The Washington times., 1902-12-01
WASHINGTON GREETS
SOCIETY OF WAR NURSES
Organization Hopes to Have
Naval Corps.
HOLD ANNUAL CONVENTION
Women in the Navy a New Departure
Likely to Atuact Attention
Of Foreign Powers.

Washington has turned this week over
TO the Society of Spanish-American
War Nurses, the young women who
bravely faced the perils of war in Cuba,
Porto Rico. the Philippines and China to
nurse and care for the sick and wounded
of Uncle Sans fighting forces. The an
rual reunion Of the society commenced
today. The business meetings will com
mence at the Ebbitt House tomorrow
morning
Now that the establishment Of a corps
of women nurses in the army has proved
20 be such a success. the members OF the
society purpose TO urge during the pres
ent session that Congress pass some
law that will admit Of women nurses for
the navy in the various naval hospitals
scattered throughout the country.
The nurses say that Secretary Moody
given the proposition their hearty ap-
proval and il only remains for Congress
TO provide the necessary funds.
To Be Recruited
There are about 100 nurses in the reg
ular army corps and il is the idea OF
the nurses TO have fifty in the navy TO
begin with that number being sufficient
70 provide for a few in each hospital
ashore. They are to be recruited as the
army recruits its nurses. by subjecting
applicants to rigid mental. moral and
physical examination. The rate Of pay
provided in the bill TO be introduced q
500 per month. about the same the
trained nurses receive In private prac-
tice
Placing women nurses in the navy is
another new departure that will likely
attract the attention Of foreign powers.
The United States was the arst 20 or
ganlze a corps Of trained women nurses
for its army, and now Uncle Sam is the
first with the application Of a similar
idea to the naval branch
NO one will dispute that the country
must always have az its command
body OF trained soldiers. ready to tight
In every emergency" said one OF the
nurses today. Those men must not be
carpet fighters, skilled in the theory but
not in the practice Of fghting. They
must have been thoroughly trained.
Admitting this 20 be the case. why
then IS it not equally true that the
country should have a corps OF trained
women nurses. For in order TO have
the work properly done in time OF war
the women must be drilled and trained
in time Of peace. What is true Of the
army Is equally true OF the navy. The
day Of the born nurse and the 'volun-
teer nurse is gone. The war nursing OF
81 and G5 has been supplanted by mod
ern scientific surgery. and medicine at
tended by women who are trained in
the work.
Nurses to Be Experts.
1T is the purpose Of the War Nurses
Society. assisted by the members
Of the Naval Committee Of the Senate
and House. TO draw up such a bill as will
provide that the fifty nurses 10 be re-
cruited FOR the navy shall each be on
expert. They viii have to be grad
yates Of institutions that stand well in
the medical world and VIII have had
several years hospital training aud 9TH
or work as a requisite for taking the
examination to BE- provided
After having passed the examination
for entrance into the naval corps tho
nurses will know enough about medicine
to prescribe for patients in emergency
cases and IL necessary to diagnose.
The nurses attended the opening ses-
sion 2f Congress today. Before doin z
so they called at the rooms of the House
Committee OF Military Affairs. where
they paid their respects to Chairman
Hull. Tonight they will attend a recep-