Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-30

As an indication of the rapid advance of
our military satrsps towards the imperial
ism they are fighting for in the Philippines.
the following will be read with interest be-
tween the lines.
While on the face of the occurrence the
superficial may only see a strike of the
female trained nurses in Manila because
they were required to wash the dishes of
officers, yet il is evident that the attempted
degradation in social status of the nurses is
responsible for the strike In the United
States the trained nurse ranks equally with
the family or individual employing her for
the time being, and is usually treated with
respect and courtesy Not so in Manila.
Our military satraps. as will be seen by the
following, have notified the nurses that
social equality is at an end between them,
and that the heretofore pleasant social rela-
tions which existed must cease.
Here is the account Of the strike and the
order referred to- cutting of the social rea-
tions which had heretofore existed:
"Thirty'6ve nurses walked out on a strike
yesterday at the First Reserve Hospital
Manila, because an order was issued re-
quiring them to wash dishes.
1t has long been the custom for the con-
valescent patients to do the dishwashing
and other light work Of their wards, and
that custom still prevails in most Of the de-
partments of the institution. But in the
officers ward the couvalesceuts, of course,
could not be expected to do such things.
the custom had grown up of il being done
by the hospital corps men. Lately an order
was issued forbidding this and assigning
the work to the nurses The nurses
promptly hired a native muchacho at their
own expense, to do the dishwashing, and
everything seemed to be running smooth
ly. But 10. there came another order the
following morning prohibiting the employ
meut of civilian help for such work, and
then the righteous fires o. indignation
broke out in full blast among the ladies of
the whole hospital
A meeting was at once called for Tuesday
night and every nurse of the institution at.
tended. 1t was also attended by Mrs kin
ney the chief nurse of the whole army
whose headquarters are at Washington. but
who is in the Philippines on tour of in
spection. At this meeting the subject was
thoroughly discussed, and as the unaui-
nous sentiment was opposed to dishwash-
ing resolution was adopted and signed by
all asking that the obnoxious order be re.
scinded and declaring their intention to re.
sign if it was not.
This paper was forwarded through Mrs
Kinney to the commandaut of the hospital,
Major Arthur, and resulted in a sharp order
for the ladies to go to work, and denying
their request.
True to their resolution, upon receipt of
this command, the thirty five nurses walked
out, retired to their quarters at the Home
in San Miguel and refused to go to work
This barred the hospital with patients in
1t and force of corps men were called in
to do the nursing. The action of the ladies
has brought down the wrath of those who
were responsible for the Objectionable
order, and talk has been INDUCED in of
court martial for insubordination
The other side Of the story, as told by the
officer in charge, is that the nurses have
had little to do, while the corps men have
been worked to death Hence it was de-
cided to divide up the duties and the ladies
were ordered to do the dishwashius.
To those in a position to observe the
trend of affairs in the hospital service. it
has been evident for some time that trouble
was brewing over the attitude taken by the
nurses. When the innovation of female
nurses was first made soon after the out.
break Of the Spanish-A american war, and all
through the period of active hostilities
when the attention of the American public
was riveted upon the army, they were APP
parently ranked with the officers, and were
received and visited by the officers and
their families.
ntrt for s-.-.o a.. a.
been at work to change that. II has been
decreed that officers must not associate
with nurses. This decree took the form of
an official order in IloilO and officers so in
formed their acquaintance among the
nurses, in explanation of their discontinu
ance of calls.
Whether the decree was embodied in an
official order for the whole army cannot be
stated here, but 1t IS said on excellent
authority that an eminent General now in
service in the Philippines made the state
ment upon the arrival in this city of a
young lady whom he had known in the
United States that to his regret he would
not be able to call on her since, being a
nurse, II was forbidden.
Another indication of this malign in
huence is found in the order requiring the
nurses to be furnished only second.class
transportation on the army transports
It is also pointed out that this policy
threatens the deterioration of the service,
since the better class of trained nurses in
the United States will not enter the service
under such conditions. And it is said that
many Of the nurses who have been in the
service since the early days have resigned
during the past year and gone home"