Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-31

customed to discipline. Working con-
tinually as she does under doctors orders
she has learned how to obey. For such
work women are wanted who have
acquired the habit of obeying orders
The service they are required to un-
dertake is a military service and disci-
might say to the doctor. I think an
other way would be better The trained
nurse would never think of making such
a remark. She does what she is told to
do.
The whole system of utilizing thu serv-
ices OF trained nurses in war is. OF
course. very new. All the nurses who
volunteered for work during tho civil
war were without training. and it fol-
lowed necessarily that. with the best in
tentions in the world. they were con-
stantly making dangerous blunders The
plague OF women. which. according TO
Cen Kitchener. afflicted the British army
In South Africa during the conflict with
the Beers was a plague OF unframed
nurses.
Were It necessary We could double the
5000 nurses on the Red Cross roll In a
short time. Among those now enrolled
are many women OF extraordinary apt
ready to respond to our summons who
could take charge OF a I.oo0-bed hos
pital We have others who are expert
dieticians and who are sufficiently skilled
in matters OF the kind TO assume the
management OF the entire culinary outnt
Of such an establishment.
THE dress OF war nurse Is grayish
blue, with a white apron. white cap
with Red Cross in front and turu-down
collar. She carries with her no other
m
tains all the belongings she requires
Her nav is SEQ a month for service out
side of the United States $50 innde,.
or about one-half her ordinary wages
The government however. provides her
with subsistence and transportation.
THE personnel OF the Red Cross in
the field is organized into sections ana
columns. Field columns. each consisting
Of ninety-one men. uniformed IN forest
green khaki. with gray flannel shirts and
leggins, usually serve at bases OF opera
tons and along the lines OF conimunica-
ton connecting such bases with the
front 1t Is their principal business 70
assist in the transportation OF WOUNDED
and sick from the field hospitals to base
hospitals and to establish rest and food
stations, each column being under the
command of an army surgeon
with each hospital column there
are forty-six nurses. whose business It
is not only to do nursing. but to per
form other services in military. nos
pitfalls, such as to manage kitchens ana
superintend the laundering and repair
of linen. They also do dutyso on hos
pital trains and hospital ships, Each
hospital is under the direction OF an
army surgeon but the Red Cross FUR
nishes the personnel -
mot least important Of the activities
~ the Red Cross arc those when are
represented in the field by Information
sections. One of these sections Is at
the headquarters of each corps, ~
vision or other body OF troops opefaelns
clerks. stenographers and typewriters'
and its business is to obtain ln1orna
ton from the military authorizes con
corning the sick, wounded ana oeau,
and to transmit sucn inteihsehS
relatives and friends.
1.-The headquarters Of all the tnforma-
tion sections is the information bureau
of the Red Cross in washington IN
fact. the chief of each such section IN
the field is an official reporter engaged
in gathering news for this bureau IL
ia not merely news about Americans
that ia thus Eathered. Should there no
war with Mexico similar Intelligence in
regard to Mexican prisoners OF war
would be communicated to their lam
lilies whenever possible. The news cen
ter Is the Washington headquarters:
and to the information bureau here all
inquiries should be addressed
Every Red Cross nurse engaged IN
war service. like all other members OF
that organizations personnel. wears on
her sleeve the brassard authorized py
the treaty of Geneva. 1t marks her as
a person sacred under the rules OF civ
ilized warfare. Each brassard has It's
number registered in the War Depart
ment, without whose permission no
such insignia are permitted to b
worn"