The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1917-06-14


We brought with is a consciousness Of
the many mistakes made in the hun
dred new activities which peace-lov.
Ing democracy must enter upon when
1t reluctantly passes to state Of war.
Did Great Deal of Work.
I'm Washington we were met with a
welcome which surprised even those OF
Us who knew best the depth Of feeling
possible in this great people We have
not spent all our time in festivity or in
interchange of compliments, however.
Almost from the first day we settled
down TO the grim business of war
work. Il was not for US % offer our
opinion on the situation; still less to
suggest course Of action for the
United States to follow. We could,
however, help by laying before the adj
ministration the fruit Of our experience
and many bitter truths about the price
we had to pay for blunders of our own.
The work has been continuous and it
has only just ended.
I'VE felt. however, that the welcome
ne received was not Il mutter between
governments alone; 1t was 6Did we not
have repeated proof of this?) the spon-
taneous offering Of a great people from
whom the government draws its power
Il was not easy for US to make clear
10 the people how much we were
moved and encouraged by their sym
Pathy and 10y their generosity.
one Of the great forces of the IA
tion-the press of the United States
came 10 our aid and their consideration
and courteous assistance made it pos
sible for us. in sense, to serve the
people By answering questions which
they thought fit to put TO Us.
There was one feature missing The
very size of the republic made it i'm
possible for us in person to thank ali
those who have been our hosts these
last three weeks. Some of the sec
tons of the Union It was quite impos-
sible for us TO visit. The states of
the middle West and the Pacific slope
should naturally have been visited by
any foreign mission that realized fully
the meaning Of Americas immensely.
We must go back to war in England,
and 50 we cannot do IT,
May the visit which is now coming
10 an end interpret for you the graft
tude of the country from which we
have been sent, and may the comrade-
ship which has been recently inaueH-
rated lead to "A better mutual under
standing, perpetual as the peace for
which we are going to fight together"
What Nurses Aids Do.
In the course Of the next year prob
ably hundreds of young women
will start for Europe as nurses aids.
Il kind of hospital assistants job
which is not as pleasant as the
mornings work of shopping and
the afternoons work of sitting on the
yeranda partaking of the savory tea
with a slice of lemon in it, or per-
chance modicum of cream.
Experience in the European war
has shown that young women who
want to go To France as nurses aids
should understand thoroughly what it
is that they will have to do when they
get there. There is a glamour about
war for the young woman as there is
for the young man. Some American
young women have gone TO Europe
only to return because they found the
work WIS not to their liking.
Names must not be used. but there
We're several young American women
whose fathers hold big official posi-
tons and. with their families, high So
cal positions In these United States.
who went to Europe to undertake the
assistant nurses work aud who soon
reached the point of desiring nothing
better than a chance TO get on q home
bound steamer to seek once more the
routine of a girls everyday life in the
land of the free where there were no
hospital bandages to wash and no
floors to scrub
Most of Them Stick.
1t is to the credit of most of the
American girls who went abroad. how
ever, that they stuck to their jobs,
no matter how hard or uncongenial
they we're, aud did their service for
/ humanity in that devoted spirit which
! Americans like to call American. The
/ fact that most stayed and few re-
turned, however, makes it none the
less imperative perhaps that all who
go in the future should know what
/ they must do when they undertake
/ their new work.
The nurses assistant will wash
and steriize bandages In cases where
/ the supplies have run short and Il is
necessary TO reuse linen and gauze
t that better should be burned. She
will scrub floors If need be and she
will do work which she knows that
almost any maid-of-all-work would
refuse to do in the piping days of
peace in these United States of Amer
/ lea.
Trained nurses are used to the sick
room. Many Of them are accustomed
+ to sights of horror. 1t Is different
with the volunteer nurses assistant
t She never has seen man who was
hit with anything harder than ten
mis- ball. She has no realizing sense
/ of what war hospital means Little
wonder ii is perhaps that the nerves
4 of some of the volunteer nurses aids
who went abroad in the early days of
f the war gave way under the scenes
/ that came before them. The only
point is that the medical service wants
/ the help of only those who are able
/ 10 give IT, 1t does not feel that it
should be called upon While minister
/ ing to the wounded to minister also
10 those who become hysterical at the
sight Of the wounded