The labor world., 1921-12-10
DIR. LOEENZ AND THE s'UNION.''

DR.. LOEENZ AND THE "UNION.
The Doctors union is trying to make
trouble for Dr. Lorenz, the Austrian
bloodlcss orthopedic surgeon, who is
now visiting in America, and while
here is treating the deformities Of
children. His speciality is mendins
hips out of joint since infancy. Hun
lrcds of crippled children called On
him and were treated at New York.
lie has received invitations from
hospitals in other cities to visit them,
offering their facilities to him and
urging him to make his headquarters
there. Among the invitations sent to
Dir. Lorenz was one from the general
hospital cf Minneapolis.
Now comes the Doctors union with
a protest. Objection is made to the
publicity he is getting, which is in
violation Of the rules Of the "union.'
Professional men call it "violation of
"cthics. He didn't deposit his
"ur;on'' card from tho Vienna Meli-
Medical society, as a result Of which
applications to permit DR.. Lorenz to
h"!d clinics in Chicago hospitals have
Ecen turned down.
\ statement issued BY the ortho
rcdc branch of the Doctors union
of Chicago declares that while Dr..
I.orcnz claims he came to America TO
"p2.v back this country for help given
starving Austrian chiIdren,' he has
admitted in letters to friends that the
reason is to retrieve his personal for
tunes.
The "uni3n' opposes his work in
America 'because Chicago doctors
look with disfavor On newspaper no
torietv of the loose, sensational type;
because of the danger Of arousing hys
terra among cripples, leading to bitter
disappointment if they are not cured;
because results obtained by American
surgeons were just as good, and that
if DR.. Lorenz can put it over it will
not be long before similar visits can
be expected from foreign representa-
tives Of other medical lines
The "union' points out that no
European nation recognizes the right
of an American physician to practice
there. 1t declares that when Dr.. john
r. Murphy performed his famous "but.
tom operation in Rome he was forced
to operate on dog. It claims that
doctors have noted results of Dr.. Lor-
eng $ operations (which they were
glad they were not responsible for.'
In any event the Doctors union says
that American hospitals shall not be
open to DR.. Lorenz, the non union doc
tor from Vienna, and that settles it. Un-
less the miraculous happens he's
through in this country
There s a job for the National As,
soclation Of Manufacturers and the
various citizens alliances which prate
so loudly about the "rights Of the
individual Talk about the "closed'
shop7 Labor unions can hold a can.
die to the Doctors union or the Law
ycrs' union. Both are air tight. Il
would take a war "tank' to breaI:
through their closed doors.
If Dr.. Lorenz had been a working
man instead of surgeon, all he would
have to do would be to exchange his
Vienna union card for an American
union card and 60 to work. OF course,
we would expect him to conform with
our working rules, and therefore, we
I are not quarreling with the Doctors
union for demanding that he adhere
to professional ethics, but we have a
right to expect Of the American doc
tors that they be consistent and con-
cede to the workers in their unions the
same rights they have taken unto them
/ selves.
2 We would be ashamed of any regu-
lar physician we know who would join
with the Citizens Alliance to defeat
the lawful purpose Of the workers in
maintaining union shop to uphold the
=. standards of labor What is good fer
the professional! goose ought to be good
for the Industrial gander.
SHOOTING ON SIGHT!'
Everyone wants the mails prot tectel