The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-27
Surgeon Generals Suggestion
Arouses New York Hospi-
tai Conference.
REyERSES BAKERS VIEWS
Secretary Had Said Students
Would Not Be Called In
Any Circumstances.

would have to learn not TO pc SICK Wniie
the war continues. or IL they insist. learn
to do without hospitals and nurses. That
was the tenor Of q meeting OF the Hos
pital Conference Of the City OF New
York, called yesterday at the New York
Hospital. to consider a suggestion from
the Surgeon General Of the United States
Army that considerable numbers Of Sc
Nor and also intermediate pupil nurses
be transferred to the ARMY School Of
Nursing.
There was some cor fusion In the
minds of the men and women present as
to exactly what the Government wants
DIR. s. s. Goldwater Of Mount Sinai Hos
pital former Commissioner OF Health,
presented a statement which said that
letter from the Surgeon General sug-
gested the calling OF pupil nurses, but
his statement went on to say that this
did not coincide with what Secretary
Baker had told representatives OF the
American Hospital Association as re-
Gently as June.
"In no circumstances Is the army 10
call out second and year pupils Ihat
would be a body blow to the hospitals.
and 1t Is unnecessary" the Secretary OF
War is quoted as having said.
Jealous of Movie Decision.
Other members of the conference. in
Guiding DR.. John Winters Brannan.
president of Bellevue and Allied Hospi-
tails. had received the impression In fire.
quent trips to Washington that civil
hospitals are to be left all necessary
nurses. but others had different stories.
~ n
was quoted as saying New York can
look out for itself: the army must be
supplied with doctors and nurses
Every one at the conference agreed
that the boys at the front must be sup
piled, but they hoped IT could be done
without calling New York's pupil nurses.
What annoyed them particularly was
the fact that the War Industries Board
has just declared the motion picture
business In all its branches an essential
war industry. An indignant paragraph
was inserted in the resolution the meet
ing adopted asking why 1t has mot
occurred to any officer of the Govern
ment to bestow equal consideration upon
the hospitals Of the country. whose i'm
portance Is too obvious to call for de-
fence"
Feeling that It Would be undignifed
10 INK nOSpltdlS Win tne TiONlcS tHc
resolution finally read as follows:
The Hospital Conference OF the City
OF New York has heretofore called at
tention to the progressive disntegration
of hospital organization and the steady
loss of hospital efficiency under war
conditions
while these conditions are not wholly
una voidabl the difficulties will he need
lessly aggravated unless the situation is
promptly. intelligently and sympatheti-
cally handled by the Government.
To Take Message Direct.
THE Hospital Conference appeals to
the President OF the United States to
direct the War Industries Board. the
Provost Marshal General and the Sur
q eon-General OF the United States Army
to formulate. in accordance with exist
ing laws, regulations which while giving
precedence TO immediate military needs
will nevertheless preserve the integrity
OF the civil hospitals az instruments OF
public service essential to the civil pop-
ulation and necessary to the war as
training schools for medical officers and
nurses"
DR.. Brannan-possibly borrowing a
leaf from the experience of his wife.
John Winters Brannan, who always took
whatever she had to say to President
Wilson on votes for women RICH; to the
White House gates no matter how much
trouble il made her-Dr. Brannan re-
marked that the best way TO secure
attention for this resolution was to back
II up in person. Accordingly he. Theo-
dore rockingham of Brooklyn and How
ard Townsend were appointed a COM
mittee to carry the resolution to Wash
ington.
All the hospital representatives had
tales OF woe about their shortage of
nurses and internes. One from the
Coney Island Hospital said only two in
ternes were there.
There was a w~~ protest from the
women when Or Brannan proposed the
plan of offering six months intensive
training for women to send abroad as
nurses aids