Evening star., 1939-05-09
War impossible
As Military Medicine
Aces Meet
Formidable Countries
Send Key Men to
ConcIove Here

II Lloyds Of London wants tC
make a bet, here 1t is: The odds are
completely against any European
war while members Of the 10th In
ternational Congress of Military
Medicine and Pharmacy meet IN
Washington.
The reason?
Eight key men Of the German
Army Medical Corps and a like
number of key men from the French
Army Medical Corps are here to at
tend the convention, along with key
men from the medical corps Of other
armiesAnotably those Of Great Brit
ain and Italy.
As an American Army medical Of
ficer-who could not, of course, be
quoted for publication-said:
"You just couldn't take an army
in the field without the key men of
the medical corps-and they are all
here from the nations of Europe
that are in any way formidable
Reporter Looks About.
So the reporter took trip around
convention headquarters at the Will
lard to find out who is who.
Germany has an admiral and two
generals here-Admiralartz DR.. A.
Fikentscher, who is in charge of
sanitary regulations for the marine
section of the nation, and 1t. Gen.
Friedrich Won Boetticter and Gen.
Prof. DR.. Waldmann, who look after
the health Of the army.
Italy sent over Senator Count
Aldo Castellani di Chisimaio, with
Gen. Loreto Maxzetti. chief of the
Italian Army Medical Service, and a
detachment of officers including
Gen. Arturo Tobia.
France matched all other nations
by sending its Medical Inspector
Gen. Armand Raous Savornin,
who is president of the Committee
for the Consultation of Health, in
spector general of the health service
and minister of the national defense
in time of war. The French delega-
ton to the convention is made up of
10 key men in the military and naval
services-and most of them are
noted doctors, dentists and phArma-
cists. Hardly any of them could be
absent in the event OF war.
English Commodore Here.
The same goes for Great Britain.
The British sent over their air COM
modore, H. E. WhittinghAm, who
probably holds more titles than any
man on the mission and whose
duties are to supervise the hygiene,
pathology and aviation medicine for
the Royal Air Force. Surg. Capt.
H. E. r. Stevens and Mai. William
s. Stevens are outstanding members
Of the delegation.
Incidentally, aviation medicine is
the theme song Of this gathering of
celebrated medical men from the
outstanding armies of the world.
Though none of them will talk for
publication they admit privately
that the next war-which they hope
to make as humane as possible-will
take a great toll of life from the
air. Nor will the airmen themselves
escape damage. even if they are not
shot. Their nerves will 60 to pieces
because of the terrific speed, the
high attitudes that must be accom-
plished and the long, sustained
flights.
U. S. Opens Research Exhibit.
To show the visiting medical men
just what the American Army and
the Navy have accomplished in the
research field "the finest exhibit of
its kind ever staged in this country
was opened in the Willard Hotel yes
terday morning." according to
Comdr. Charles Stevenson, o. S. N.
With so many different uniforms
in evidence, naturally the talk
around convention headquarters
centers around the possibility of Z
war in Europe-and what would
happen If war were declared.
The answer Is that Lloyds can
win its bet:
There1l be no war while the med
ical men are away.
And you might say" one Of
them admitted, "there'n be no war
until many months after the doc
tors get back home-because they
will all have to take vacations to
rest up from this strenuous trip to
America"