The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-16

the address of Major Thomas J. Bannigan before the Lions club of this city last week takes on new significance. It was delivered in the majors usual sincere and Expressive manner. 1t might be cautioned What Price Prepared messy, The Futility of War! or The Price of Peace. It was built on the speakers personal experience as a World War veteran and as manager of the U. s. Veterans hospital at NewingtOn, rated as one of the finest in the country in management.
 Connecticut contributed 6O,OOO of her sons to the great World War. Now in 194O-22 years after : the Armistice-scOres are still be- ing hospitaiized. All over the country Uncle Sam is building bigger hospitals to care for the in- creasing number of ex-Servicemen in need of care and treatment. The major knows the price veter- ans are paying today. He be- Heves in peace. And being prac- tical veteran he advocates pre- parednesS. So as COnnecticutS youth once more becomes service Z conscious, Major Bannigan's ad- dress may be read with keener ap- preciation. It reflects the thoughts of a man, who sees, studies and thinks! In part his address was follows:
 q know you have a heart interest in our Veterans Hospital in New ington, for many of your Waterbury boys have come to us over the years for tender care and treatment. We have an outstanding record of humane service there since the hos pital opened, nearly ten years ago. AS of today, PAT patients are in the hospital: the number of patients admitted since the opening is IT, sos: the total number out-patients examinations given is 82,891; the total number out-patient treat ments received is 104,449; the num- Der major operations performed 4,584; minor operations, 3,562. Our mortality remains the same since the hospital opened a little over per cent and we have not lost pa tient on the operating table. not withstanding the fact that han o1 our cases have been surgical.
 States Gift to Nation
 Connecticut's human gift to the Nations cause, in time of martial stress. is worthy of note. Over 60,- 900 of her sons answered the cal to arms in the World War; almost 2OOO of them made the supreme sac rifice and 4000 were wounded 1T action. At the Veterans Administra- ticn in Newington, we handle tht cases of Connecticut veterans Wht saw service in the World War anc were wounded, or incurred disabll' ities during such service. We alst handle the claims of dependents o Connecticut World War veteran who have died. It is interesting to note that act ual compensation and pension pay ments to Connecticut World Wa veterans and their dependents dur ing the month of September, 194O totaled $235, ,715.26. In the state O Connecticut 13,251 men are insure; with the U. s. Government, thei insurance in force amounting t' $51 ,573, $500.
 The records indicate that ou Facility at Newington has been abl to render our veteran patients out standing service. These activitie are not recounted as an emphasis t our accomplishments, for our mis sion. happily, has no regard for rec ords of achievement, or credit 10 things well done, except as they ex press results in terms of benefit enjoyed by those whose privelege l is ours to serve. They tell, however A vivid story of service, that choult be of interest to all, who are sincere ly concerned in the veterans wei fare. and satisfy our present ant prospective beneficiaries, that tn most generous and gigantic relic system of all time is functionlni ceaselessly, imposingly in their be half.
 The terrific experiences many O our veterans have gone through has undermined the resistance O most of those who served. AS Medlca authorities state, they are still break ing down and the peak of our men tai cases will not be reached unti 1945.
 Uncle Sam Grateful
 The government has endeavoret to meet her obligations to thos' veterans so far and I am conf1den will continue to do so, and we, toe must be ever mindful of the sacri fees they made and endeaver t. fulfill their hopes, that they an their loved ones will be adequate! cared for. God forbid that we vii ever be called upon to go thro' an other World War. The terrible Sacri flee of that conflict still fingers i our memory. This is shown from tn late information received from ou Washington office. The Veterans Administration had charge of tn greatest chain of hospitals ant domiciliary institutions in tn Worlds history during the month o August 1940. There were 86 of thes with 18,497 domiciliary beds an 59,606 hospital beds. In the sam month there were 69.250 World Wa veterans occupying these beds. O these 69,250, 4,466 were tuberculars 32,386 were mental cases, 1856 were general medical and surgica 1928 were in domiciliary beds, an the others were scattered cases C non-veterans and those in fo observation.
 The government is continuing [ build hospitals for those who wi ultimately need them; the comfor of soldiers homes is being made avail able for those whose circumstance indicate that manner of care; ever conceivable means is being employe toward the ultimate consummatio of what was enunciated in the lon ago by the immortal Lincoln, as | fund a V,a 0FataI Af mir very NatiOnAl