Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-08
The housing was furnisha6 ~ sanfaas

loaned BY the United States d6verh-
ment from its Philadelphia depot and
Of the Gnited States States Medical a pepsrt.
the command Of Major Harold W. W. jones' jones'
and administrative ability the success
or the camp was largely due.
Base hospitals being semi ;permanent
organizations, when once established are
usually housed in either permanent or
Temporary buildings. and only under
Damp Illustrated in an instructive man nan
need which does not AFFORD time for the
81 r ss' sr. :: s:s
When !. Is ssated sSa. ss e. ssRssSs IN
venience Of administration permitted.
covered GOV. an area 1000 feet long and 500
feet broad Dad. being oyer II acres in extent
mont Plateau in Paramount Park. was
an ideal one in all respects. While hous-
ing in tents IL not perfect condition
for so large and sedentary an organiza-
tion as base hospital, it will serve the
purpose until better accommodations can
be pr. PROVIDED - Good surgery is not a
to the distinguished members of the
PROFESSION who visited Base Hospital
No; that 1t was then ready to receive
Deficiencies of detail existed, but none of
them was serious and all could have
ben quickly remedied while the hospital
A most excellent and carefully worked out
plan OF base hospital construction in portable
Illustrated by beautiful models which will be
taken to Washington for further study and for
exhibition by the Red Cross. This portable
house construction was devised by DR.. George
+. Brewer, Director of Base Hospital No.
presbyterian Hospital, New York City,, and
his assistant. DIR. Sidney r. Burnsp Adjutant
of that unit.
The mobilization of this hospital marks an
epoch in Red Cross development as concerns
its obligations to assist the medical service of
the armed forces IN time OF war IL is the hrst
practical and concrete demonstration of the
ability of the Red Cross to do this. 1t takes
the scheme of Red Gross military units as a
part of the medical service out of the domain
of theory, into that of accomplished fact. The
cost of this mobilization was in all S5.o35.T5.
The freight on equipment, and incidentals,
$355l5. was paid for by the New York Chap
ter.
the question arose as 10 the relation between
them and the Chapters in the cities where
they We're So large pscuh ma, y, assistance
naturally arose, should they not have con.
trolling voice in the selection of the officers of
the unit and the details of organization II
seemed however, unwise to authorize this, be
these units are military in character and
require the direct supervision OF a military
and nursing stats would desire and expect that
the direct control would he of a professional
character. 1t decided. therefore, tndl thB
relation of the Chapter to a unit would be
that of a big sister. close and cordial, but
without parental authority.
With reference to the purchase by Red
Cross Chapters. or by patriotic individuals.
of equipment for Red Cross units, the question
next arose if these units when called INTO ser
vice should not he furnished the standard reg
ulation Medical Department equipment by the
government. Theoretically, it is undoubtedly
the duty Of the ha S been d 1"s
in time of peace, and after war has begun
the difficulties in the way OF purchasing snch
equipment promptly and of sufficient quantity
and quality almost insuperabic. Great
delays are inevitable IN the equipment OF every
department of large armies dnring war. 80,
equipped in time OF peace is because to h"
prepared for war, the military cStablishmcnt
needs a vast number of costly things whlch
in our country have never been provided IN
time of peace in sufficient quantity TO bring
respectable army promptly INTO The held Inc
Ordnance Department needs great store OF
rifles cannon and munitions; the Quarter
master department needs tentage, clothing.
and transportation and all that goes to the
provided before have an army. and
naturally take precedence over provision FOR
come to provision fSt the latter, the Medical
Department has first to equip IS held units,
which operate in tn" zone of the irnnt ~ Ina mas
in time OF peace, in sufficient quantity to nave
1.-The mobile medical units of the army ready
for war. Therefore. the question OF equipplnc
the organizations of the second zone. tuch aS
base hospitals has never yet been taken mp
by the. Medical Department; and these nave
never before been provided before tho begin
ming of war although they become then imine'
diately necessary.
We found last summer that after he money
was provided. without any OF the restrictions
of military red tape, and in time OF peace II
took about four months to get together w
equipment of Base Hospitals Nos, and :. III
New York. In time OF war. when AL mar
kets are upset. the channels of trade diverted
and the different departments of The Govern
of cotton for explosives. for tentaGe, and ci%n-
ing. and for hospital supplies; base hospitals
rapidly as in time OF peace: iheFeloFe ".
are TO have our base hospitals ready to take
care of soldiers when war comes we must
equip them in time OF peace
1t is perfectly idle -aah useless To complain
of Congress in this respect Hongres, dSeS nov
and as long as the fighting branch lacks many
things these will be asked for n pr6'9rHn",
to base hospital equipments for The medI'ai
The most logical aud well-founded theories
do not equip hospitals or relieve the sunrr'
ss 81 obtains &
Gent appropriations to accumulate the equln'
ment of base hospitals in time OF peace, J., !,
equipped by private benevoence In order 10
be ready to relieve the sufferngs Of our soldiers
when the calamity of war comes.
The limitation of base hospitals to the larger
civil hospitals of the country has deprived
many institutions of smaller size throushout
desire, to organize Red Cross units. Numer.
Gus applications for authority to organic nos
pital units have been received by the Red Cross
directly and by the War Department. which
has in all cases referred them to this Office
In order TO meet these demands ana mus
make n more extensive mobilization of the
hospital facilities of the country, it has been
determined to ask the War Department 70
authorize smaller units Of about one.half me
size of the base hospital. to be known as RIOS
pital Units: and Surgical Sections. consisting
of small group of operating surgeons ana
surgical nurses, forming a group about one
half the size of the Hospital Unit. These were
provided for in draft of revision OF IT
cular g. War department tS. U. VI Sse
TENDER 10, 1912, which was IN many otner
respects defective and obsolete. Therefore D.
radical revision of this circular has been pre-
Pared BY this office and the Surgeon Gen
erals Office in collaboration. II has been the
special effort of this Office in the revision to
give the definite military status to Red ,ross
Volunteers. when brought INTO me militarE
service which is necessary for their useiuiness
and their contentment. 1t is UNDERSTOOD that
this new Order has been approved IN sun
stance and its issue is expected before the
middle Of January. -.
The Ambulance Company is another impor-
tant military unit which was authorized nh
der the old War Department Order CClrcmlar
& S G. o. under the designation Field
Column" II is the sick-transportlng agenr!
between the zone of the front and the oase
hospital 1t has seemed especially appro-
pria,e and desirable that these units be or
ganized in connection with the universtirS
and colleges Of the country, the cost OF eanip