The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-29

with regard to the remarks about so
cial influence" and promotion Mr.
Treves has been very generally supported
The Westminster Gazette for example,
says:
base would have had the courage to
speak out in this fashion, for the very
sinple reason that such an act would
nave most certainly effectually blighted
ms military career. In this there is no
eXaggeraton. This social influence this
petticoat patronage is the canker which
ior years, and more especially for the
last few years, has been sapping the vi
tality of the British army. Itlis q notori-
Gus fact that the surest method of OBJ
tanning good appointment is for an of
Icer TO get his name noted the list
kept by certain lady of title; the goou
word or the dame win more effectually Sc
cure the advancement of her nominees
lnah any amount of meritorious service
or hard work without such backing If
MT Treves has done anything to expose
TINS scandal he well deserves the graft
tude of all Englishmen.''
Here are some extracts from letter
written by bona fde army nurse at
the front:
The lady amateur crops up every
Where When military excitement is going
on. Lord Kitchener himself took most
stringent measures to keep her out of the
Soudan, but she has succeeded beyond all
precedent in this South African cam
palgn. The society ladies' who shipped
as nurses-many of them thus escaped
paying their own passa ges-aIl wear silk
gowns and the fiimsiest caps and aprons,
and look like the nurses of fancy fairs
II amateurs came as additional
nurses they could play around brow
smoothing and not do much harm; but in
many instances the War Office authorizes
only certain number of nurses in hospi-
tals and on Transports. When society
women, with no technical training take
these posts they FIJI posts which ought to
De hiled by certlhcated nurses Real
nurses, as a consequence, are too few in
number and terribly overworked by doing
their own and the amateurs duties.
NO end of trouble has been caused by
these masquerade nurses to DOCTORS
nurses, and poor, sick, wounded Tom
mics They get in everybody's way and
have fs no .o, intention Of working. Their idea
IS to take posts of authority and boss
the trained nurses, who have borne the
/ heat and burden of many years in hos
ptal
I'VE don't grudge them going around
| the wards in fancy dress, distributing
flowers, and petting Tommy Atkins. They
! can do this picturesquely enough. But in
| reference with the nursing of the sick
soldier is too serious a matter. Many of
these amateurs We're actually sent to the
front somebody in authority had The
courage TO send several of them back to
the headquarters responsible for their
appointment. Social influence has no right
70 count when 1t comes to war nursing
II would astonish English people did they
Know now many of these nurses with
out one days hospital training in their
ives, are trying their prentice hands on
Tommy sick. And if ever patients called
for good nursing it is these poor fellows
from the front-with terribly shattered
wounds, enteric, and dysentery
Meanwhile hundreds of South African
nignly framed nurses are out of employ
ment owing to the war. Nurses from
Kimberley and Johannesburg and Cane
Town sit with idle hands, many almost
destitute, while the amateur nurses take
salarled positions. Some of them give
their services; others have Government
posts and receive Government pay. Very
often they spend it in cologne and cush-
IONS for the patients; but that does not
make II easier for the trained certifica ted
do W
There are many ways in which the
lelsured society woman may help the sick
Soluler, put the sooner she realizes that
her province does not lie in the wards of
military hospital the better
The Daily News Australian correspond
ent sends some characteristic KRUGER
anecdotes, which he heard while a prison
er IN the hands of the Beers:
AT one time he was very fond of i'd
lns on horseback, as nearly all Beers are
Once when out for a ride he met an old
woman hobbling along with a bundle
She looked at the strapping young fellow
rather Wlstfully, as If she envied him his
comfortable seat on the saddle. He passed
her. then looking over his shoulder Eotjc-
ed that the old dame hung her head wear
lily as she plodded along behind him He
refined up his horse, Jumped down and
without ceremony lifted the old woman.
bundle and all, into his saddle Then,
taxing the horse by the bride, led the
animal carefully onward toward his own
farm Just before arriving there the OLD
woman said: May God be good to va for
your kindness to one so old and help
as you have done. If 1 had been young
ana comeiy, as l once was, l could Then
Understand it If you had been young
and comely l should not have dared 10
do it, said he. with just a suspicion If
laughter in his hard-set eyes. Not dared
she SAID, and why; should I, then. have
eaten you? You might not said he. with
low chuckle, but pointing to his wifi.
VINO was standing smiling on the stoop i
think she would have
on another occasion he was our en-
a love expedition, but found that ano.her
young man had arrived there before hlm
Inc other sutton was bit of a coxcomb
as coxcomhs go on the veldt He had d
snowy horse and a gorgeous saddle -
a new suit of clothes fresh from he
hawker's van, and when Paul Kruger ar
rived on his rough but useful horse with
saddle s to match and clothing homemade
TO suit the outfit, the other chap passed
81 me remarks which caused the lust of
Dattle TO surge up good and strong in the
future Presidents blood, but the maiden,
VINO had the shrewd sense to know the
difference between a mule and man
maze MIN promise not to lay a hand on
lhe other fellow, because he vas not
worth the bother that would be certain to
follow such blow as young Paul Krre-
ger was sure to give. The dude somehow
got an idea that Kruger had promised
the damsel he would not strike HIN ano |
as even in those days, Paul was roted
lor ms love OF the truth, he thought he |
might very safely venture to De ruda, %. |
climbing into his saddle he fred off an
unbearable lot of insolence right in the
young mans teeth. Paul stood it until |
human nature could stand no more. |
Drawing back until he got the full force
OF MS giant strength well behind the
blow, he dashed out and caught the horse
behind the ear The brute staggered
from the shock, as if a second-class |
earthquake had risen up and smitten il. |
tnen fell fiat on its flank, breaking the
riders leg in the fall. oh, Paul, Paul!' |
cried the girl; you promised me you
would not hit him, no matter what he |
said That is SO, dear said the young |
veldsman, with twinkle in his eyes, and !,
l Kept my word to the letter, for l didn't
say wouldn't hit his horse
w hen he was in Lonuon an English |
friend offered to show him the sights of |
the modern Babylon. Dom Paul fell in
with the idea, and the Briton gathered
him in to see ballet show, thinking to |
get some fun out of his shocked feelings. |
but Dom sat and watched the whole show
with evident interest.
What do you think of the girls; nice
and fresh, amt they?' said the Briton
with a sly wink at the old patriarch