Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-08-27
The War Department a Scene
Of Great Activity.
GREAT VOLUME OF WORK
Every Bureau Busy with Prepsra-
lions For Handling the Big Army
which Is to Be Thrown Into the
Philippines ShOrfIy-NurSe and
Medical Features of The Cam
paIQn.

Washington, Aug 26.-The war de-
days. Every bureau is busy with
preparations for handling the big
army of the Philippines, which is to
be in the field within the next few
months. There is a vast amount of
work of an executive character to be
performed, and the force for its per-
Torrance is none too large. The chiefs
of the departments often labor on Sun
day and at night to keep up their
ends of the line.
The telegraph and telephone play an
important part in the work The
quartermaster's department has long
distance telephone to New York,
which is in use almost constantly,
while the war department telegraph
office handles almost as much matter
il a day as the Office of a thriving
town.
An important branch of the work is
that which is carried on by the pay
master generals department, of which
General Bates is the head, with Gel.
C. c. Sniffen, assistant
Within the past twelve months more
than S7,000,000 has been sent to the
Philippines to pay the troops. 1t is
noted that at least two-thirds of this
amount has been deposited by the
boys with the paymasters, and a great
deal of it has come back to the United
States to the families of the soldiers
The men are encouraged to deposit
their money, being allowed interest by
the government at the rate OF per
cent per annum.
All the soldiers are now being paid
the increase of 20 per cent authorized
during war time. This brings the pay
of private soldier up to SIS a month.
The men are paid every two, months,
as it would be inconvenient to attempt
to reach troops in the field more fire.
quently than that.
The paymaster generals department
sends money to the Philippines in los
of about S1,200,000. 1t goes on a gcv-
eminent transport, in charge of
caymaster, with heavy guard, and is
carried without expense to the United
Sta.es.
Gold coin and subsidiary silver are
used extensively. 1t was found that
the destructive white ants of the
Philippines would eat the sreen0acks, |
ard now the boys get their SIS in yel- |
1Nr- e1
The commissary and quartermaster
departments pay their employees in
money and checks, according 10 con-
yenience.
Ii is probable that there Will be an
increase in the number of .rained
nurses to be sent to the Philippines.
occasioned by the increase in the
army. At, this time there are fifty
eight female nurses in the Philippines
or under orders to proceed to Manila.
The nurse corps is a very valuable
adjunct OF the medical department of
the army. 1t was established at the
outbreak of the Spanish war, and has
grown wonderfully under the direction
of Surgeon General Sternbarg and the !
charge cf Acting Assistant |
Surgeon Anita Newcomb McGee.
There are now about 200 young !
women in the nurse corps. Those who |
are not in the Philippines are scat |
tered through Cuba, Porto Rico, the |
several army camps in this country,
with some at Honolulu and some On |
the hospital ship Relief
To be appointed in the army a nurse
must be qualified as follows: She
must present a physicians certificate
of health, she must be a graduate from
a training school for nurses which
gives a thorough professional educa-
ton, both theoretical and practical.
and requires at least two years resi-
dence in a hospital. She must be in
lorsed by the superintendent of nurses
at tho hospital from which she grad
1ated and by the one under whom she
was trained. These provisions may
De waived in whole or in part in the
,ases Of dietists, of immunes to yellow
ever and Of nurses who have rendered
army service during the
;panish-American war.
When a nurse is appointed she
igns a contract for at least one year +;
Inless sooner discharged. For servi-
es in the United States a nurse is
aid $40 month, and i'll Cuba, the
rtokRico. or the Ha- t
raiian Islands, $50 a month. In large