Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-30
NURSING SERVICE HEAD
TO RETIRE FROM PLACE
'o Ethci Hope Bccher Performs
remarkable Fcats During
; Period OF War.
iiiENIus IN ORGANIZATIONS WORK
"any Thousands OF Nurses and
".ichts Pass Under Chiefs Eyes
una inspcction-Lord Kitchener
reared This Woman.
ny HAYDEN CHURCH.

NCN DoN. March Get would be
n narg - name any one woman whose
orli,' t'c great war was moro extra
svic,,a,,y' though many were more con
r Inc! Hope Bccher. Who is rcsigning
i Az poHt oil matron in chief OF Queen
Sovv,M,;undras Imperial Military Nurs ing
3I !, which she has filled Since 1910.
vas fortunate for Great Britain that
m Mms hhd at the head of her military
,iornnIiis service at tho outset as cXocp-
Mn capable and altogether remark
i n'' woman as Dame Bcchcr and
~ 700. who. In addition TO her genius
Il ,I,o sah!zation and other uncommon
,t.u ait!eS. mad experience of actual ser
49, IN another arduous campaign to
,,,aaw upon for guidance at the begin
ing OF Armcgcddon.
II lame bcchcr, who was trained at
nv London Hospital from 1893 TO 1899
d., Sister and acting matron in the
nvdih African War and was mentioned
~ b. Gispaiches and awarded the Royal
s Nud Cross. which Is possessed by few
o one WAS appointed principal matron OF
\ Su MUFFIN -Ieh >.,.i Imperial Military
nursing corps-ln 1903 and VAS pro-
hmo,So natron- in-chici III 1919. with
outbreaks OF the war in 1914 found her
on INC point OF retiring, but FORUM
a.eiy she consented to stay on.
VIEWED THOUSANDS
Of Army NURSES
The magnitude of her work since
men may be gathered from some i'm
press!Yc figures. From August 8. 1914.
r,, ,ns end OF las, year. over 10000
member OF the military aid depart
n,eni, passed through her hands In
Lslt she became Lady Of Grace in the
HT.uGr oi 'he Hospital Of St John, Of
nonor; In January. 1918. she was
SSwarded bar TO her Royal Hcd
rosa being the first TO earn this dis
,iinctIon, which means in effect. that
tne had again mcrited the X. 4. %.
ana IN June, 1918. she was appointed
British Empire.
Dalne Eecher IS said to be the only
snsn OF whom whom The late Lord ki,,cci!
occupancy OF the office OF secretary OF
state FOR War, the energetic nation
. .aEad ,i Of the O. =. 81; y; $. first
oened 10 need. Then, II it was not
speed.ly forthcoming; she took It! Her
many gus Include that OF getting the
ana she has keen insight into char
aeter. Il remarkable memory and u ca
the General iIaiC. the Admira! Icificoc
and the Lloyd George OF tho Britisi,
n litary nurses. She is middle aged,
luiHpy), calm Chut far from stolidj
and exceedingly wise.
when the war broke out" she told
ne, We were not entirely unpreparca
or X. In 1910 We made AN undertake
ms with all the hospitals in the United
N!HEoon which gave MS 500 nurses on
,hn day OF mobilization, and letters
were ready 20 put in tho mail the mo-
nent war was declared calling them 20
their carefully arranged posts.
ADVANCE ORGANIZATION
PROVES GREAT HELP
That advance organization was n
great thing for us. il gave us women
who were far better for tho work than
nose who rushed 10 US on their own
initiative. These women could be or
Tered 10 come forward and that gave
10 real discipline to begin with. The
discipline required by nurses IL n,
least rs rigid as that by which soldiers
must be governed.
From private nurses, q: tho out
set. we had COCO offers in two DAYS
TO handle these We organized sort
ns system. and 10 every applicant sent
make clear by just what RICH. she
called herself n nurse
After these had been returned 20
as We took those that seemed salts
factory and from them filled out other