Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-30
TWO OUT OF EVERY Nine
PHYSICIANS MUST SERVE
Now 10000 Of Military Age in United
States, and Fully $4,000
Will Be Needed.
sELECTIvE SYSTEM ADOPTED
They Will Be Modified So as Not
to Rob Any Community Of Proper
Medical Aid - Heaviest Demand
Made on Any Profession.

Especial to The Times-Dispatch.l
WASHINGTON. July 29.-Tweo out OF
every nine physicians OF military age
throughout the United States and It's
principal possessions will be required
for -,war service This is probably the
heaviest demand made by the war upon
any profession. but the medical men
of the country are meeting 1t readily,
according to statement from the War
Department There are In the United
States approximately 10000 physicians
Of military age-tweDty-two to fifty
fYe. year s&-hnd fu Us 1000, OF this num-
Der Will be needed perhaps more.
MoBiLIZED THROUGH
SYSTEM OF SELECTION
These professional men will be mobi-
lized through a system of selection
which will operate in Alaska, Porto
Rico and Hawaii. as well as in conti-
mental United States. and will draw
from each community contribution
proportionate to the number of avail
able physicians. but will not strip any
village of oil of It's physicians. how
ever anxious they may be to engage in
war work.
Some 10000 medical officers and CO.,
900 enlisted men in the medical and
tober !. when the national army. the
National Guard and the regular army
will all be In camp and at war strength.
These men will be trained and ready
when wanted. A detachment from each
national army regiment will reach the
cantonments ahead OF the troops to
supervise preparations necessary for
safeguarding health.
aaR
GERS and $4,000 enlisted men-must be
approximately doubled to meet the de-
mand which will be made upon their
service when troops are overseas for
battle. This order will be filed. too,
as the men are required. In other
words. before all the troops are abroad.
a total of about $4,000 medical officers
and 10000 enlisted men for medical
department work must be ready. Only
trained men will be sent with the
troops. Selections for each contingent
about to sail for France will be made
from those medical officers and men
who are best fitted to go.
FIRST 10000 NAMED
PHYSICIANS IN SIGHT
This is a measure of the task OF
training men. which the war put upon
Surgeon-General Gorgas and the medi-
cal department of the army, of which
he is the head. The. first $4,000 trained
medical officers are already in sight.
and work is being pushed now to bring
the second $4,000 under training AS
fast as shelter is ready the prospective
medical officers are going into train
ing camps-at present at the rate Of
200 day.
The tranin camps are at Fort Riley.
Kans.: Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind,
and Fort Oglethorpe. Ga, each with a
capacity of 1000 student medical Of
fcers and 800 enlisted nfen-a total
OF 2.S0o-and in addition, there are
| four ambulance companies. four field
hospitals. one evacuation hospital at
| each camp. There also is smaller
training camp for colored medical Of
| ficers and colored canitary detachments
to serve with colored troops. This Is
nt Fort Des Moines. Iva, where $50
| officers and men are under training. 1t
is being operated as part of the
training camp there for colored officers
| Of the line. A training camp for the
United States ambulance service Is To-
| Gated at Allentown. Pa. where about
$500 officers and men are taking In
structions About 1880 officers and
mon are training at all Of these camps.
and this number is rapidly being In
creased to the full training camp ca
pacity Of about $4,000.