Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-22


ing from lieutenant to major in the med
,ca, officers reserve corps, and be per-
Ty,1,a take places in military hos
H. rance.
10, Bakers decision will de-
"a ne extent upon the impress
III, elves from an inspection cf
IN. 10 maintained by the Scottish
a. ,spitals on the battle line in
re all the work Is done by
-, icians.
tretary Baker has seen wom-
.,r ~ perform major operations
men within sound Of the
=, =, expected by the women ply
s,R \ lerica to abandon his for
~ hc1 against granting commis-
IA tyouien. The United states
~ ,..y D, the first great nation to
~, action. Medical women OF
H. N ates are not holding up
,hot 4 'atons for war service. how
w. are, IN Secretary Baker shall have
a.ch "a yrJaet ther or not they are entitled
"a i H.. 4 rank when serving at the
,,on Ne American Womens Hos
n,,aI ranch of the Medical Women's
Ta,,l "a association, has under way
nroie., ,o,g itablishing the first hospital
y III ,ceY 20 be managed entirely by
an,,r,ca, , 4 women physicians,
4 sii ncise Huge Fund
1aisu 20 raise a huge fund for
.,,,b, sr hx ~ hospital will be opened
Ill ~ III. 10 rgted States on March &c.
I,xner,, tav estimated that the first
bosnH - kritn its equipment. will cost
sseo ~ Al pased above that figure
,,y,n ~, fsvat,Ad 10 establishing dispensa-
. a. a.. bogptta15 IN link i'm
. shnn AZ ith lhe main hospital.
rho ,Aspltal will he established under
,b. A. f.tion of the American Red
cos alttl viii be for the treatment of
ciy,lians Vim the devastated regions of
nortbern Irnnce. The organization of
units toA rske over military medical
work willV not be considered by the Amer
ican Wotneus Hospitals. except upon
sn.ci1l I'eduest of Surgeon General
Corgas iurtil the first hospital for
clJiiians Ias been firmly established.
The Women physicians Of the United
States 81 lieve themselves to be peculiarly
6tted fob the type of work they are to
undertafs in France. French civilian
refugeesy DOW have little or no. skilled
medical q ttention. Virtually every avail
abs FIR iench physician Is in the medical
sstvice4 ON the battle front Those still
practicnng In the devastated villages VIII
lie rxieAs sod for service at the front when
tfwAnterican unit arrives.
Z The ipa ients of the American women
dootoYsi will he for the most part old
nsi1. women and children. A majority
Of The e. ses treated probably will be
n,attrnify' ca ses, at which women physi-
( afds . re especially adept. One-third OF
thesentire fund raised is to be set aside
for, the care of refugee children of the
devastated country over which the Ger
mans retreated.
Ht. Law Recognizes No Sex
The attempt TO secure military rec
ognition for women physicians engaged
in war work is not sponsored by the
American womens Hospitals, but Is be-
ing watched with keen interest by
women physicians everywhere. Two act
ing Judge advocate generals have de-
cided that there can be no strictly legal
objection to granting commissions IN
the medical officers reserve corps to
women, since the law creating the corps
refers only to citizens" and makes no
sex qualification. But both have in
sisted that 1.-THE law must be construed
I'D the light Of military service and
USAGE" which would seem to put up
the bars against women doctors. Both
also expressed doubts that women could
qualify physically for the arduous serv-
Toe required.
Chairman Dent, of the House military
affairs committee, said he disapproved
oftwomen taking part in the fighting
but saw no objection, and, in fact
( favored commissioning them for non
conbatant service, such as is to be un-
dertaken by the American Women's
Hospitals in France. Representative
Julius Kahn, of California, ranking Re-
publican member of the military af'
fairs committee. shared the view OF
tha chairman.