Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 180, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1918 — AN APPEAL FOR NURSES. [ARTICLE]

AN APPEAL FOR NURSES.

Aug. 8,1918. To the Yourfg Women of America: Across the sea, from France, with every closing day of the heroic of our fighting men, there comes a more imperative call to the women of America to assume their full share of responsibility in winning this world war for the right of men, women, and nations to live their own lives and determine their' own fortunes. There exists now an extreme need for at least 25,000 women of character, intelligence, and education to fill the gaps in our hospital staffs caused by the calling of many thousands of skilled nurses to the fighting front. > _ There .is. only oneway to fill these gaps: By keeping our hospital training schools supplied with students, who are not only prepared for service abroad and at home at the end of their course and at the same time are equipping themselves to earn their living in one of the noblest of professions, but from the very outset of their course are serving their country as well as learning. The Surgeon General of the United States Army, the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, the American Red Cross, the General Medical Board of the Woman’s Committee of the Council of National Defense therefore unite in an earnest appeal for 25,000 young women between the ages of 19 to 35 to enroll in what shall be called the United States Student Nurse Reserve. The enrollment wil Ibegin on July 29, 1918. Those who register in this volunteer body will angage to hold themselves in readiness until April 1, 1919, to be assigned to training schools in civilian hospitals or to the Army Nursing School and begin their course of study and active student nursing.

The service which we are asking calls for the best that the womanhood of America can offer in courage, devotion and resourcefulness. We can not go forward to victory oversea if the wives and families of our fighters are not sustained in health and strength, if we can not protect our workers against the hazards of war industries, if we can not defeat accident and disease, our enemies at home. Upon the health of the American people will depend the spirit of their forces in the field. Acting on the urgency of the need, the undersigned have asked the state divisions of the Woman’s Committee of the Council of National Defense, through their local units, to enroll the 25,000 women needed. We ask the women of America to support us in our further effort not to lower American hospital standards, and to give us the practical assurance of their support by going to the nearest recruiting station established by the Woman’s Committee of the Council of National Defense on or after July 29 and enrolling in the United States Student Nurse Reserve. ANNA HOWARD SHAW, Chairman, Woman’s Committee, Council of National Defense. W. C. GORGAS, Surgeon General, United States Army. RUPERT BLUE, I Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service. . T. W. DAVISON, i Chatirman, War Council, t American Red Cross. DR. FRANKLIN MARTIN, : Chaiman, General Medical Board, Council of National Defense.