7 ? 2 
ARMY VETERINARY LEGISLATION 
Mr. Adams. Additional. 
Mr. Steele. The cost is given here as $33,500. 
Mr. Adams. That gives the entire corps. This will be an 
additional amount of $6,500. 
Mr. Mondell. Mr. Chairman, I hope this amendment will 
not be adopted by the House at this or any subsequent time. 
I do not believe it is necessary for the best interest of the ser¬ 
vice ; neither do I believe it would be wise to commission horse 
doctors as officers of the United States Army. It has been stated 
here that the armies of all civilized countries have a veter¬ 
inary corps, with rank. It should have been stated u assimi¬ 
lated rank.” Assimilated gives the pay, but not the honor or 
the title of the rank. There is not an army in the world that 
has a veterinary corps ranking with the officers of the line. It 
is not necessary, in my opinion, for the best interest of the ser¬ 
vice that the Veterinary Corps of the United States Army 
should have rank. 
Mr. Butler. Will the gentlemen allow me to ask him a 
question ? 
Mr. Mondell. Certainly. 
Mr. Butler. Why should we not give the horse doctor 
rank the same as we give the medical doctor? 
Mr. Mondell. I think there is some difference between a 
man and a horse. 
Mr. Biitler. One is the doctor for the man and the other the 
doctor for the horse. 
Mr. Mondell. I think there is a difference between doctor¬ 
ing one of our soldiers and doctoring an army mule. 
Mr. Butler. Are they not both educated men, and ought 
not both to be men of intelligence? 
Mr. Mondell. The fact that a veterinary might be an edu¬ 
cated man is no reason why the horse doctor should be com¬ 
missioned. An army surgeon in time of action is often neces¬ 
sarily under fire. If the gentleman will recollect the occur¬ 
rences of the Santiago campaign, he will remember that the 
surgeons of the army the most of the time during the operations 
before Santiago were under fire quite as much as some of the 
men in the advance. The horse doctor, I do not imagine, 
under any circumstances, would ever be under fire. I see no 
reason why a horse doctor, any more than a wagoner, a black¬ 
smith, or other men connected with the Army in various capa¬ 
cities, should also receive a commission. 
Mr. Grosve?ior. Will the gentleman from Wyoming allow 
