New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Wanted:
10000 Nurses
wv ASHINGTON, June Sup to the
wv present the Red Cross has had

w T ASH1NGTON, June 5.-Up to the
wv present the Red Cross has had
chiefly money from the American
people. Now the time has come to give
something else. The Red Cross is ask
ing the American people to give it 2o,-
600 graduate nurses for the army and
navy, almost twice many as the NUMBER
now enrolled from civilian ranks for service
in the War We have grown used to the
idea of army of millions. But multi
piled army means a multiplication OF the
casualty lsts-and of nurses.
The public's part in the campaign that is
being carried on to raise the nursing forces
of the nation does not lie merely IN cheer
ing the nurses when they pass. bulletin
that the Red Cross has issued from that
white marble building next to the Corcoran
Gallery in Washington puts the new duty
tersely in three sentences:
Save nurse for the wounded.'
Don't be selfish to your sick nelghbors!
Don't leave expectant mother without
essential nursing care"
Back of admonition of this kind is the
recognition that economy in attention, econ
omy in service is important an item IN
the winning of the war as economy IN TODD
SCuHS ana wearing Materials nt WCll-Io-
do, who have had the paths of living
smoothed out by the employment of trained
nurses where their attention was means
to luxury rather than a necessary aid to
saving life, are asked to make some sacrlfce.
Nurses who remain behind will be asked to
divide their attention, to become visiting
nurses and go about as the physician goes
on his morning round If healthy children
are to be born and mothers restored to
strength, nurses now employed unncces-
sarily must be given up for the greater
public need.
All this means reVolution in some areas
of American life. But means revolu-
ton, turning of the wheel of events to
better things, cleaner lives, greater aus
terity and an understanding of unselfsh-
ness Without that end it would be un-
bearable.
AS for the nurses themselves, they will be
making a new contribution to the future
of the world 1t is too easy to conceive of
nursing in it's particular relations and to
forget it's large meaning. An artist pictures
the nurse in her cap and 4pron and smooth
ing brow or winding bandage. But this
is only the sign of service.
This year the war will draw an additional
10000 nurses from the United States, and
half as many again in 1919. Women who
are available for nursing but not for mill
tary duty will be organized to step into
the places of those who going. And to
maintain the supply the surgeon general
is planning for the establishment Of special
training courses in hospitals all over the
country. 1t is estimated there
10000 nurses in the United States who have
not yet volunteered for military duty. With
half of these withdrawn, speed will be nee
essary to fill the ranks up to their required
strength. And Red Cross officials say that
there has rever been any excess of nurses
in the United States.
Women who have complained of the re-
strictions of woman's life, and who have
looked vainly for opportunities for an un-
qualified service in behalf of human beings,
will not have to look far. There are many
ways of fighting.