The Washington herald., 1916-09-12
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Best Service Column In City.

Army experts are OF the opinion that
tne recently constructed hospital train
designed for use by the United States
army, Is the finest in the world. The hos
pital train is the first ever used by the
army In this country Hospital trains
OF special design are not entirely new,
however, and a great many are now in
operation in the European zones Of war
The European trains however are said TO
De much smaller and far less elaborate
IN conception and workmanship than the
American army train.
The American train was built at the in
stance OF Col H. P. Birmingham, acting
surgeon general OF the army. Capt
Percy L. Jones, Of the Army Medical
Corps, who is on duty In the surgeon
generals office of the War Department
was In general charge Of the work of
designing and In the supervision Of the
construction. The actual construction
was done by the Pullman Company, Of
hcials OF which co-operated at all times
with the War Department.
The train 10 composed OF ten Pullman
cars: Five Of the cars were stripped of
berths, and the regular hospital beds
were installed in their places. Two of
the cars are the regulation sleepers, with
new equipment In the way of extra fans,
call bells, medicine cabinets, linen cabi-
nets, and extra water and ice tanks. One
car is fitted up as an operating room,
complete in all details. There Is also a
kitchen car, which has facilities for
providing food for more than 200 sick.
Inc remaining cars are used for the
medical department personnel The train
OF ten cars is 800 feet in length
Each car Is painted dark green and
brears the legend. Medical Department,
Z. S. Army" with the Medical Corps and
hed cross insignia. The cars for patients
nave been equipped with side doors, af-
tording ample means for taking patients
In and out on Itters. The beds are OF
the regular hospital pattern of white
enamel. and in some of the cars the up
per oerths have been removed, while in
others they have been retained and will
De usd for ambulant cases. A standard
coach improved for its new use is oper-
ated for the medical officers and the
corps personnel. The end doors Of all
cas- have been widened so as to enable
the transfer OF patients on litters from
car to car from one end OF the train TO
the other.
Capt. II. II. Baily, of the Army Medical
Corps, is in charge of the train.
The adjournment OF the first session
| OF the sixty-fourth Congress marks the
close OF a period most notable in Con-
sressional history for service legislation -
says the Army and Navy Register in its
latest issue. THE proceedings Of the
House and Senate and the attention OF
the military and naval committees were
largely directed toward what has famil-
iarly become known as preparedness. The
legislation embodied in the national de-
fense act of June 5, in the regular appro-
priaton act for Notifications, and in the
annual army, navy. sundry civil, and de-
lficiency appropriation measures may have
Its minor defects and may be open to OBJ
lection on account Of certain omissions
but a general review Of the results must
acknowledge the Congressional realiZa-
ton of the needs of the military naval
situation and a determination to meet
them.
The hearings before the House and
| Senate committees devoted to military
| and naval affairs were complete and re-
markable for the thoroughness with
which the subjects were considered ano
discussed. There were a few instances
of insufficient thought and inadeQuat t.
requirement of expert information. but
no great harm is destined to come from
these imperfections. The attitude OF the
House and Senate has from the first
| been one Of uncommon friendliness to.
ward service ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
and unexpected, since there were evi.
dences early in the session that the
| 'small-army' and the 'small-navy' fac
tions in both houses would seriously
block-though they could hardly hope tc
defeat-the plans for an improved sys-
| TEN Of national defense"