The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-01-31
ACTIVITIES OF
THE RED CROSS

nurses now TO supply the eman OF
the government. Every month that
the war lasts increases the demand
for nurses and decreases the number
available for service. After the war
ends for at least five years the de-
mand will continue to increase for
trained women who can do their part
in the reconstruction of devasted parts
of France, Belgium, Roumania and
Serbia.
These were the statements made to-
day by Miss Edith Barber, director
of nursing for the Northern Division
of the Red Cross.
ut seems next to impossible" de-
clared Miss Barber, ITO make the
young women of this country awake
to the Importance of this nursing
work, to make them know how serious
is the need for nurses now, both in
our camps and environments and in
France, and to appreciate the neces-
sity that will exist for trained Nurse
after the war ends.
Hundreds of young women are an
xious to join the nursing service, but
they are not prepared. They hest
tate to enroll for the three years
training provided in this state, declar-
ing that in three years the war will
be over and there will be no calls for
active service, they will have wasted
their time in training.
"Such is absolutely not the case No
one knows how long this war will
last. 1t may last three years more.
We all hope and pray that it will not,
but if it should this country would
be drained of every nurse and there
would be none to take the places of
those who had gone.
Gwen if the war should end to-
morrow, the demand for nurses would
still increase for the next five or even
ten years. All the devastated areas
of Europe must be rebuild and re-
constructed. This work must be ac-
complished by Americans. There will
be thousands of poverty stricken peo-
pie, crippled men and orphaned child
rem who need medical attention. This
must be furnished by Red Cross nurs-
.es. I can think of no more splendid
work than this and nurses who enroll
for training now will be the women
who must bear the brunt of this
great. task.
"They may enroll for training in
any accredited school for nurses. The
Red Cross does not train nurses but
accepts graduates from any accredited
school. There are no short courses
in nursing that will admit the grad
uate to the Red Cross ranks. Much
Of my correspondence is devoted to
correcting the prevalent impression
that there are short courses available
for woung women desiring to become
nurses.
"There are none. The three year
course is the only training that will
admit a nurse to service with the Red
Cross in this state. Nurses who en-
roll for such courses now however can
be assured plenty of actual service
after their graduation.
"Many women write concerning the
courses in nursing aid.' That is a
valuable course of training for women
who must do what they can to take
the places of nurses from this u
try who will be called to the front
but there is little or no demand for
such graduates in Europe. There wo-
men who speak English and know the
customes Of the country are much
preferred for such service and the
nursing aid course does not admit a
graduate to the full rank of a Red
Cross nurse"
Nearly $4,000 children in France
are receiving aid from the American
Red Cross in France at the present
time, according to a copy of a cable
gram, forwarded to the Northern Di-
vision headquarters.
Seven hundred children r receiv-
ing complete medical care at the
hands of the American Red Cross doc
tors and nearly 5000 are being treat
ed at the medical d~ispensaries of the
American relief society.
In addition there are 10000 or
phans and other children who are be-
ing aided by the America Red Cross
either directly or Indirectly.
The American Red Cross is also
aiding 5000 Belgian children of whom
it has 1000 in charge. Hospitals and
other shelter for orphans and children
from the ruined areas are maintained
as an important activity of the Amer
lean Red Cross abroad.
Children who have long gone un-
washed, many of them infected and
seriously ill, receive tender and in
telligent care. Not only as a work
of mercy, but because it helps insure
the welfare Of the coming generation,
this child welfare work of the Amer
lean Red Cross is regarded as of i'm
mense value.
Members of the Degree of Honor
at Bismarck, N. H., have completed
plans for the raising of funds for its
share in the states assessment for
the Red Cross nurses fund and the
first benefit will be a card party. The
Degree Of Honor, which is an auxil-
larry RI the Ancient Order Of limited