I am just here today to say to you, gentlemen, that I know you can help a lot both in effecting economy of expenditure and in creating a better condition, from the moral standpoint, in all of the surroundings where our men are being treated and cared for. You can cooperate by suggesting to our Committee on Appropriations how we can best meet the situation that will prevent extravagant waste of money by the men who are being cared for, while they are in the institutions, and how we can preserve the funds for them and their families; also, how we can preserve the moral standards of the institutions.
Why, the statements that come to me are appalling about the low moral standards around some of these institutions. I heard a good deal about the Army camps during the war, but it was not any worse than now. It is for you men to say what we shall do to prevent it, and we want you to cooperate fairly, loyally, actively, unitedly and promptly, because we must at any hazard and at any cost prevent any condition that will bring stench to the institution that we are trying to preserve.
We must not under any circumstances allow the fund that is being used to preserve the health to the limit and build up the men who served us during the war, to be used for any purpose that will create scandal in the nation; and it is bound to create scandal if we do not watch out for the moral standard in every community.
Now, pave the way. Show us how we can tie the fund up, and help us to help the people of the nation to preserve the men who are the wards of the nation. We must not demoralize them; we must not make them mendicants; we must not encourage them to leave their normal, legitimate employment to become wards of the nation; but we must encourage these men in every way that we can to become so useful that they will be able to help themselves and be willing to do it, and not depend upon the nation.
If I have been able to express a thought at all here that will be of any value in the long run, I shall feel well repaid for having come. I know of no more patriotic men than those who confront me, and no more patriotic women than those who devoted themselves to the service of the nation during the war. There are no more patriotic men and women than these anywhere. They made the sacrifice during the darkest hours. Many of you men could go out and, as far as dollars go, be much better off; but you prefer to do a service to the nation.
Now, couple with your medical service the two suggestions that I made. Let me repeat them,—the up-building of the moral standard, and the maintenance of an economic expenditure of the funds that may be placed under your charge.
Thank You.”
GENERAL SAWYER: “Fellows, as an expression of your appreciation of the presence of Congressman Madden this morning, I would ask you to rise to your feet, that he may know we believe in him and are for him.”
The assembly responded by standing up.
GENERAL SAWYER: I would lose a great opportunity if I did not take advantage of this particular moment to say to you that I should like—being a doctor myself—that we relieve ourselves of the charge of not being business men. Certainly in the administration of year affairs you have the greatest opportunity that can come to men now to demonstrate that you have some business sense as well as professional sense, and to me it is a great pleasure to have this program this morning because it gives us a new idea of what it means to think in the language of dollars and cents.