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Military Affairs
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T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c ia t io n
said period shall bear to twelve months. “49. That for the purposes and expenses by special permission of the Board of Trus tees for the fiscal year from July 1, 1944, to June 30, 1945, there is hereby appropriated and authorized to be paid by such special permission of the Board of Trustees out of the General Fund the sum of $984.10.” 4. The Ad Interim Committee recom mends to the Board of Trustees that they approve a resolution as follows: “The Secretary and Business Manager are herewith directed not to authorize payment of expense vouchers for any activity if it en croaches upon the fixed expenses of that ac tivity in the budget, such as salaries, rent, etc.” 5. The Ad Interim Committee requests the President to call a meeting of the Board of Trustees on October 19, 20 and 21, 1945
for the purpose of considering matter# of gen eral importance to the Association and to receive the report of the special committee of the Board to formulate rules; also for the transaction of such other necessary business as is officially to come before the Board. 6. The Veterans Administration is seeking information from the various constituent so cieties as to fee schedules to be used by them. It was the consensus of opinion of the Ad In terim Committee that this survey should be made by the A.D.A. and it was voted that the matter of fee schedules of the Veterans Administration be referred to the Committee on Economics, for study in cooperation with the constituent societies, calling to their atten tion the action taken on fee schedules by the House of Delegates in connection with policies originally set up by the Council on Dental Health and its predecessor.
MILITARY AFFAIRS A .D .A . Committee on M ilitary A ffairs D evelops Program o f A id to D ental Officers T h e follow ing statement has been is sued by E. C. Lunsford, chairm an, spe cial comm ittee on military affairs, which has been studying the problem s o f dental officers: S ta tem en t.— Since the creation of the Pro curement and Assignment Service, many changes have taken place as to the status of the individual dentist. There were periods when the dental corps were closed and no commissions were available for dentists. Dur ing these periods, the Procurement and As signment committees worked continually with Selective Service in an effort to avoid the induction of dentists as enlisted men where their professional skill would be wasted. U n der certain Selective Service directives, there was little recourse for the local boards ex cept to induct dentists of certain ages. The induction of many dentists as enlisted men was prevented by the Procurement and As signment committees assuring Selective Serv ice of the complete cooperation of the dental profession during this crisis. Through every means possible, all dentists in the United States were familiarized with
the procurement program. There was a time when the state chairmen were asked to de clare every man under 45 available for mili tary service, which was the extreme from closing the dental corps to those desiring commissions. This is war and extremes had to be expected and it rested with the pro curement committee to find a fair basis for recruiting dentists. The state and local committees have done everything possible to give information" to all government agencies with regard to the den tal profession or any particular dentist when ever it has desired. At this time, the War Department through the Central Office of Procurement and As signment is asking for up-to-date information that will help in determining which dentists will be returned to civilian practice in the near future. The information asked for is being compiled by the state chairmen with the aid of district and county chairmen and will be sent to Washington as quickly as it is received. We find many dentists who have been in service for several years who are suffering extreme hardships and our committee feels
M id - M o n t h l y I s s u e
that these men should be given careful con sideration and that state chairmen should bring these cases to the attention of the ap peal board when they are found. One of the strongest points on which a dental officer may be released from active duty is the number of dentists per capita in the area where the doctor may practice. Our committee has recom m ended that, wherever possible, dental officers’ applications' for discharge be given first consideration when the state from which they volunteered furnished more than its quota of dentists. The War Department does not look with favor upon the release of men under the age of 39. It is hoped that, in the near future, the age will be lowered by lighter demands of the armed forces. We wish to again call to the attention of all dentists on the home front the necessity of not changing location for personal gain. By doing so, you may be the direct cause of a dentist who has been away from his home and family for several years being refused a release from active duty. To those who are in service, it must be gratifying to know that there has been almost 100 per cent co operation in some states. The next two years will determine many things relative to our profession, and it is the belief of our com mittee that the conduct of those of us who have remained at home will reflect direct re sults upon the future of dentistry. Before you locate or relocate, consult the state chairman of your Procurement and As signment Board, as they are making every effort for a fair distribution of dentists. Your complete cooperation is more necessary now than ever before.
Policies O utlined for Commissions in Regular Services M any officers who entered the military service from civilian life, and w ho con template making it their career, are in terested in what the requirements may be for those desiring to hold commissions in the Regular Army. It is known that any num ber o f studies have been made, but just what the final requirements will be is not known at the present time. From experience gained after W orld W ar I, the W ar Departm ent does not want a
corps o f officers top heavy in rank or with too many in the older age brackets. O n e o f the determining factors that will enter into the decision to take in officers in the regular services is age. Also adaptability for the service and p ro ficiency in their military field will have considerable to do in the final determina tion. It is desired to have a corps o f officers in their prime, and it is safe to say that Congress would not approve taking in many officers w ho would be up for retirement in a few years. P rob ably very few officers over 45 years of age will be taken into the regular service; and, in keeping with the desire, both in and out o f Congress, to have a corps o f officers physically fit, the prediction is made that the m ajority o f officers taken into the Regular Arm y after the war will be under 35 years o f age. N avy — Regulations to govern permanent
appointm ent o f Naval Reserve officers and tem porary officers o f the Regular Navy to commissioned grades in the permanent peacetime establishment have been under consideration by the chief o f naval personnel and the Secretary o f the N avy since their preparation by a board o f line and staff officers o f the regular and reserve branches o f the per sonnel. A lthough it is understood that they will be subject, perhaps, to amendment before they are sent to Congress, it seems that they are, in general, approved by the naval authorities. A bill to authorize such appointments to the R egular Navy has been drafted and sent to the Bureau o f the Budget for the approval that is necessary in order that the measure may becom e an author ized departmental project. T h e bill is simply an enabling one, but, w hen it goes to the congressional naval com m it tees, it will be accom panied by regula tions agreed to in the Navy Department, that members o f the committee may be inform ed o f the methods that it is pro posed to pursue in determining eligibility
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T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c ia t io n
for and in making the appointments. There is discussion in the Navy D e partment about the changes that should be made in the now suspended naval prom otion laws, and several drafts o f legislation on that subject have been pre pared. It is apparent that final conclu sion as to the nature o f that legislation cannot be m ade until appointments o f reservists to the permanent establishment are under way and have reached those numbers that will show the rank and lineal positions o f them am ong the present regular officer personnel. Obviously, the com bined commissioned personnel will not reach that state until some time after the appointment process gets under way, and probably not until after formal declaration o f termination o f the war.
Senate Condemns “ Leisurely” Release o f A rm y Physicians
Claim ing that the num ber o f physi cians in the Arm y is out o f proportion to the number found in civilian life and that “ the Arm y is way overstaffed in E urope,” a subcommittee com posed o f Senators Sheridan D ow ney, California, E. C. Johnson, C olorado, and Chan Guerney, South Dakota, members o f the Senate M ilitary Com m ittee, called on the W ar Departm ent through its wit nesses to overcom e its “ leisurely attitude” toward the problem o f dem obilizing phy sicians and expedite their return to ci vilian life. T he comm ittee met July n to carry out the provisions o f S. Res. 134 to in vestigate “ the relative needs o f the armed forces and the civilian popula tion for the services o f medical person nel” with a view to hastening their re turn to civilian life. Brig. Gen. R obert W . Berry, repre senting the W ar Department, disclosed plans to release 7,000 doctors by next M ay, but he insisted, under committee prodding, that he was unable to guar
antee earlier demobilization o f all of them. Some sort o f priority might be worked out to hasten their return from Europe, he said, pledging to d o “ all we can to get them out as soon as possible.” Senator Johnson, dem anding “ prom pt release o f these 7,000 doctors,” declared that “ the leisurely attitude o f the Army toward this problem is something that this com m ittee ought not to accept lying dow n.” W hile General Berry denied that the Arm y’s approach was “ leisurely,” M r. Johnson said that was “ the right w ord” and com plained that “ nothing had hap pened” since V -E day to bring about the doctors’ release. Senator D ow ney, comm ittee chairman and sponsor o f the inquiry into com parative Arm y and civilian medical serv ices, said testimony that “ the Arm y is way overstaffed with doctors in Europe” would be presented later. General Berry said that on June 27 the W a r Departm ent radioed the com manders in the European and M editer ranean theaters suggesting that they could spare some doctors in view o f the “ reduced load” after V -E Day. T h e com m ander o f the European thea ter, he said, replied in effect that he could see no “ possibility o f giving us these additional people immediately.” General Berry added, however, that “ we are not going to accept that as a final reply.” A rm y Reports Death o f T w o Dental Officers T h e deaths o f Capt. Leonard A. Haen (D C ), St. C lou d , M inn., and o f Capt. M eyer M . Frank (D C ), New Castle, Pa., have been reported by the Dental D ivi sion, Office o f the Surgeon General. C a p tain H aen was killed in action June 16 in the Pacific area. Captain Frank died M arch 16 while at sea in an American area.
M id - M o n t h l y I s s u e
N a vy Studies Plan to Release O ld er Officers T he N avy announced July 24 that it is considering a plan for releasing a lim ited num ber o f older reserve officers and enlisted m en under a form ula which will allow credit only for age and length o f service. O nly 30,000 officers and men will be released by next Decem ber under this program if it becom es effec tive, the N avy said. T h e plan will not apply at present to the M edicài, Dental and Chaplain Corps because o f the shortage o f personnel for these branches, but may be extended to them later if the shortages are overcom e, the N avy said. T h e Navy insisted that the plan, which gives no weight to com bat service or de pendency in selecting those eligible for release, is not a demobilization program similar to the point system under which the A rm y is discharging 4,000 troops a day. , F o r m u la — T h e projected form ula pro vides a varying list o f minimum credits necessary fo r discharge. O n e service credit will be given for each four months o f active duty since September 1, 1939. T h e service credits thus com puted will be added to a m an’s age to determine his total credit score. T h e credit score necessary for release will vary from fifty-three for inductees and reserve officers to fifty-seven for reserve officers in the Civil Engineer Corps. T h e difference in credits reflects varying shortages of man power in vari ous branches o f service, the Navy said. U n d er the credit system, reserve offi cers w h o have been on active duty since September 1, 1939, will be eligible for discharge at the age o f 36. T he mini mum discharge age for inductees, if théy were in the first draft call, will be 39. C red its — T he minimum o f fifty-three credits will apply to reserve line officers, enlisted reservists, inductees and enlisted regulars whose enlistments have expired.
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Reserve officers in the Supply Corps will need fifty-five credits fo r release. Like the Arm y demobilization p ro gram, the Navy’s will also bar the dis charge o f officers eligible for release under the form ula whose com m anding officers declare them to be essential and not replaceable. Others may be forced to remain on duty ninety days, until a replacem ent is trained. T h e Navy emphasized that the plan is designed to permit the return to civilian life o f only those officers and men who can best be spared. N o weight could be given to factors other than age and length o f service without releasing men needed to maintain the operating effi ciency o f the fleet, the Navy said.
Congress Considers Tax Cut fo r W a r Veterans
A bill (H .R .3 7 4 5 ), introduced by R ep. James D om engeaux, Louisiana, proposes a m odification o f incom e tax provisions fo r veterans o f this war. U nder its pro visions, the veteran would not be liable fo r any incom e tax during the first year o f his return to civil life. T he second year his liability would be 25 per Cent of the full tax owed and, in the third year, this liability would increase to 50 per cent o f the full tax.
Four A rm y.D ental Officers Freed from German Prisons
T h e Office o f the Surgeon General has reported that the follow ing Army dental officers have been released from Germ an prison cam ps: Capt. Hugo Fielschmidt (DC) of Dracut, Mass., liberated May 11, 1945; Capt. Bene dict B. Kimmelman (D C), Philadelphia, Pa., liberated May 27, 1945; Capt. John J. Thornquist (D C), Los Angeles, Calif., liberated April 29, 1945, and 1st Lieut. Louis R. Pi azza (D C ), liberated April 29, 1945.
T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c ia t io n
said period shall bear to twelve months. “49. That for the purposes and expenses by special permission of the Board of Trus tees for the fiscal year from July 1, 1944, to June 30, 1945, there is hereby appropriated and authorized to be paid by such special permission of the Board of Trustees out of the General Fund the sum of $984.10.” 4. The Ad Interim Committee recom mends to the Board of Trustees that they approve a resolution as follows: “The Secretary and Business Manager are herewith directed not to authorize payment of expense vouchers for any activity if it en croaches upon the fixed expenses of that ac tivity in the budget, such as salaries, rent, etc.” 5. The Ad Interim Committee requests the President to call a meeting of the Board of Trustees on October 19, 20 and 21, 1945
for the purpose of considering matter# of gen eral importance to the Association and to receive the report of the special committee of the Board to formulate rules; also for the transaction of such other necessary business as is officially to come before the Board. 6. The Veterans Administration is seeking information from the various constituent so cieties as to fee schedules to be used by them. It was the consensus of opinion of the Ad In terim Committee that this survey should be made by the A.D.A. and it was voted that the matter of fee schedules of the Veterans Administration be referred to the Committee on Economics, for study in cooperation with the constituent societies, calling to their atten tion the action taken on fee schedules by the House of Delegates in connection with policies originally set up by the Council on Dental Health and its predecessor.
MILITARY AFFAIRS A .D .A . Committee on M ilitary A ffairs D evelops Program o f A id to D ental Officers T h e follow ing statement has been is sued by E. C. Lunsford, chairm an, spe cial comm ittee on military affairs, which has been studying the problem s o f dental officers: S ta tem en t.— Since the creation of the Pro curement and Assignment Service, many changes have taken place as to the status of the individual dentist. There were periods when the dental corps were closed and no commissions were available for dentists. Dur ing these periods, the Procurement and As signment committees worked continually with Selective Service in an effort to avoid the induction of dentists as enlisted men where their professional skill would be wasted. U n der certain Selective Service directives, there was little recourse for the local boards ex cept to induct dentists of certain ages. The induction of many dentists as enlisted men was prevented by the Procurement and As signment committees assuring Selective Serv ice of the complete cooperation of the dental profession during this crisis. Through every means possible, all dentists in the United States were familiarized with
the procurement program. There was a time when the state chairmen were asked to de clare every man under 45 available for mili tary service, which was the extreme from closing the dental corps to those desiring commissions. This is war and extremes had to be expected and it rested with the pro curement committee to find a fair basis for recruiting dentists. The state and local committees have done everything possible to give information" to all government agencies with regard to the den tal profession or any particular dentist when ever it has desired. At this time, the War Department through the Central Office of Procurement and As signment is asking for up-to-date information that will help in determining which dentists will be returned to civilian practice in the near future. The information asked for is being compiled by the state chairmen with the aid of district and county chairmen and will be sent to Washington as quickly as it is received. We find many dentists who have been in service for several years who are suffering extreme hardships and our committee feels
M id - M o n t h l y I s s u e
that these men should be given careful con sideration and that state chairmen should bring these cases to the attention of the ap peal board when they are found. One of the strongest points on which a dental officer may be released from active duty is the number of dentists per capita in the area where the doctor may practice. Our committee has recom m ended that, wherever possible, dental officers’ applications' for discharge be given first consideration when the state from which they volunteered furnished more than its quota of dentists. The War Department does not look with favor upon the release of men under the age of 39. It is hoped that, in the near future, the age will be lowered by lighter demands of the armed forces. We wish to again call to the attention of all dentists on the home front the necessity of not changing location for personal gain. By doing so, you may be the direct cause of a dentist who has been away from his home and family for several years being refused a release from active duty. To those who are in service, it must be gratifying to know that there has been almost 100 per cent co operation in some states. The next two years will determine many things relative to our profession, and it is the belief of our com mittee that the conduct of those of us who have remained at home will reflect direct re sults upon the future of dentistry. Before you locate or relocate, consult the state chairman of your Procurement and As signment Board, as they are making every effort for a fair distribution of dentists. Your complete cooperation is more necessary now than ever before.
Policies O utlined for Commissions in Regular Services M any officers who entered the military service from civilian life, and w ho con template making it their career, are in terested in what the requirements may be for those desiring to hold commissions in the Regular Army. It is known that any num ber o f studies have been made, but just what the final requirements will be is not known at the present time. From experience gained after W orld W ar I, the W ar Departm ent does not want a
corps o f officers top heavy in rank or with too many in the older age brackets. O n e o f the determining factors that will enter into the decision to take in officers in the regular services is age. Also adaptability for the service and p ro ficiency in their military field will have considerable to do in the final determina tion. It is desired to have a corps o f officers in their prime, and it is safe to say that Congress would not approve taking in many officers w ho would be up for retirement in a few years. P rob ably very few officers over 45 years of age will be taken into the regular service; and, in keeping with the desire, both in and out o f Congress, to have a corps o f officers physically fit, the prediction is made that the m ajority o f officers taken into the Regular Arm y after the war will be under 35 years o f age. N avy — Regulations to govern permanent
appointm ent o f Naval Reserve officers and tem porary officers o f the Regular Navy to commissioned grades in the permanent peacetime establishment have been under consideration by the chief o f naval personnel and the Secretary o f the N avy since their preparation by a board o f line and staff officers o f the regular and reserve branches o f the per sonnel. A lthough it is understood that they will be subject, perhaps, to amendment before they are sent to Congress, it seems that they are, in general, approved by the naval authorities. A bill to authorize such appointments to the R egular Navy has been drafted and sent to the Bureau o f the Budget for the approval that is necessary in order that the measure may becom e an author ized departmental project. T h e bill is simply an enabling one, but, w hen it goes to the congressional naval com m it tees, it will be accom panied by regula tions agreed to in the Navy Department, that members o f the committee may be inform ed o f the methods that it is pro posed to pursue in determining eligibility
1072
T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c ia t io n
for and in making the appointments. There is discussion in the Navy D e partment about the changes that should be made in the now suspended naval prom otion laws, and several drafts o f legislation on that subject have been pre pared. It is apparent that final conclu sion as to the nature o f that legislation cannot be m ade until appointments o f reservists to the permanent establishment are under way and have reached those numbers that will show the rank and lineal positions o f them am ong the present regular officer personnel. Obviously, the com bined commissioned personnel will not reach that state until some time after the appointment process gets under way, and probably not until after formal declaration o f termination o f the war.
Senate Condemns “ Leisurely” Release o f A rm y Physicians
Claim ing that the num ber o f physi cians in the Arm y is out o f proportion to the number found in civilian life and that “ the Arm y is way overstaffed in E urope,” a subcommittee com posed o f Senators Sheridan D ow ney, California, E. C. Johnson, C olorado, and Chan Guerney, South Dakota, members o f the Senate M ilitary Com m ittee, called on the W ar Departm ent through its wit nesses to overcom e its “ leisurely attitude” toward the problem o f dem obilizing phy sicians and expedite their return to ci vilian life. T he comm ittee met July n to carry out the provisions o f S. Res. 134 to in vestigate “ the relative needs o f the armed forces and the civilian popula tion for the services o f medical person nel” with a view to hastening their re turn to civilian life. Brig. Gen. R obert W . Berry, repre senting the W ar Department, disclosed plans to release 7,000 doctors by next M ay, but he insisted, under committee prodding, that he was unable to guar
antee earlier demobilization o f all of them. Some sort o f priority might be worked out to hasten their return from Europe, he said, pledging to d o “ all we can to get them out as soon as possible.” Senator Johnson, dem anding “ prom pt release o f these 7,000 doctors,” declared that “ the leisurely attitude o f the Army toward this problem is something that this com m ittee ought not to accept lying dow n.” W hile General Berry denied that the Arm y’s approach was “ leisurely,” M r. Johnson said that was “ the right w ord” and com plained that “ nothing had hap pened” since V -E day to bring about the doctors’ release. Senator D ow ney, comm ittee chairman and sponsor o f the inquiry into com parative Arm y and civilian medical serv ices, said testimony that “ the Arm y is way overstaffed with doctors in Europe” would be presented later. General Berry said that on June 27 the W a r Departm ent radioed the com manders in the European and M editer ranean theaters suggesting that they could spare some doctors in view o f the “ reduced load” after V -E Day. T h e com m ander o f the European thea ter, he said, replied in effect that he could see no “ possibility o f giving us these additional people immediately.” General Berry added, however, that “ we are not going to accept that as a final reply.” A rm y Reports Death o f T w o Dental Officers T h e deaths o f Capt. Leonard A. Haen (D C ), St. C lou d , M inn., and o f Capt. M eyer M . Frank (D C ), New Castle, Pa., have been reported by the Dental D ivi sion, Office o f the Surgeon General. C a p tain H aen was killed in action June 16 in the Pacific area. Captain Frank died M arch 16 while at sea in an American area.
M id - M o n t h l y I s s u e
N a vy Studies Plan to Release O ld er Officers T he N avy announced July 24 that it is considering a plan for releasing a lim ited num ber o f older reserve officers and enlisted m en under a form ula which will allow credit only for age and length o f service. O nly 30,000 officers and men will be released by next Decem ber under this program if it becom es effec tive, the N avy said. T h e plan will not apply at present to the M edicài, Dental and Chaplain Corps because o f the shortage o f personnel for these branches, but may be extended to them later if the shortages are overcom e, the N avy said. T h e Navy insisted that the plan, which gives no weight to com bat service or de pendency in selecting those eligible for release, is not a demobilization program similar to the point system under which the A rm y is discharging 4,000 troops a day. , F o r m u la — T h e projected form ula pro vides a varying list o f minimum credits necessary fo r discharge. O n e service credit will be given for each four months o f active duty since September 1, 1939. T h e service credits thus com puted will be added to a m an’s age to determine his total credit score. T h e credit score necessary for release will vary from fifty-three for inductees and reserve officers to fifty-seven for reserve officers in the Civil Engineer Corps. T h e difference in credits reflects varying shortages of man power in vari ous branches o f service, the Navy said. U n d er the credit system, reserve offi cers w h o have been on active duty since September 1, 1939, will be eligible for discharge at the age o f 36. T he mini mum discharge age for inductees, if théy were in the first draft call, will be 39. C red its — T he minimum o f fifty-three credits will apply to reserve line officers, enlisted reservists, inductees and enlisted regulars whose enlistments have expired.
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Reserve officers in the Supply Corps will need fifty-five credits fo r release. Like the Arm y demobilization p ro gram, the Navy’s will also bar the dis charge o f officers eligible for release under the form ula whose com m anding officers declare them to be essential and not replaceable. Others may be forced to remain on duty ninety days, until a replacem ent is trained. T h e Navy emphasized that the plan is designed to permit the return to civilian life o f only those officers and men who can best be spared. N o weight could be given to factors other than age and length o f service without releasing men needed to maintain the operating effi ciency o f the fleet, the Navy said.
Congress Considers Tax Cut fo r W a r Veterans
A bill (H .R .3 7 4 5 ), introduced by R ep. James D om engeaux, Louisiana, proposes a m odification o f incom e tax provisions fo r veterans o f this war. U nder its pro visions, the veteran would not be liable fo r any incom e tax during the first year o f his return to civil life. T he second year his liability would be 25 per Cent of the full tax owed and, in the third year, this liability would increase to 50 per cent o f the full tax.
Four A rm y.D ental Officers Freed from German Prisons
T h e Office o f the Surgeon General has reported that the follow ing Army dental officers have been released from Germ an prison cam ps: Capt. Hugo Fielschmidt (DC) of Dracut, Mass., liberated May 11, 1945; Capt. Bene dict B. Kimmelman (D C), Philadelphia, Pa., liberated May 27, 1945; Capt. John J. Thornquist (D C), Los Angeles, Calif., liberated April 29, 1945, and 1st Lieut. Louis R. Pi azza (D C ), liberated April 29, 1945.