WOMEN AND WAR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 11

WOMEN AND WAR.

|By' Jenny Wren.]

■ A littVo while ago there,' was .much talk iynong women of patriotism, of. serving their country -by agitating for the", compulsory military training of then, of various methods of keeping alive the traditions of race, but when about >a. year, 'ago . regulations were gazetted for the formation of an Army Nursing Service Iteservo Corps in connection with -the/volunteer 'system of this country,a most lamentable lack of response was shown, and inquiries that''have been. m'ade -have elicited the fact that this very practical way in,which]many women could be of. uso.to tne Empire-at'large has, almost had to -be abandoned, 'or at' ariy rate'hung- up foi-'a. whjle. Whether -that ;lack of -, response-' throughout .tho'.Dfiniinioh.is "due to ,it want of -knowledge about the movement or. from, indifference' it' .is hard: to\ say- I —lt is possible that' the 'first reason might account'for part of it. This Army Nursing'. Service', lteserve:. .was first brouglit'-into existence.in England come years .'ago for the purpose of 'maintaining ai reserve <if nurses to' -supplement'-Queen Alexandra's. Imperial Military .Nursing Service -in the'event of .war.. .It; is under- the contrdl of a'co'mmittce. jof which Her Royal Highness' Princcss: Christian, Schleswig-Holstein is president; but when the members, of. ithere aro'about'lloo, are doing duty in military hospitals they" are entirely under the control", of "'this; Army '.Council. /'ln course of 1 time the colonies'began" to bestir themselves, and organised ;nursing;reserves 'on their 1 own account, '.Australia, boing, the first .to take "part in tho.i movement,■' sending a •*well-organ-moJ;- nursing , staff, o'ut -to South Africa .durthe: Boer' War, and -Canada following' 'their example with a Nursing'Rc'serve on the ■samo' lines.' as:' the-;,Ajmy:;.Nursing - Service Reserve at' Home.; -. Her,-Majesty' the Queen 'has boon greatly," intercsrted Jn -this matter,'.:and'has allowed the Nflw. Zealand Reserve,, among- others, 1 : to become'.affiliated "to. .tho'.Nursing, Servico in England—a' very great' compliment to tlie nurses of- the colonies, ;as benefit,:;fo'r the Imperial authorities'•are most' careful of' tlieir and",every-.consideration: is shown thein' ivhen on' acHve.serTico.'■ :' . .

Mombers,of tho ■ Queen. Alexandra Imperial •Military: Nursing Servico are employed •ln'tEe military'.hospitals at Home . and wherevcr ,';sie troops are '.sent abroad: on 'aetivo servico, .but'members of the Nursing,, .'Reserve are called on only to' replace''in- military-' hospitals ,;iit ;Home .those' of tho ; Imperial) Nursihlg Servico 1 who have' been,' ordered, abroad, ,yet' in base of emergency, they may. bo aljojvid to .volunteer . for / service abVoad; l or u at the seat of war. In, that way, .indeed, ;s thpy. ; are-'serving their country!) as far as-,possible; arid it is difficult ■ to. think thi\t there -arb/not numbers of nUrses in tho Dominion who ' would '.not .eagerly: seize such opportunities 'of Mding'.'sb;' particularly' '. if they conic of soldier'people .' there are'. majiy who do. ;' • ' . . -. A. cahdidato who-wishes to ; join thc'Nurs-. . ing' Resorvo must produce ;)a. certificate to' show, that'she has comploted to. the .satisfaction pf the hospital authorities • a course of not less than' three.years', : training.arid service)combined'in a civil general hospital, and 1 she .must riot be'" under twenty-five or over thirty-five years ,of age. She Will also have to:,fign a declaration—at'least; those nurses joining at Home do—of, her/, willingness,' in the event of war, to accept'service, if called on to) do "so, in a military hospital in . .the United' Kingdom.' .Members )are oxpeoted at all times to wear the ■ badge-of the Army Nursing -Service Reserve,- and when doing military 'duty they-arc supplied'with a regulation uniform. -A certificate must-also, be obtained'from .a.:registered, medical practitioner to'show that she ,is in good health.. i.The-worst of it.is that 'only-. women'.'who are trained nurses .can be of, uce in. this way, so.th,at the field is considerably limited: It' ■seems : a:'pity„that,.there a scheme worked,out to include lay members, as it were.-;in; tho : )work : if war ever came to the Dominion. tlify would certainly bo of -, use. Probably, the ambulance clashes, a ; good num-. bbr) of' which are t-o . lyp found all .over tho' country, could bo worked in that -wpy.