New-York tribune., 1907-12-31
HOSPITAL SHIP COMMAND.
Park Benjamin Cites Recent History OIL the
Subject.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Surgeon General Rixey says in his pub
lished statement concerning the command of hos
pital ships:
Hospital ships rule have always been eom ofa-
and civilian crew for purposes Of navigation.
1t is to be regretted that DR.. Rixey has not con-
descended a little to particulars in making TINS
assertion Hospital ships quite a recent ad-
junct and it ought not to be difficult for him to
state specific instances. Apart from the Vesseis
used by the japanese I have found only the Sol
ace employed by ourselves IN the Spanish war and
the Maine, used by the British in the Transvaai
war. The Solace was not commanded by q nieolcai
officer but by a line officer OF the navy-Corn-
mander (now Rear AdmiraD Andrew Dunlap. Ihe
Maine was an Atlantic Transport cattle ship ient
by the owning corporation. which paid the wages
of the crew. She equipped by private contrl-
button largely American, under the direction OF
Maine committee" She was a Red cross snip
sailing under four fags-the United States ensign
the British Union Jack the Red Cross pennant and
the Admiralty burgee. She was not IN any sense
naval vessel in any wise connected VIII "S
British feet. The Trbunes correspondent tJanuafy
2 1aoN saws that the staff is commanded
by Surgeon Lieutenant Colonel Hensman, OF the
British army medical service. who represents the
War Office The real commander OF 'le siilp'
aboard and directing its movements, was Lazy
Randolph Churchill whose report as such VIII po
round in The Tribune of May s. 1900. 1t contains
GO, se,,,ences as II should like give the COM
n,tttee my reasons for bringing the slip home etc.
Concerning the japanese ships, Dr. Rfxey says
that they were commanded by medical Objects AZ
ter having tried line officers Is this quite lnsenu-
GUS at least in far as IT conveys an impression
that lire officers displaced for some POSSIBLE
inferiority? Does not Dr. Rixey know-and did nc
not know before writng-that the INSTRUCTIONS W
the Russian forces ratified by the Gar ana oniS
promuigated, contain express provision iArucie
3, that the neutrality OF military hospitals ceases
ifalS
military force" Was 1t not view of this that
the change was made? And since the last Hasne
conference IS Il not understood that the ooJectioh
TO the military guard no longer prevails?
Another inference which Dr. Rxey seemingly In
ites is that the Japanese hospital ships were naval
vessels for the purpose and to the same eA-
tent as the Relief. Was that the fact There ap-
near 10 have been twenty-five japanese army nos
pital ships which made constant trips from Danny
70 Tina-a three four days Voyase-aiso TWO
Red Cross privately equipped ships and when shese
vessels proved insufficient. transports sometimes
,,,1er,,e,.ed them Dr. Louis l.. Seaman refers at
length TO these ships in his work on the japanese
medical service. ana one Will accuse MIN Oh III
fentionalIy omittng anything In support OF MS eA
trenely laudatory conclusions Yet regarding naval
rosn,tal ships he is so proyokngly silent that some
thing more about them from Dr. Rlxey might wen
be interesting TO the pubic.
In view of the resolution of "a hundred and forty
odd thousand physicians which was recently "ifeo
10 DR. Rixey and which seems TO CONSIDER mat te
eea management of hospital vessel is involved IN
the medical responsibility. might one be permitted
m ast, whether the management OF hospitals by
boards of laynen (trustees. directors, governors
etc :, or even their superntendency oy persons not
doctors in medicine. Is phenonenally unusual! Anu
may also be allowed point out, in this connec-
tton that the four great naval medical establish
erts of Great Britain, respectively At Malta, Glib
,a1tar bermuda and Hong Kong, are each COM
-,a,dad ny a line officer of the navy--two tAaIta
.-d c-ihra1tar) l1y adniirals. tHong kongG
D., = commodore and tBermuda) by a COM
snser2. And that respectively subordinate to these
,ira officers are the medical heads, namely three
medical deputy inspector generals and one feet sur
eeon9 No hospital ships are borne on the British
navy list rams
,-o 2o2 Broadway New York Dec 80, 1907 ~