New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-11
WOVEN AT THE CAPE.
DR.. TREyES REPLIES To CRITICISMS OF
HIS REMARKS.
LADY RANDOLPH Churchill DISCUSSES
THE WORK DONE BY THE HOS
PITAL SHIP MAINE AND
THE WOMEN NURSES
THE WOMEN NURSES.

London May 1.-The storm which the eminent
surgeon. Dr. Treves, raised by publicly decIar-
Ing that the plague Of women at the Cape
was worse than the plague Of flies shows no
signs Of abating Interviewed. Mr. Treves has
made the following reply TO his critics.
How any reasoning person can possibly have
construed my remarks into z sweeping condern-
for the life OF me- understand. for OF
course. nothing half so foolish or unjust was
conveyed in what ! said the Reform Club
dinner Probably no living has a deeper
sense than I have Of the splendid work which
many large hearted. unseIfish women. profess
slonaI and amateur alike. are doing in South
Africa to-day.
You may remember that was the only con-
sultirg surgeon thai took out q staff OF nurses
I did so because I know that women are indis-
pensable 70 that important branch Of hospital
work. For the other wOmen-the amateurs, II
you care 20 call them so-who have given up
home money and comfort TO help in the work
q alternating suffering. I have only the deepest
admiration. That any one II all the world
should have attached any other meaning 10 my
remarks am, as / said before, simply aston
ished.
But and here Dr.. Treves brought the cIinched
right hand into the palm Of his left) when I ex-
plain the condition Of affairs al Cape Town.
where the other sort Of woman is gathered you
VIII be able 10 judge for yourself whether I
was justified in entering strong protest against
what 4 described as The plague Of women"
Cape Town was. at The tine OF which I spoke.
packed with women idlers. the majority OF them
society" OF smart people. who. yearring for
new excltenents had come Out 70 South Africa
70 make holCay- say anC say Il very ear
nestly. that the condition Of affairs as brought
about by the presence OF these women was an
absoitIFe disgrace 70 The country The hotels
a. Cape Town. VIII say nothing Of DURHAM
were cramIed with these people in the euiov-
men Of what 70 Them was 4 picnic on q large
sea- The Mount Nelson Hotel packed
with them and i a sick wounded officer came
down from the front in search Of accommOda-
ton he had not The slightest chance Of getting
INTO decent hotel These women had not the
fsiures1 pre1sXr for being il South Africa be
Fcnd their own desire 70 make the campaign
means O obtaining new pleasures and excite
uleut.
That, however was not The worst side of their
presence When dinner parties and other junk
et!ngs grew wearisOne. they would make up
parties 70 visit the hospitals. What shall We
Go today oh. lets 20 and the wounded
would be the preparation for an invasion OF the
base hospitals and an incalcuable amount Of
Interference with the work Of the medical staff.
Officers in charge Of the wounded would, in the
course OF their duties. be interrupted by women
bearing permits signed by persOnages whose re-
guests the officers dared not or did not care 10
refuse. You know. perhaps what influence
means n The matter OF promotion. and so the
women would be taken round the wards and
shown the wounded. 70 the utter disOrganiZa-
ton q discipline and duty There We're cases
2 which The wounded men. aroused half dozen
times in succession by these meddlesou!e in
:ruders turned from them al last. saying. Good
heavens Shall ! ever get any rest"
In another instance certain medical officer
complained that Il was already late IN the day.
and he had not seen one OF his patients pro-
fessi0naIiy, owing % the horde Of usybody
women who had made his hospital the show
place for the day. These the women 10
whom Sir Alfred Miner referred. and OF whom
l have spoken as plague-w0men who are
making the scene OF war and suffering place
II which satisfy morbid curiosity and md
hrN enJoymenrs- For the woman who is giving
everything il the cause Of tenderness and COM
passion I have q profound admiration, for the
other sort have only disgust
d. Treves's speech called forth number Of
Indignant letters from women either personally
connected with or deeply interested IN the work
u women Al the front His remarks were gen
orally considered 10 BE- al dispersion upon all
women nurses and others
HOSPITAL WORK ON THE MAINE
NOT few believed that II was due 10 holding
the same opinions as Dr.. Treves that the Maine
Hospital Ship Committee had decided not 70
send back their women nurses The Associated
Press representative interviewed Lady Ran
colph Churchill upon the matter She said:
IN the first place, as you know our Sisters
we're not lady volunteers but skilled rrofas-
slonals-having received the same training and
receiving the same salaries as the male nurses
from the Mills Schools-the whole nursing star
y ne exact number OF each sex for which we
-SkeC-flffeen male trained nurses besides the
--A orCeriles, as well the four surgeons and
oAlE I'VE women nurses In reference to the
sisters nothing could exceed their excellent
NYIA. and Il We are parting with them
o1t decision casts no reflection their eff
cheney. Il has been found that the nursing
s'a1 vas TOO large for the number OF patients