The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-03-16
GORGAS WANTS
70 GENERALS IN
MEDICAL CORPS
He Leads Fight Against
Baker. General Staff and.
War College.
APPEALS TO CONGRESS
Line Officers Accused Of Over
riding Distinguished Doc
tors in Service.
APPEALS TO CONGRESS
Special Dsspatch TO TUE SrN.

WAsHINGroN. March l5.-Ritter con-
tention has arisen in army circles over
the question OF reconStructing the Army
Medical Reserve Corps, according to
evidence introduced to the Senate Mill
tary Affairs Committee to-day. A l,pe
OK cleavage las developed in the army
medical service. and the President has n
new fight on his hands with Secretary
Baker. the General stan and the War
College apparently lined up against Sur
geon-General Gorgas. who has the rank
Of Major-General: DR.. c. II. Mayo. for
merly Of Rochester, Minn.. now Major
In tho army. and DR.. Franklin Martin.
head Of the Division OF Sanitation In the
Council Of National Defence.
This cleavage has crystallized in the
demand Of Gen. Gorgas for authority to
raise the rank OF medical officers be-
yond that o. Major to give such officers,
many OF them distinguished medical
men. equal II not superior rank TO
officers Of the line. Gen. Gorgas would
have the grade OF these medical officers,
carried up as high as Major General.
velops. lies in the fact that rcoommen- l.
datons made by distinguished physI-
clans and sanitarians in Gen. Gorgas's
corps holding only The rank OF Ma jor
have been overruled by their superiors
In the line. 1t Is reported that Presi-
dent Wilson in this new embroglio en-
phatically sympathixes with Gen Gorgas
and his following despite the fact that
Secretary Baker and the General Stan
are opposed to the plan. In this situa-
tion apparently lies the first sign OF dis
cord between Mr.. Wilson and his War
Secretary.
Involved in Contention.
Among the men involved in this con-
tention and who Gen. Gorgas desires to
raise to much higher rank than that OF
Major. which they nav enjoy. are some
OF the most famous medical men I'm the
country. This list includes such men
as the Mayo brothers of Rochester
MINI. DIR. George w. Grille. Cleveland
DR.. John b. Walker, New York ORA.
William III. Welch and John II. T. Fin
ney. bsbtispor0S DR.. William sBlaoU, New
York; nr. Frank Billings. Chicago. who
had II practice OF over 5000, 900 year
DR.. Frederick Besley. Chicago; Or.
George l.. Brewer. New York, and DR..
Joseph Marshall Flint, Yale Medical
School.
Many of these are now with Gen. Per-
shing's army. Some OF them are Lieu
tenant -Co!onels in the National Army.
The highest rank allowed in the Ma
tional Army is that of Colonel. A ma
1ority OF them. however. including the
Mayo brothers. are only Majors, the
highest rank allowed In the Medical Re.
serve Corps. In the French and Rritisl,
services are medical men whose stand
ing is much lowe% professionally. and
yet who are Major-Generals and Briga-
er-Generals.
That the controversy was in full
swing at >the War Department was
clearly disclosed to-day when Surgeon
General Gorgas carried his fight to the
Senate committee despite strenuous op-
position from his civilian superors and
the General Staff His appeal before the
committee was for the immediate pas
sage OF bill now. pending, designed to
give the Medical Corps increased pres
t!ge by advancing the relative rank OF
medical officers. This bill would also
give their recommendations as to health
and sanitation more authority.
Protest IL Received.
While Gen. Gorgas. DR.. Mayo and DR.
Martin were giving their testimony be-
fore the Senate committee to-day let.
ter was received by Acting Chairman
Hitchcock from Assistant Secretary OF
War Rendick Crowell protesting agains,
the favorable consideration Of the very
measure which they had come to advo.
cate. The Crowell letter showed plainly
the split in the War Department
The Assistant Secretary OF War held
that to enact the measure which ad
vances the rank of medical officers tt
meet similar ranks Of surgeons and sani
tary experts In the ranks of the allied
armies would disrupt and unbalancs
rank throughout the army. The con
flict which the presentation Of the medi
cal experts side of the question and the
Assistant Secretary's letter created st
confused the committee with regard &c
the merits OF the bill that II declined
to take action without further seriou:
consideration OF the entire matter. The
bill was taken under advisement.
The medical rank bill was INTRODUCED
by Senator Owen (Oklahoma). who alss
appea red before the committee to urge &
favorable report. 1t provides for III
increase in the number of officers in the
higher grades to meet the same ratio a.
that existing in the United States Navy
Approximately seventy officers in HI
Medical Corps would acquire the grade
Continued on Third Page.