New-York tribune., 1917-12-17
Reserve Doctors,
Named Long Ago,
Still Await Places
War Department to Call
Into Service Those Who
Have Sold Practices
TStnf Correspondencel

INIOW wi PV'tNN'~NNI
WASHINGTON. Dec. 16.-Hundrcds
Of physicians. commissioned in the Med
ical Officers Reserve Corps months ago,
have not yet been called into active SER
vice nor received specialized training
for service abroad.
Many Of these physicians upon re-
ceiving their commissions purchased
uniforms and Immediately prepared to
DISPOSE Of their practices and quit civil
medicine for that of the army. Some
Of them Immediately donned the olive
drab uniforms in anticipation of a call
TO active duty.
Practically alp Of them have written
the surgeon generals Office and asked
wbv they have so long been made to
spfrer the embarrassment Of beng ad-
dressed as captain" or lieutenant
and still remain purely civilians.
These facts we're revealed to-day,
when it was admitted at the Army Med-
ical Department that facilities for
training the medical reserve officers
were inadequate 20 the demands.
Throng of Volunteers
When the medical fraternity OF the
copntrv WAS first called upon at the
ortbreak Of the war by the medical
corns 20 offer their services practically
everv town and hamlet in the country
had at least one physician who desired
,o do his bit. Commissions to hundreds
If doctors were issued by the war De
nartment before training camps had
been established.
Many physicians were hurrieoly eli,
,olled in hospital units and sent aoroao
for service in British and French nos
ritals behind the lines. some were sent
70 Russia and some to Rumania' Ihese
..,ro,.o,s however were added TO the
LAS already at the fronts ana pro-
cured their training abroad. ..
Tba arrival Of Pershings troops
o,.rood made necessary the estaDIsh'
80 ~ American field hospitals, eVac-
nation hospitals and base hospltals !,
- Some graduates of the nrs'
rncd;caf officers training camps at for'
poTiomin Harrison, Indiana; for'
pHo,. Kansas. and Fort OglethoTPe
caoro,ia wore sent abroad. others were
Na,+ 20 the National Army cantonment
Co.. bospital duty, and some were at
tocbad TO the National Guard camp
,gbere the medical corps was insunl
Gent to meet the demands.
One Camp Abandoned
The advent Of winter compeiled M,ne M
medical department TO abandon tne
,ro;ninc facilities at Fort Benjamin
Jsrrieon but the facilities at Fof'
Oclethorpe were expanded TO care ioi
double the number Of doctors originally
nrovided for. The camp at Fort hile|
remained unchanged. whereas the mum
her Of doctors receiving commisslohs
continued 10 multiply. l..
The medical corps announced .o-u"!
that efforts would be made 10 call INTO
active service Immediately all reserve
officers who had arranged TO sell theIi
private practice, and that as quickly as
nroyision could be made at the tram
ing camps officers would be assigned
there for intensive training. m
Regret was expressed that facilities
we're not available for calling INTO ac'
tive duty all the reserve corps men VINO
had purchased uniforms but the state
ment was made that the army regula,
tions were somewhat elastic and did
not make compulsory the wearing OF
army uniforms by men not actually
called into the service.