Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-29
seon general again in few months"

| Seon-scneral again In few months"
a base hospital. DR.. GclsinEcr cX-
planned, Is an institution organized UNI
der the patronage of the Red Cross
by which organization IL is delivered
10 the government at the pleasure of
the War Department. When II is called
into service by order of the Secretary
OF War. but not until then. its enlis, ed
personnel is mustered in and becomes
part OF the regular army. The Medi-
cal, College OF Virginia Base Hospital
has not yet been called into service and
hence at this moment il has no official
status, though IL is sanctioned by the
government and subsequently will be
used by II. An appreciation of these
facts is necessary to an understanding
OF the situation which has developed.
heretofore. enrichment in base hos
pitfalls and hospital units has been made
in the authorized class, known as ZEN
listed reserve" but by recent order
this branch of the service has been
abolished In spite of this IL was tho
general understanding in Richmond
that persons attached to the base hos
pital would be perfected from assign
ment to duty elsewhere so that the in
teGrity of the hospital would be main
tanned in the interim between the date
Of enlistment and the date of actual
can into service. On this assumption
base hospitals In Virginia and through
out the country have been taking in
men subject to draft, along with others
ana expecting TO hold them During
the past week number OF well-known
young men of Richmond and other
cities in the State have become enrolled
in the Richmond unit the list including
lawyers. numerous college graduates
pharmacists, clerks and others, all of
whom were anxious to become orderlics
in the hospital Quite number of
these men were subject to draft. but
no particular concern was felt about
this as there appeared 10 be a dispo-
sition i'll local military and other in
iiuential circles to regard membership
In the hospital personnel as adequate
ground for exemption. AS a matter OF
fact. chairmen of several exemption
boards had expressed willingness to
exempt upon proper certification OF
such membership.
WILL. BECOME MEMBERS
OF ARMY WHEN MUSTERED IN
To determine the precise powers of
the hospital in this direction an invcs-
tiEation was made yesterday in Wash
inEton. and to the disappointment of
those Interested in the work it was
asccrtained that the supposed author
ity did not exist. When the base hos
pital is mustered into service in the
late fall or early winter all its at
taches will become members of the
army and free OF danger from subse-
0uent drafts, but between now and
then all who are summoned else
where under the draft will be COM
PEELED to go. Hence 1t has boom de-
tcrmincd 10 release Immediately all
who are now drafted. and notice to this
effect will be sent out to the member
ship at once. Those not subject to
draft at All. and those SO far down on
the list as to make is unlikely that
they will he drafted for a long time
will be retained and the enlistment Of
these will he actively continued.
Should it happen that n subsequent
draft will intervene before the hos
pital is called out any others who may
he summoned will in turn be released
but after the formal mastering in of