DOCTORS’ WORK IN WAR

Southland Times, Issue 24838, 2 September 1942, Page 5

DOCTORS’ WORK IN WAR

Call To Prepare Men For Conditions

(Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, August 31. President Roosevelt, speaking at the dedication of the Naval Medical Centre and the observance of the centenary of the Naval Bureau of Medicine and Surgery at Bethseda in Maryland, said: “In this hospital our Navy battles against disease, disability and death. Those who fight this vital battle are the anonymous heroes of this war. Surgeons, nurses, scientists and technicians are part of the world-wide service carrying on an unending fight to keep as many men at as many guns on as many days as possible.” After a reference to the infamous attack on Pearl Harbour, the darkest hour in the Navy’s history when ships were put out of commission and 3000 men were killed or wounded, he went on to say that in the months that followed, months without victories, America’s enemies had taunted her with the question: “Where is the United States Navy?” "Today our enemies know the beginning of the answer to that question,” he said. “They learned that it is in the Atlantic and that it was in the Coral Sea and off Midway Island. They are learning now where it is in their attempts to recapture the Solomons. Where is the United States Navy? It is where it has always been. It is carrying out the command to hit the enemy and hit him again whenever and wherever it can find him.”

Pointing out that battles cannot be fought or won without a cost both in ships and men, President Roosevelt went on: “Today in distant places we

are fighting battles the like of which have never before been known. In the South-West Pacific ships and planes of the Fleet and long-rpnge bombers of the Army are strikirfg at the enemy from widely separated bases and are striking together. Such co-ordinated warfare requires men of extraordinary physical alertness and exceptional bearing. A split second in timing by one individual may cost innumerable lives, In addition to working out new methods of healing and cure doctors must discover new methods of preparing men for unprecedented combat conditions in submarines, planes and tanks. Men must be perfectly attuned in their bodies as they are perfectly prepared in their minds and hearts for the fierce test of battle. The extent of the remarkable progress achieved in this science can be attested by our enemies who have faced our men in battle.” Mr Roosevelt said: “There were 40,000 fatalities from automobile accidents last year. Almost 1,500,000 persons were injured. There were 19,200 fatal accidents in industry, in addition to 2,000,000 injured, including 100,000 permanent disabilities resulting in the loss of the almost incredible total of 42,000,000 man days. Thus it is not only our enemies who kill valuable Americans.” SAVING OF MAN-POWER “It is not going too far to say that any civilians who through reckless driving or failure to take proper safety measures in industrial plants kill or maim fellow citizens are doing an injury to our sons and brothers who are fighting this war in uniform. Similar injury to the armed forces is done by pedestrians or workers who through thoughtlessness and carelessness put themselves in harm’s way. Not all can participate in direct action against our enemies, but all can participate in saving our man-power.” Mr Roosevelt concluded with a reference to the third anniversary of Hitler’s blitzkrieg against Poland. “Men have died and nations have been tortured and enslaved to satisfy the brutal lust for power of a few inhuman tyrants—Germans, Italians and Japanese,” he said. “To the defeat of such tyrants and to the removal from this earth of the injustices and inequalities which create such tyrants and breed new wars this nation is wholly dedicated.” RECORD LAUNCHING ON LABOUR DAY (Rec. 9.40 p.m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 31. The Navy will celebrate Labour Day, which falls on Friday, by launching or laying the keels of 150 vessels, which is an all-time record.