Evening star., 1945-02-16
z Amendments
ToNurseDraft
Minimum Age Level
Raised; Final Action
Is Due Tomorrow
By CARTER BROOKE JONES.

ny ShAtA GAN 0AtoOhG JOANL9s
The House Military Affairs Com
mittee approved today two amend
ments to the May bill to draft nurses
for the armed forces Final action
on the measure was deferred until
tomorrow
Chairman May said after the ex-
ecutive session that a majority of
the committee beyond question"
had approved the proposed draft in
principle and it remained only for
the group to work out some further
details.
The committee adopted one
amendment raising the minimum
age for drafting nurses from 18 to
20. The maximum age was left at
As. Members explained that nurses
seldom graduate from training
schools before the age of 20 and
are not eligible for registration with
State boards until their 21st BIRTH
day.
All Nurses Made Eligible.
The other amendment would make
liable for induction into the armed
forces all qualified" nurses, regard
less of whether they are registered.
Representative Sparkman, Demo-
crat, of Alabama, author of this
amendment, pointed out it would
enable the Army or Navy to take
graduate nurses who had not reg
istered with State boards. He ex-
planned that otherwise a graduate
nurse might eVade service by fall
ing to register.
1t also was pointed out by those
sponsoring the legislation that many
nurses graduate before they are 81
and must wait months to register.
Under the Sparkman amendment
they could be called to duty with
the armed forces Immediately after
graduation.
Representative Bolton, Repub-
lican, of Ohio, placed in the COM
mittee record today a statement in
which she defended the nursing
profession, pointing out that fully
one-third of its members have vol-
unteered for military service since
Pearl Harbor.
1T has been my privilege" said
Mrs. Bolton, ito work very closely
with nurses in practically all phases
of their service to humanity. AS a
group, they are quite extraordinary.
They ask nothing for themselves.
Certainly adequate recognition has
never been given them"
Cites Corps Growth.
Granted that some nurses ap-
pear to be withholding themselves
at moment when the need for
them is dramatic" she added, IT
think it is of primary Importance
that you should be keenly aware of
the fact that of the total number
of nurses in the country, 81 900 had
between Pearl Harbor
and January l, 1945. In that period
the Army Nurse Corps grew from
955 to some $1,000"
Mrs. Bolton charged the Army
with sometimes delaying assign
ment of accepted nurses. Members
OF the House, she said, have re-
ceived letters from nurses COM
planning that weeks and even
months have been wasted in this
way. There was reported to me
within the last few days" she
added, "a group of 10 unusually
well-qualified nurses who have
waited six months for assignment
to duty. Such incidents have been
a very real deterrent to the re-
cruitment of nurses"
She pointed out that a nation
wide publicity campaign was about
to be launched through the War
Advertising Council for graduate
nurses. nurses aides, medical
WACS and cadet nurses.
Points to Oversight.
Pointing out that nothing of the
kind has been done, she said: "It
would appear that the accusation
that the voluntary method has
failed rests on the false foundation
that the voluntary method has been
honestly tried"
If the committee feels a draft is
the only way to meet the situation,
Mrs. Bolton added, the rights of the
nurses should be safeguarded, with
commissions assured all those in
Quoted. Nursing schools, civilian
and veterans hospitals, and the
Public Health Service should be
protected, she said.