ARMY VETERINARY LEGISLATION. 
769 
another and entirely different question, that ought to be thought 
over very carefully before this House shall adopt it. I do not 
believe we ought to put it in this bill. I will say, Mr. Chair¬ 
man, at the request of one of my friends here, that the veterinary 
corps has commissioned rank in all the other armies of the 
world. 
Mr. Bingham. That is true. 
Mr. Steele. Assimilated rank. 
Mr. Hull. Well, that is true of the army surgeons in other 
armies also. They do not have rank for their doctors there. It 
is only assimilated rank for them, too. 
Mr. Sulzer. Mr. Chairman, just a few words with regard 
to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
[Mr. Bingham]. As a member of the Committee on Military 
Affairs, familiar with this subject, I concur in all that the 
gentleman has said. This amendment for a Veterinary Corps 
should be incorporated into this bill now. It should not be 
eliminated here and allowed to go to conference. There is no 
doubt in the world but what this Veterinary Corps is one of the 
most important at the present time in the Army. As the gentle¬ 
man from Pennsylvania [Mr. Bingham] has truly said, there 
will be over 25,000 animals in the Army if this bill becomes a 
law, and as a friend of the horse I want to see this House adopt 
it. I trust it will. It is right. There ought to be veterinary 
surgeons to look after them. The Veterinary Corps is one of the 
most important branches in relation to the army of to-day, and 
this amendment should be adopted. To defeat it now will prob¬ 
ably mean its permanent defeat. I appeal for fairness in the 
matter in order that our Army animals may be protected. 
Mr. Gaines. Why did not the military committee report 
the provision in the bill which they brought in here ? 
Mr. Sulzer. The committee should have reported it. 
Mr. Gaines. Why did they not report it ? 
Mr. S?ilzer. Because the committee struck out the entire 
Senate bill and put in the War Department bill without any 
amendments whatever. This amendment was in the Senate 
bill passed last session. 
Mr. Gaines. Why did they not leave that provision of the 
Senate bill in the bill which they brought in here ? 
Mr. Sulzer. They should have done so. 
Mr. Gaines. Did they give any reasons for their failure to 
do so? 
Mr. Sulzer. You will have to ask the chairman of the 
