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Show MISS LIEUTENANT NOW HERE Assimilated Rank Won for Members of Army Nurse Corps After Long Fight. There will be female officers In the American army hereafter. The army nurse has won her light for reeognl-Mon. reeognl-Mon. Salted carefully away In a safe corner cor-ner of army reorganization legislation (is passed by both branches of congress Is a neat little section conferring the "assimilated rank" of major, captain, and first and second lieutenant on members of rhe Army Nurse corps. The superintendent Is to have the rank of major, the assistant superintendent, director and assistant directors the rank of captain, the chief nurses the rank of first lieutenant, and other nurses are to be second lieutenants. Officially speaking, a person holding Assimilated rank is one who exercises limited authority of that rank under certain conditions, hut does not enjoy the full privileges of the rank. It lacks lovernl of the elements of absolute rank. It does not call for a commi slon and It does not carry the pay, allowances al-lowances or the emoluments of one. It makes no attempt to .nfer the power of command Incident to a line officer of similar grade. The only Incidents of absolute rank conferred are: 1. The dignity Incident to the name of the rank. 2. The right to wear the Insignia thereof. 3. The eligibility to exercise author- i Ity within the limits set forth In the j law, owhich are as follows: "As regards re-gards medical and sanitary matters and all work In the line of their duties, du-ties, they shall have and shall be regarded re-garded as having authority In and about military hospitals next after the medical officers of the army." The movement for rank for army nurses began with America's entry Into the great war. A series of hearings on the proposition were held before the house committee on military affairs af-fairs on April 18. April 20 and June 7, 191S. Nothing immediately resulted, hut the nurses maintained an active bureau In Washington, headed by Mrs. Helen Hoy Greeley, a New York lawyer. law-yer. When the war was ended and army reorganization was plainly Imminent, Im-minent, they stepped In and won. More than 10,000 army nurses saw overseas service during the wnr. All were graduate nurses recruited largely through the American Red Cross nursing nurs-ing service. Army nurses were among the first to represent America on the other side. |