Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-13
DIR, W,C,SPEAKM
WAR WORK PRAISED
DR.. Mckay of Washington, in Talk
Before M. P. Club, Tells OF
Service to Wounded Soldiers.

DIR. James G.. Mckay of washington,
u. C.. former president of the Associated
University of Pennsylvania Clubs ot the
World and colonel of United Statcs
Medical Corps during twenty-two months
service in France. WAS guest oil the
University of Pennsylvania Club OF Will
mington at a smoker in the Hotel du Pont
last night.
While addressing a large and enthus-
iastic assemblage Dr. Mckay described
dental and medical work In the war and
praised DIR. William &. Speakman, a
member of the University of Pennsyl-
vsnia Club of Wilmington.
"A United States Senator, one OF the
most powerful i'll Washington, who was
very earnest and strong in the prosecution
of the war, told me, DIR. Mckay sad
"he WAS impressed most by the story of n
dentist ne had heard at reception give
bv the University of Pennsylvania Club
Of Washington to members going over
seas. The dentist gave a description OF
the marvellous work done on the lsoes and
heads of French soldiers whose features
had been horribly torn and sometimes
entirely blasted away by she'll fire, and
the recital showed the Senator the necoS-
sitv tor thorough preparedness, especially
along professional lines. ~,
Then recalled the story OF Dr. VII
liam c. Speakman, the modest dentist,
who visited Washington In the spring. oi
1917 and said to me at luncheon IN abc
University Club:
al have lust come back from FranI1c,
with my heart torn with sympathy ioi
horrible class of wounds. | stood on lhc
streets of Paris and heard crowds chIor
men who lost arms aud legs III doicnsd ot
their country and saw the samo CROWDS
turn away with loathlng and disgust from
soldiers, no less brave, whose faces and
features had been horribly torn or totally
iishgured, probably IN the Same action
lmpelled by sympathy, joined LIT VIII
liam Davenport, also a University ot
Pennsylvania dentist, at the American
Ambulance IN Paris, which did repair
work on those poor fellows with marvellous
results, IN most instances actually re-
storing or making close tonormal faces
and features which would have been
objects of loathng to wife and children.
I have at my home, in Wilmington,
hundreds of casts and pictures Of cases
before. during and after the repair work.
and | would like to place them IN the
hands OF someone through whom their
lessons might be beneficial 20 our own
boys.
Il took DR.. Speakman over to the
surgeon-general's Office and explained 70
my friend, the assistant surgeon-genoral,
the object Of our visit. As there had been
no American observers with the allied
armies the assistant surgcon-general glad
~ accepted the casts and pictures, which
made valuable addition TO the museum
IN the surgcon-generals Office DR.. Speak
man, with characteristic modesty, stated
he did not ask compensation for the
articles. but wanted to put them where
they would be useful.
ION subsequent trips to Washington
Or. Speakman iectured to the Army
Medical School, under the auspices Of the
office, on the subject
hi. heart, and his lectures were the
actual basis Of large part Of the pre-
paredness and astonishing efficiency of
the dental and medical departments
during the war both before and after
America entered the conflict.