You must be courageous; you must work for the real good of the soldier; you must work for the real good of the Government; and I will tell you something. There is no privilege so great, which comes with public life, as to courageously stand for that which is right, and in so doing take castigation from demagogues for doing one’s duty. It all comes out right in the long run.
In the midst of your discouraging embarrassments, when carefully thought out measures of sane relief for wounded veterans are often attacked by unscrupulous men, who thereby can advertise for a little time their insignificant personalities; if you sometimes are tempted to take the easy way and join the yelping pack of destructive critics, be comforted in the thought of that everlasting truth that in the long run the man who fearlessly does right in public place survives, and the man who weakly takes the wrong way because it is easy receives only ignominy.”
GEN. SAWYER: It seems unnecessary for me to say, still it is only fair to General Dawes, that he has injected into the affairs of Government the greatest enthusiasm and the most interest that has been known in Government affairs in all the history of the Republic.
His idea of coordination, which came to him out of the trying experience of the war on the other side has certainly served him a wonderful purpose in the effects that he has brought about in this new plan of conducting the affairs of the Administration on a business basis, and I certainly hope that each of you, as you go back to your fields of activity, will carry with you the idea that you have a most responsible position. No matter how small your institution, the responsibilities, the liabilities and the needs are all the same.
It may interest you to know that in the few weeks this present Board has existed, we have been able to turn over to the various hospitals of the country in which we have been particularly and necessarily interested, in a hurry, several million dollars worth of property. Arrangements are now in operation whereby in caring and preparing for nearly 11,000 new beds, we have in mind to avail ourselves of the great resources of the Army and Navy in supplying these needs; and I must say out of fairness to the heads of those Departments, as represented by the medical departments, that more hearty cooperation could not be obtained. To give you an evidence of something of the difference of today and yesterday, early last summer an appeal came to me to provide some cots for one of your institutions. It was impossible for me to locate cots that I could make accessible for the purpose, and one day one of our own representatives from this Board looking about found 80 car-loads of these cots at Des Moines, Iowa. Now when we are in need of cots, we know where to find them and know how to get possession of them; and this is true of all the things that are really necessary in the conduct of your affairs.
I am here to say to you without any fear of contradiction that this Hospitalization Board has already accomplished some very helpful things, and we have many more things in mind. One thing we do not assume, and that is authority. We have no idea or desire of being autocratic in our administration but we have a firm determination that regardless of any sentiment or any emotion which may be brought to influence the affairs of this Board, we will go on with what we believe to be the best thing for the men we are trying to serve.
I believe that the service we should render and that we must render, and the only service that is worth while to the veteran, is to make him well if possible, and, if not, to make him as nearly well as he can be and as resourceful as he can be and put him back into life again with confidence in himself, with respect to his Government and with ambition to make America the leading Government of all the governments of the world.
I am here to say to you that while you are talking to your patients about the affairs that arise with you each day, do not forget as a part of your responsibility and your duty that you help to create a spirit and a determination on the part of the man you are serving to get back into life again. Discourage in every way you possibly can the idea of his becoming a barnacle upon this great Ship of State. Encourage him to believe that the responsibility of the debts that are incurred here now are debts his children and his grandchildren will have to pay; and so, while we are talking economy to you, I would impress upon you this one thought: that economy is only the assurance to yourself that every hundred cents buys a dollar’s worth. We do not mean by the economy we are trying to preach here economy that might be regarded as penuriousness. We want you to have all you need in the best way that it can be provided for you, but we want you to have concern enough in the property that is turned over to you to see that it is worth what you pay for it and that it is used to the best advantage possible.
Yesterday, we decided, I believe, that we would devote an hour this morning to the answering of some miscellaneous interrogations. Dr. White, have you received any?
DR. WHITE: No.