These agitators that I have spoken of, these demagogues, have learned what you can do with a scared member of Congress, and we used to say that the thing that emphasized most a scared Congressman was two. We don’t have them I think any more.
My friends, let us hope that Congress is so constituted at the present time, and we will assume that it is, that it will courageously and fearlessly and without any regard as to what the results may be to themselves, rise up and respond to what you gentlemen, through the heads of these various Departments and the Federal Board of Hospitalization may indicate and will enact into law such legislation, and if there are any in the Congress who may have any fears about the results if they do so act, I would say to them they have less to fear by keeping courageous and standing for what is right, regardless of the comment at the time, or the criticism that may come from certain sources.
Gentlemen, I thank you for the privilege of these few words and I hope that all of you and each of you will be generous and diligent in communicating, whenever you have any suggestions to make with reference to bettering this service, in order that they may have the consideration of these co-ordinating Departments that were so ably described this morning by General Dawes. I thank you.
GEN. SAWYER: General Ireland, have you anything to say?
GEN. IRELAND: I don’t believe I have. I think it is time well spent and I trust that there will be further meetings of this kind.
ADMIRAL STITT: I can only repeat what General Ireland has said. I have learned a great deal from this Conference and feel sure that everyone agrees that we should have a similar Conference, possibly every year.
GENERAL CUMMING: I have nothing to say except to express what I know is the appreciation of everybody here to you as Chairman of the Board for having inaugurated such a Conference, and, secondly, I think we owe something to Colonel Forbes as an agent for having brought us all together.
COL. MATTISON, N.H.D.V.S.: I can voice the sentiments just expressed. I expected this meeting to be exceedingly valuable and it is vastly more so than I had ever anticipated. I am very glad indeed to have had this opportunity.
DR. WHITE: I want to express my personal appreciation for having had the opportunity of coming into personal contact with all of you men who are engaged in this work. I have long felt that one of the very great values of a congregation of this sort is that resulting from personal contact with men who are doing the same work.
I have listened to all of the discussions. I don’t know what I have learned, but I feel, as I go back to my desk, that during the coming year I will, in my various decisions, hark back to something that has been said here that will help me solve the questions of the day. The real things that one learns on occasions of this sort it is almost impossible to formulate in one’s mind at the moment but they are always brought up and proven valuable day by day. Thank you very much, gentlemen, for the privilege of meeting you and I am going to ask you to come out to St. Elizabeths and visit with us.