THE JEWISH NEWS

Page TwenTy-Four

Capt. Caplan's Heart-Breaking Job

Sacrificed Health to Save
2,600 Yank Prisoners

Period of Intense Planning Begins
For the Jewish Hospital in Detroit

A Review of Detroit Jewry's Responsibilities Towards
Contributing to Better Health of the Community;
Cogent Reasons for a Hospital Are Reviewed
By A. L. Sudran, Assistant JWF Director

Detroit Flight Surgeon Slept With the Sick, Treated Them
on Marches from Nazi Prison Camps, Encouraged
Them; Gave Up Chance for Early Liberation

Mrs. M. H. Marks of Edison
Ave. has received a letter from
her brother, Capt. Leslie Cap-
Ian, a flight surgeon who had
been based in
Italy prior to
his being taken
captive by the
Germans.
Capt. Caplan,
describing t h e
85 days which
he spent on the
road in Ger-
many with 2,600
airmen, writes:
"We f r oz e, Capt. Caplan
starved, and picked off our lice,
but we marched daily just the
same. Our sanitary safeguards
were almost nil and we paid the
price—like armies of old. As a
medical officer I had a heart-
breaking job, the most important
and difficult assignment I ever
had. I did what I could and I
know the men appreciated my
efforts. Without proper food or
medical supplies — not even
enough safe drinking water-
' what can you do? Regardless,
the medics did plenty and be-
fore the march was very old, we
had a field hospital set up in a
barn every night and the sick
received the best that was avail-
able.
Slept With Sick
"I usually slept with the sick.
At one time there were 240 men
sick in bed at once in our hos-
pital, beside the many half sick.
We were overwhelmed with dys-
entery and had, and slept with,
many cases of frost-bite, pneu-
monia, tuberculosis, erysipelas,
diphtheria, besides the routine
abscesses---kin excoriations
from scratching.
"From Feb. 6, until the end
of the war (May 2, for us) we
lived in filth, sleeping in barns
or fields, rarely washing • • . By
the end of the trip I had ac-
cumulated many cases of pleur-
ky and chronic coughs."
Mrs. Marks is also in receipt
of a testimonial letter sent by
the servicemen under Capt. Cap-
Ian's care, to the Commanding
General of the USSAF. It reads:
Cite Indomitable Spirit
"We, the undersigned, desire
to bring to your attention the
indomitable spirit of the flight
surgeon, Dr. Leslie Caplan, who
as medical officer in Luft IV,
cared for our health with such
personal feeling and fervor that
during the period beginning Feb.
6, until our liberation, he did
not lose a single man out of
2,600 American prisoners of war,
many of whom were seriously
ill.
"On Feb. 6, we were evac-
uated with Capt. Caplan, a very
quiet, modest, unassuming fel-
low, who knew the hardships
which confronted us on this
evacuation caused by the ap-
pearance of the Russian forces
near Stettin. To prevent dysen-
tery and other diseases while on
this trek of more than 600 miles
through Northern Germany
without enough food, water or
medical supplies, Capt. Caplan
most of the time walked twice
the distance of the men, because
he would walk back and forth
from the rear to the front
cheering us and pleading, cajol-

09LE '0.NI ITtuaact
'11DIIAT `noluza

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HDVISOcl 'S '11

ing, begging and arguing that
no man drink the contaminated
water or milk found by the
roadside.
No Medical Supplies
"Those men who disregarded his
advice contracted dysentary and
at times these cases totaled 200 to
300. Having no medical supplies,
this officer, during a period of
rest, burned some wood, obtain-
ing the charcoal, and after pul-
verizing it, used it to treat the
men who were suffering.
"At no time did he, though
himself suffering from an in-
jured leg, ride a wagon or even
put his pack or blankets on
board. He at all times showed
great unselfishness in looking
after our men before himself.
He continuously fought and ar-
gued with the Germans in order
to get more food and medical
supplies for his sick men, and
frequently was successful. Other
times Capt. Caplan traded his
own Red Cross parcel for eggs,
so that the sick men might get
the nourishment they needed.
He Used Pep Talks

"Those men who suffered from
sore and blistered feet and
frost-bite, he himself bathed them
tenderly. When our men were
tired and felt like falling out or
giving up, he reminded them
that they were Americans and
must march and fight as Ameri-
cans. When medical supplies
were exhausted he used pep
talks . . .
"He would never complain,
but he no doubt suffered more
than the worst of us. He assisted
the limping to walk; he helped
carry those who could not move
a step.
"Having completed this terri-
ble march which left all of us
gaunt, weary, but thank God,
alive, we arrived at another
German POW camp. Capt. Cap-
lan did not rest. He immediately
offered his services in caring for
all sick Allied prisoners of war.
Although he was offered corn-
f or t a.b 1 e accommodations, he
preferred to stay with his own
men and to sleep on the floor
with the rest.
"Our Guiding Spirit"
"After a week at this camp,
the American AAF personnel
were told that they had to evac-
uate. Again there was the ar-
duous ordeal of marching by
sick spirits and bodies, but
Capt. Caplan was our guiding
spirit. He knew that this camp,
in which we were, would short-
ly be taken by the Allies, but
he took to the road with his
men instead. He might have re-
mained at the hospital where
he would have been liberated ...
"We wish him good luck and
may God bless him."
Capt. Caplan's self-sacrificing
devotion to his men was not ac-
complished without cost to his
health. He now is hospitalized
awaiting transportation to the
States on a hospital ship which
will return him for further hos-
pitalization necessitated by his
state of malnutrition and ex-
haustion.

Additional Servicemen's News
on Pages 16, 20

Friday, June 22, 1'945

Editor's Note: Because of transportation limitations, the
National Conference of Jewish Social Welfare substituted
local conferences for the usual national meeting this year.
The Detroit Conference, which met on June 8 at the Jewish
Community Center, devoted major attention to future de-
velopmellts in the various fields of local Jewish community
service, including health and welfare, education and recrea-
tion, economic adjustment, and inter-group relations. This
article is a summary of the discussion of Detroit's new Jew-
ish hospital, presented to the Conference by A. L. Sudran,
assistant director of the Jewish Welfare Federation.

By A. L. SUDRAN

Assistant Director, Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit

A. L. SUDRAN

W

HY is Detroit going to build a Jewish hospital?
One reason, not to be discounted, is Ameri-
can Jewish tradition and feeling. Whether be-
cause of Jewish religious and ethical background,
or because of the problems of Jewish physicians, or
because of the feeling that the Jewish group
should make its contribution to the hospital re-
sources of each community—whether for these or
other reasons, at least 23 American cities have
Jewish hospitals; and among the 10 largest cities
in the country, Detroit is the only one that has
no Jewish hospital.
There are only seven cities in the United.
States, including Detroit, with a Jewish popula-
tion of over 20,000, that have no Jewish hospital;
and some cities with fewer than' 20,000 Jews, such
as Bridgeport, C6nn., New Orleans, La., and Pas-
saic, N. J., established Jewish hospitals deCades
ago.
A cogent reason for a Jewish hospital is the
shortage of hospital beds in Detroit. Of the 10
largest cities in the United States, Detroit has the
lowest ratio of general hospital beds-3.2 beds
per 1,000 population. Cleveland has 5.1, New
York 5.2, Chicago 6.4, St. Louis 7 and Boston 8.8.
It may be added that Detroit also has a lower
ratio of physicians than other large cities.
Our Responsibility as Jews
Although there is evidence to the effect that
Detroit, with a somewhat younger age composi-
tion than other large cities, has a correspondingly
healthier population, the strikingly low ratio of
hospital beds in this city is reflected in the over-
crowding of hospitals. As far back as 1938, when
llie-Hospital for Joint
Diseases in New York, made a study of the hos-
pital situation in Detroit, hospital bed occupany
here was at a very high rate. Today it represents,
for operational purposes, capacity plus. Hospital
authorities usually estimate 4.5 to 5 general beds
per 1,000 population as an absolute minimum, as
compared to our 3.2 in Detroit.
Another reason for a Jewish hospital is the
continuing American pattern of providing general
hospitals under voluntary and in many cases
sectarian auspices. Hospitals for veterans, for tub-
erculosis and other contagious diseases, for mental
diseases, and for acute diseases among the in-
digent group, tend to be built under public aus-
pices. Voluntary associations have provided most
of the general hospital beds. There is a feeling in
the Detroit Jewish community that as Jews we
have a responsibility for playing our part in meet-
ing the hospital needs of the community, and that
we should play this part in the same way that
Jewish communities in other cities and other
sectarian groups in Detroit have been playing
it—through a Jewish hospital offering service on
a non-sectarian basis.
The Voluntary Hospital and Health Security
A word is in order with regard to the relation-
ship of the voluntary hospital to government
health programs. It is clear that there is a crying
need in the United States for an adequate pro-
gram. It is of significance, therefore, to observe
that the important role of the voluntary general
hospital is recognized by practically every health
security plan that is proposed. The Wagner-Mur-
ray-Dingell Act definitely included provision for
the use of voluntary hospitals. Senate Bill 191,
now in committee, which may be combined later
on with a new health security bill in Congress,
would provide for federal subventions for the
building of both public and voluntary hospitals.
There is a recognition that non-profit associa-
tions of laymen and physicians on the community
level are necessary for the meeting of a substant-
ial proportion of our hospital needs, and there is
recognition also that in the fields of research and
education, the voluntary hospital must continue to
fulfill a large responsibility. It may also be noted
in passing that there appears to be some tendency
to look upon the voluntary hospital as the ideal
facility for the lower middle and middle classes,
who cannot afford to pay the charges of a profit-
making institution.
The Hospital and the Jewish Physician
There are other reasons for a Jewish hospital.
The desire on the part of many Jewish patients
to be in a Jewish institution, or to have a Kosher
diet, is of course important. One of the most
urgent needs stems from the problems of Jewish
physicians. The testimony of Jewish physicians
throughout the country is to the effect that Jew-
ish medical school graduates have difficulty find. ,
ing interneships, and Jewish practicing physicians
have difficulty securing desirable hospital staff
appointments, with the exception, of course, of
the unusually outstanding man.
It was found by Dr. Golub in 1938 that while
93.6 per cent of Detroit Jewish physicians had at
least courtesy privileges for bringing their pati-
ents into hospitals, only 33.1 per cent of Detroit
Jewish physicians held regular in-patient ap-
pointments on hospital staffs, as compared to the
available figure of 66.9 per cent as the proportion
of all New York physicians holding such appoint-
ments. Dr. Golub's study showed further that out
of the 33.1 per cent of Detroit Jewish physicians

holding in patient positions of varying ranks,

-

relatively few were on active service, with the
opportunity for growth and development in the
medical sciences that actively carries with it.
A Complete Medical Program Needed
Not least on the list of reasons for a hospital
is the need for rounding out the incomplete medi,
cal program of the Jewish community. Our Home
for Aged will benefit from a close working rela-
tionship with a Jewish hospital which can care
for those of its residents who for shorter or long-
er periods are found to be in need of intensive
medical or surgical intervention.
North End Clinic has for years been concerned
by the difficulties for physician, medical social
worker, and patient alike. that are inherent in
running an out-patient service that has no close
relationship to a hospital. It is fair also to suppose
that in Detroit, as in other communities, the
clientele of our Jewish family and child care ser-
vices' will be benefitted by the creation of a Jew-
ish hospital.
History of . the Hospital Movement
. The Jewish hospital movement in our com-
munity has been traced back as far as 1900.
Studies and surveys which were made by the
Jewish . Welfare Federation in the 1920's and the
1930's all pointed toward the need for a Detroit
Jewish hospital, and the board and staff of North
End Clinic underlined the need on a number of
occasions. On the other hand, attempts to learn
whether individual members of the community
were ready to contribute funds on the scale neces-
sary led time and time again to the conclusion
that the money needed for a hospital of .adequate
scope to maintain high standards was not then
forthcoming, and that there were few people in
the community who wished to see a small, inade-
quate institution. It appears that the relatively
recent growth of our Jewish population in De-
troit, together with the depression of the 1930's,
made a hospital project unfeasible until very re-
cently.
In the Spring of 1944, tangible evidence that
members of the Jewish community were at last
financially able and ready to create a hospital be-
came apparent. The Jewish Welfare Federation
and the Detroit Service Group, in joint session,
unanimously agreed that the time had arrived
to proceed with a building campaign for a 200
bed hospital. The Jewish Hospital Association of
Detroit was incorporated. with a provisional com-
mittee headed by Max Osnos, and the staff and
lay organization of the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion and the Detroit Service Group conducted a
campaign for funds. Over $2,300,000 has already
been pledged, well over $1,000,000 has already
been paid, and the end is not yet in sight.
The readiness of contributors to support the
project is further emphasized by the fact that the
$2,300,000 was raised without affecting Jewish
giving to the War Chest.
Hospial Planning Under Way
• -
Dr. Golub has been employed by the Associa-
tion as hospital consultant, a committee on selec-
tion of an architect is at work, and, in general,
the first steps in actual planning are being taken.
It is not certain as yet when building materials
will be avaible to begin construction, nor can we
be certain of building costs. It is believed, how-
ever, that it will be possible with the funds
pledged to construct initially a hospital of at
least 200 beds.
In general, the Association is planning for a
medical institution of the highest standards. It is
hoped that the hospital will not only provide first
rate care for its patients, but will fulfill the equal-
ly important function of raising the whole level of
medical practice through medical, nursing, and
related education and through research.
Opportunities for Medical Students
Service to patients will be offered, as in all
hospital, on a non-sectarian basis; judging by the
experience of Jewish hospitals in communities
comparable to Detroit, a heavy proportion of the
patients will be Jewish. As for Jewish medical
students and physicians, we can confidently pre-
dict that the hospital will provide substantial
opportunities for them.
It is obvious that the period of really intense
planning lies ahead. How should the 200 beds be
divided as among ward, semi-private and private?
What clinical divisions such as obstetrics, surgery,
pediatrics, etc., should the hospital have, and
how many beds should be allotted to each? What
provision for chronic diseases should be made?
Should the hospital havea.,, nursing school of its
own or should it offer nurses' training through a
university? What kind of a medical staff should
it have? What about a teaching affiliation be-
tween the hospital and the medical school of
Wayne University? What should be the relation-
ship between the hospital and other Jewish social
agencies?
Questions such as these are or will be under
consideration by the Hospital Association, the
Jewish Welfare Federation and the other in-
terested agencies. They are cited to indicate the
complexity of the planning problem that lies
ahead. Given intelligent study, energy, and good
fortune, the community can hope to reach sound
and progressive conclusions.