Arizona republican., 1918-05-08
vASSAR CO[LEGE CLASSES TO AID
 IN WAR LAbORS

The government has accepted an of fer of Vassar college to use the college buildings and grounds for a three months intensive theoretical course in the training of nurses, to affiliate with sufficient first class hospitals that will take over students at the end of the course for practical hospital ex- perience, thus shortening the required course 10 the briefest time consist ent with maintaining the present standards and. , if possible, conclude the course back of the firing line.
 Vassar graduates living in Arizona will be interested perhaps in knowing that ever since the United States en- tered the war it has been the keen de- sire of the Vassar trustees, faculty, alumnae and undergraduates to have some definite, necessary and helpful part in it's prosecution. In consequence the board of trustees appointed a com mittee of three to devise such plan. The committee comprised Frank R. Chambers. Frank L. Babbott and Mrs. John T. Blodgett, 'S4 chairman. It was decided that whatever was done must be done for college women only, must be something basic, alike for peace and war, and must be some thing of such national importance that the government would recognize it's fundamental and back it financially. Mrs. Blodgett finally hit upon the plan, approved by the trustees and alumnae, that has just been accepted by the government, through the Ma tional Red Cross, which is supporting it financially to the extent of $75,0O0 from it's general fund.
 It is approXimated by the surgeon generals office that if the war con- tinues the Red Cross will need within a short time between 30.000 and 40,000 nurses for the needs of the U. $. army alone. The other allies are depending upon the United States to supplement their own nursing service.
 There are between S0,000 and 90,000 registered nurses in the United States at the present time. Approximately 16,500 of this number are enrolled Red Cross nurses, the majority of whom are in active service, ready for mobiliza- tion, or prepared for special service. These and other figures furnished by the Vassar board show that there is heavy demand for nurses and that this demand will heavily increase as the American army grows in Europe. Figures are also shown to suggest the need of about 10000 additional nurses in the work of reducing infant mor- tality in the United States to a mini mum. Other nurses are needed in preventive work in insanity, the spread of epidemics. and in other hospital work throughout the United States The bulletin of the Vassar trustees then says: Here then is a profes- sion theimmediate need of which both for war and peace is urgent. The 'Vassar idea" will make it possible to prepare a battalion of women to dc that war and peace work for which they are most needed and which is in- disputably woman's work. Our staff embraces men and women of distinc- tion in their several subjects, sucf as have never before been gathered for similar purpose. Those who may
 be named are:
 Anatomy and hysiology-Prof. c E. A. Winslow, Yale University; Dr Wm. H Park, department of health
 New York City; Miss Anna Williams Contagious Diseases hospital, Nev York City.
 : History and ethics of nursing Miss Isabel M. Stewart, Columbi; | university.
 l 'Dietetics and cookery-Miss Helel