter to the proper authorities stating the reasons why deemed you were enti- tied to this medal of honor.
 .T wish to state. Mir. Secretary. that the letters I wrote were written be- fore I was President. Since have been President have held no commit nication whatever with the military authorities on the subject
 "cnptain Church. there could be no greater pleasure than that I now ex- perience in handing to my old com. rade and friend this medal of honor. Grasping Captain Churchs hand, the President remarked an aside:
 There is no greater comradeship than that which comes from having lived in the trenches together"
 Captain Church bowed but words evidently failed him and he accepted the medal in silence and manner more eioanent than words would have been.
 Turning then to the members of the American Medical Association, the President said with great earnestness. T want to say just a word of greet ing to you and to ask your influence on behalf of the medical corps not only of the army. but of the navy. There Is not a more exacting profession; there Is not a profession which makes greater demands on those following it and which more entities them to the gratitude of mankind than is the pro- fession which Is yours. The army sur- geon has to combine the work of your profession with the military man of the line Tn saying that want to call your attention to two specific things: one thing that Is now being done by men of your profession and need of men by your profession.
 First, the thing that is being done. All the United States is the debtor to the medical men who have accomplish ed such remarkable work on the Isth- mus of Panama You hear very loose talk about making the dirt fly in Pan- anna. Before making the dirt fly 1t was necessary to get the microbes under 1t; 1t was necessary to grapple with the mosquitoes; necessary to eradicate disease. That has been done to per- lection. We have had the foundation laid for the giant canal. Too much praise cannot be given to those who
 
 So much for thetribute for your com peers. Now as to the need of your com peers. You recollect the complaint made about hygienic conditions during the war with Spain. Complaint was made that the troops were not properly treated, etc. The blame rested not on any man then in office. but on our peo- pie as a whole. who had declined, through representatives. to make pre- vision long in advance for meeting such need.
 If we had a war break out to-mor- row and had to raise any large army, there would be an immediate break down In the medical department simply because at present our medical corps is numerically only fit to take care of about forty per cent of the regular army as it Is now. The medical corps Is not numerically fit to grapple with a campaign in which our whole army as it is. the little army at it is, should be employed. And of course If .we had to mobilize an army of volunteers. we would under present conditions have to count on widespread disaster through the shortcomings in the med ical and sanitary and hngienic arrange ment indeed inevitable by our present lack of preparation.
 The Japanese have given us a good lesson in this as in many other par
 
 army in the recent war One of the reasons why their medical department did well--the main reason---was the fact that they had an ample supply of doctors who had been practicing in time of peace in doing the duties they would have to do in war. And un- til we have provisions for an ample corps of doctors in the army so that they can be practiced in time of peace, we will not have prepared enough to prepare for the possibilities of war.
 Unless we prepare we can make up our minds that we are ourselves responsible for any disaster that oc- CUTS to any army that the United States may raise in the future: not the man who may be at the head of the army at the time. The tendency Is to attack the men in the office at the time That is utterly unjust and the people who have failed to provide the necessary means In advance. they are respon sible when disaster comes. That applies to the medical department and 1t applies to every other branch of the military institution just as much"
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