The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-01-03
UP TO "uNcLE JOE"
White Mountain Bill Not the Only I'm.
portant Measure He Il Holding Up.

Il
Plainly enough, the bill providing 70
mountain and southern Appalachian r.
which Speaker Cannon Is blamed for hold
ing back. There il the bill for the reoi
ganization Of the army medical depart
ment, which has twice passed the Unites
States senate and has been twice reporte,
favorably by the military committee o
the house Of representatives. II has haf
the unqualified Endorsement OF the Ameri
can Medical association and other profes
sional bodies, and President Roosevelt, il
a special message, has said: II earnestly
recommend its passage by the present
congress. II the medical department Il
left as II is, no amount OF wisdom OF
efficiency in its administration would pre-
vent complete breakdown in the event
rotary Of war, in transmitting the bill Ia
congress. said II believe il TO be Of the
utmost Importance in securing a proper
and efficient medical corps" Secretary
Root has officially approved Of II, and
Senator Blackburn, speaking in the SEN
ate, has pronounced IL "the best bill the
combined effort OF the general staff, the
| secretary OF war, the surgeon-general OF
the army, and the military affairs com.
mittee OF the senate is able TO produce"
Speaker Cannon, however, is understood
TO have assumed an unfavorable attitude
toward this bill, and friends Of the long.
obstructed Appalachian forest reserve
measure know the inevitable effect of his
assuming such an attitude. The Medical
Record, which usually contents itself with
discussing matters essentially and exclu.
sively professional, appears for once TO
have been driven by sheer loss Of patience
to the free and ungloved handling of
semi-political subject. OF the army medi-
cal department reorganization bill, it says:
Speaker Cannon holds position which
gives him the parliamentary power, ire
spective Of moral right, TO disregard the
expressed wishes OF the senate, president,
of the war department, and
he medical profession of this country. |
Whether his personal preferences should |
outweigh the combined wisdom |
Of those best qualified to Judge in this |
matter, need not here he considered. The |
political atmosphere has, however, con-
siderably, clarified of late, and opposition
10 this bill can no longer operate in Sc.
rret, nor can it becloud the final issue OF
The physicians and citi-
,ens of this country ought plainly TO I'M
ierstand that il this most necessary meas
IRE fails to pass, the responsibility for
my medical breakdown in the army, with
consequent avoidable sickness and suffer
ng Of American soldiers and grief in
American homes, will rest directly and en-.
irely with the Honorable Joseph G.. Can
ION of Illinois, speaker of the house Of
representatives.
The health of the japanese soldiery
Turing the Russo-Japanese war has not
et ceased to excite wonder throughout
he civilized world. II was one OF the
cry important factors in the success of
he japanese arms. The organization of
he medical department is said to have
,een well.nigh perfect. The belief is
herished in some quarters that the next
'ar in which the United States engages
ill he with Japan. How soon or late
his may come, not even the most self
efficient seer seriously pretends to know.
may never come. In any event, the
Obey OF the United States has generally
cen one Of preparedness for the unex.
ected; and responsibility through OBJ
inacy or otherwise, for a departure from
nat policy would be very heavy for one
air OF shoulders TO bear-even though
nose shoulders might belong to Speaker
Union.