Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-02
THE NURSESHS
Those Who Served in Spanish
American War.
LARGE ATTEN DANCE
ASSOCIATION WELCOMED By COM
MISSIONER MCFARLAND.
Greetings Received From Daughters Of
American Revolutlon-Col. Uren
Delivers an Address.
LARGE ATTEN DANCE

"A large representation OK the women WHO
did noble service In the spanish-American
war as nurses attended the opening session
In the red parlor of the Ebbitt House this
morning Of the Spanish American War
Nurses Association. They listened to words
Of welcome, and then, after transacting
some routine business, the session of the
morning was brought to a close. The room
was hardly large enough to accommodate
all who wished to attend, and the interest
displayed by the nurses in the proceedings
was marked. DR.. Anita Newcomb MCGEE
who drafted the clause in the bill passed
by Congress establishing the Army Nurse
Corps, presided with as much success as
she performed the much more arduous work
when she was In charge OF the army
nurses during the war. Before the hostll1-
ties had been concluded the nurses in the
service numbered 1,5O0, and the value OF
the services performed in this country and
in Cuba and the Philippines was recognized,
SO that corps Of nurses is now part OF
the army establishment.
If Congress approves the suggestion
made by the surgeon general of the navy,
there will be a nurses corps attached to
the navy.
The advance guard of the association ar
rived in the city yesterday and they were
received and escorted about the city by
members of the Daughters of the American
of the Spanish War Veterans. Yesterday
afternoon meeting was held of the ex-
ecutive committee and last evening recep-
ton was given in their honor by Anita
Newcomb MCGEE at her home 1901 Balti-
more street.
The Opening Proceedings.
When the members came together this
morning prayer was offered by Bishop Sat
terlee, and then Commissioner Mcfarland
intrO6ncad a & tho reproSanfafi tive of the
government of the District of Columbia.
In her Introductory remarks, which were
extremely happy in this instance. as during
the entire session, DR.. MCGEE said the right
of voting was not enjoyed by the citizens
of Washington, but in this respect as Miss
Susan B. Anthony had once remarked to
her, they were blessed with greater degree
Of equality than in any other community
in this country.
For as Miss Anthony dryly remarked,
here no one votes, and SO you are all on
an equality"
A cordial greeting was given to Commits
sioner mcfarland by the audience, which
was composed exclusively of ladies'
Mr.. Mcfarland said, in part:
On behalf Of the executive government OF
the District of Columbia am proud to bid
you a hearty welcome to the national cap
ital. We feel honored by your presence
here. for we reckon YOU among the hero
ines of the Spanish war. In that war, as
in every war. the herofnes at home were
lar more numerous IMAM tnOSe III the lle1u
The women who gave up their loved ones
in that war of humanity, women north and
south. and east and west showed the hero
ism characteristic of the true American wo-
man. We all honor them for 1T. We honor
also YOU and those like you who went to
the camps and to Cuba and Porto Rico and
the Philippines. and in hospital and on the
field cared for the sick and wounded and
Soothed the dying. ; You represented the
sympathy of the nation and It's tender de-
sire to minister to the men who had gone
forth at its bidding, to a noble warfare
which liberated the oppressed, extended its
borders and Its powers, and advanced Its
glory. The proudest title of the pope Of
Rome is Servant of the Servants Of Cod"
Your proudest title may well be Servant
of the Servants of America" And In that
service YOU exhibited qualities no less SOL
dierlike and admirable than those of the
men who fought You shared their dan
gers. difficulties and discouragements; you
were actually under fire in some cases. and
often under the more deadly attacks of dis
ease. and you deserve, you have re-
ceived. your full measure Of the respect
and regard Of your felow-countrymen.
There Is no place in the country where
you will be more welcome than here, where
your commissions were signed, your Iabors
directed. your reports received, and where
your memorials are preserved for all time
to come. hero of the Spanish war is in
the White House to receive you and all
through the War and Navy DEPARTMENTS
well in the homes of our people. are
those who can especially appreciate all
your labor of love.
Col. Urell's Address.
AS the commander in chief Of the Spanish
War Veterans, as well as veteran of two
wars, Col. Urell, who was the next speaker,
was given hearty welcome. He referred
to the help and comfort which the presence
Of trained women afford to the soldier boy.
A woman's voice and sympathy does more
he said in than do
and doctors. Such a thing as a trained
nurse or women's aid in any form in the |
hospitals was unknown, he said, during the |
early years of the civil war, and he be- |
lieved many a life would have been saved |
if the sufferers could have had the minis
trations of a woman's hand. In closing he |
expressed the hope that in the next war he |
would find women nurses with the army
for, he added, war seems to take place
about once in thirty years, and at the end
of that period he would still be young
man.
DR.. MCGEE spoke Of the greetings which
she brought to the meeting Of army nurses
Of the civil war; which met here at the time
of the Grand Army reunion. She had been
told that an effort had been made to pre-
pare list of all women who had served in
the civil war as nurses, and they had sue
ceeded in getting together about 600 AS
with the 500 trained nurses who
were doing duty in the Spanish-American
war the contrast between the conditions in
the hospitals of the two wars could be APP
DIR. MCGEE also spoke of the efficient work
of trained nurses in the South African
war as an indication of the growing recog-
milton of the value Of womens aid in allie
Waiting the suffering caused by war to the
Greetings Received.
Greetings from the Daughters of the
American Revolution were conveyed in |
graceful stirring language by Mrs Chas. |
w. Fairbanks, the president general She
spoke of the nurses association as one of |
the auxifiaries of the Daughters of the |
American Revolution, and Dr. MCGEE in |
presenting Mrs. Fairbanks, who was re-
ceived by the delegates rising to their feet |
to do her honor, spoke Of the aid which the |
nurses had received from the daughters |
during the war. Mrs. Fairbanks emphasized |
the self-denying work done by the women
in the hospitals of the late war
Mrs. Flora Lewis, the national president
of auxiliaries Spanish War Veterans an
organization, DR.. MCGEE said, which had |
been of the greatest assistance to the work |
of the nurses, spoke words of welcome as |
well as appre citation. J, Innresponse to a call |
a few words of welcome were uttered by |
Mrs. Peter H. Kinney, the superintendent |
of the army nurses corps.
Medical Inspector Boyd of the United |
States navy was called upon to give some !
account of hill which had hepy rran, rod |