Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-07-19
GOVERNMENT TO
ASSUME CONTROL OF
NATIONS DOCTORS
Mobilization To Be Accomplished
By Enrolling All Doctors In
A Volunteer Corps
WILL DRAFT MEDICOS
IF IT is NECESSARY
O1c-Fourth OF Doctors In Active
Service Now In Army Or
Navy. Details Of Project

Yesterday eight Maryland physicians
attended the meeting of the State
committees of group two of the medi-
..I section of the Council of National
Defense at which steps were taken to-
ward enrolling doctors for government
service The group included physi-
clans from New York, Pennsylvania.
New Jersey. Delaware. Maryland. Vir-
rn.a West Virginia and the District
u. Columbia. and the Marylanders
present were Dr Thomas S. Cullen,
Dr william $. Gardner, DR. J. w. Hol-
land. Dr. Robert W. Johnson. Capt.
C. 81 Linthicum, DR. Emil Novak, DR..
Charles ODOnoyan and DR. ii. NJ.
stevenson, an of Baltimore.
40 Annapolis physicians attended.
Dr. oscar H. McNemar, of Odenton,
hIs county. is now in France, and DR..
Harry .B. CAN'T, Of Millersville, this
county was i'm London when last heard
from Other city and county physi-
clans of Anne Arundel have expressed
desire and WILLINGNESS to Ego across
and serve the government in their
official capacity. Among these are DR..
Walton H. Hopkins, who has offered
hs services TO the government and
will leave for overseas in the fall if his
uifcs health permits; DR.. J. j. Muir
phy Chief of stan OF the Emergency
Hospital. and Dr J. Oliver Purvis.
About 1000 applications from the
States in the Atlantic group had been
received The committees passed ia
voably upon Volunteer Medical Serv-
,a Corps applications as follows:
New York. 95; Pennsylvania. 245;
New Jersey 40; Delaware, 3; Mary
land 36, Virginia %: West Virginia,
ID. District of Columbia, 5. Consid-
Grafton of the other applications was
deferred pending receipt of further
Information
Doctors accepted in the Volunteer
Medical Service Corps, who are to
have distinctive shield-shaped badge,
which has been approved by the Coun-
,l of National Defense, are to hold
themselves i'm readiness TO take up any
duty asked of them by the central gov
urnuE board i'm response to requests
from the surgeons general of the
\rmy Navy, Public Health Service,
General Medical Board of the Council
of National Defense or from other duly
authorized departments or assoCia-
Uous
The government is about TO assume
control of the entire medical profess
sion i'm the United States to obtain
sufficient doctors for the fast growing
army. and mt the same time to distrib-
ute those remaining to the localities
or services where they are most need
ed for civilian work.
This mobilization is to be accom-
pashod either by enrolling all doctors
in a volunteer service corps under
pledge TO accept whatever service.
military or civilian, is assigned them
by The governing body of the corps,
or IF The voluntary plan is not sue
gossluI 10y legislation providing for
drafting them into government serv-
Ice NcdiCa officers of the government
believe compulsory conscription will
Ua. he necessary.
orgauization plans for the volunteer
medical service corps already have
been made and enrolment started in a
.." States under authority of the
Council of National Defense. Instead
o. enrolling i'm thi scorps only those
physicians not suitable for military
service either because of age. physi-
go. ndrmity dependency. or institu-
"E4l or public need, as planned at
present. the government is expected
shortly TO throw open the membership
go al doctors, and to bind them with
pledge during the present emer-
-tacy TO accept service. military or
civilian wherever. whenever and for
Whatever duty he may be called by
." Central Governing Board"
Under this projected plan, the Army
and Navy would take those physicians
and surgeons best fitted for active
Duty and who can be spared from