The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-01-30
NURSES ASK AID
FROM KENOSHA
The State Association Seeks
Mrs. Northway's Help
in Securing Rank
for Nurses.
MISS kOHLSAAT EXPLAINS
Milwaukee Official Presents the situa-
ton and Calls for Active
Support From City
and County.
MISS kOHLsAAT EXPLAINS

Il 49,
Kenoshans are going to do something
for the women who did so much for
them-me meaning the Red Cross Nurses
who saw the boys through the ravages
of shrapnel, gas, and influenza
They have been called "angels of
mercy but that is not enough. 1t
is only an honorary title. They want
and need rank with insignia that must
be respected. Many and many of them,
returning from the holocaust out there,
report that directions were frequently
disobeyed with disastrous results and
all because they "Were only directions
and not commands.
Accordingly they are asking Keno
sha people to help them secure rank
with bars or eagles or something that
will compel obedience and make pos
sible even greater miracles Of mercy.
The situation and the appeal are well
set forth in an interesting letter re-
Gently received by Mrs Millicent
Northway from the Secretary of the
Wisconsin State Nurse s Association,
Miss Kate Kohlsaat of Milwaukee. The
communication outlines the plans for
the campaign and asks the cooperation
of both soldiers and civilians. It
reads in part as follows:
THE Wisconsin. State Nurses AS
ISOLATION asks the assistance Of your
organization in their work to secure
rank for nurses. AS you must know,
this movement has been on foot for
about a year and is not to cease be-
cause of the Armistice.
"Our armies are not coming home
on the next boat, nor are military hos
pitfalls to close their doors, either
abroad or at home, for many months.
The work of the army nurse will con-
Etinne until the last man is mustered
out and her need for rank as a means
to higher efficiency will be as great in
the coming year as it has been in the
past.
"The Lewis Raker bill for rank for
nurses has been referred to the Mill
tary Affairs Committee of both SEN
ate and House.
. In the House a hearing was had on
the general proposition to give rank
to nurses on April Is, 1918. After this
hearing the House Committee pigeon
lholed the bill and it was decided by
our national committee, during the
summer, that it's next attack would be
pade on the smaller body Of the Sen
ate. Accordingly, the efforts of the
National Committee are being con-
centrated on the Senate Military AZ
| fairs Committee. Senator Chamberlain
of Oregon has referred the prelimin-
airy consideration Of the merits of the
kbill to subcommittee consisting Of:
Senator Gilbert Hitchcock, Nebraska.
Senator Morris Sheppard, Texas, sena-
tor Howard Sutherland Elkins, West
Virginia.
If this subcommittee does not con-
slider the bill meritorious, it win re-
fuse to bring the matter before the
whole Military Affairs Committee for
consideration
"The first task, therefore, is to edu-
cate the three members of this sub
committee as to the merits of our bill
and influence them to report to the
whole committee that the bill is worthy
of favorable consideration.
For this reason, letters and re-
solutions from influential individuals
and organizations all over the country
should be sent, in the first instance, to
the subcommittee urging these men to
recommend the measure to the Senate
Committee, second, to the rest of the
Military Affairs Committee. urging
them to report the bill out to the Sen
ate.
IF unable to reach these men. our
Wisconsin congressman and senators
should be acquainted with your inter
est in this bill and should be asked to
do two things: l. To favor the bill
when it comes before them. 2. To use
influence Immediately by urging the
members Of the Senate Military AT
fairs Committee to favor and report
the bill
"The congressman to whom YOU
write should be forced by the terms
of your letter to take definite position
stating whether or not he knows any,
thing at all about the bill; whether
he is already interested in it or op-
posed to it; whether he is willing to