Anna Louise Tittman Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Anna Tittman .
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125 '
Q. This is Rarbin?
A. Yes. "Had only three hours here much to regret as I had hoped
for a day or two in which to observe the work of the ARC $uses in
the cholera epidemic." Now I did get to stay longer them on rrw way
back. ll!!tLss Mlett was in charge there of nursbg at H@in, and she was
a fine nurse well along in years who had worked in an ARC! office in Washington.
The ARC nurses in this cholera epidemic, MLs Ba@l&tt, Miss
Uoyd, Miss Hawley and Wss Judge came to the train. Alsg Dr. Field, Mr.
Roland, Mr. Dawson and others. I went to the railmad engineers barracks
where there is a five bed hospital. Met Mss Doub and Wgs Brandon. Met
Colonel Jones, relative of mss Twitchell--Dolly Twitchelk was a graduate
of Presbyterian Hospltal Nursing School in Chicago-to wh@m I had letters.
A report had reached -in sipped by Major Strong that it was not the
policy of the American Red Cross to allow nurses to serve1
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in hospitals
other than those over which the hrican Red Cmss p ~ s i d in an authorative
capacity.
Nurses have been serving here in Chinese and Russian hos@Ltals. I infomd
mss Bartlett , Captain Rowland and Dr. F'ield that I had h@d nothing to do
with the detehation of this policy and gave order to have nur$es serve
in Chinese and Rwsian hospitals, as well as to do bedside nursing fn the
horns where this was satisfactorily prearranged. Miss mlett mnttioned
that she had served in France in a hospital not controll@ by the MC. I
infomd the group that I wself and many nurses known tar m had se@ed in
America in hospitals not contmlled by the Amrican Red Qmss. Two American
Red Cross nmes semrjvlg for many rmnths had not at any been controlled
by the American Red Cmss. Captain Rowland is mst anxi* to have an hrican
Red Cmss hospital established in Harbin.
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I was in favor of it and urged that Colonel Toysler be to stop eu route
west and be infomd of the need. Suggested that lW. also would
give support--see, he was the mm who handled the
had mentioned the need to re. Conditions in the
terrible fkom all reports. IWss Bartlett recorded that die nurses yere cow
fortabu quartered in one roan of the YMCA headquarters, "tat they
experience and were all deli&ted with the opportunity to take
work. The conditions in the Chinese hospital are said
nurses havFng served the Chinese are to be decorated wit9
The work of the nurses has been greatly appreciated, and
rapidly diminishing, it may be possible to release them soon. I gaye consent
to Mss Doub to take a short vacation and asked her to go soon, having
Miss -Lett take her place during her absence.
"September 5, 1919; The character of the country has ch~ged from one of
hills and sdl garden patches to large, very large plaiqs
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covered with hay.
Anda and Tsitsikar were the towns to reach today. The 1 tter has a populaij
tion of W,000. It lies on the Nod River. With Dr. W t and later with
Captain Nash, I: wued about a little. Saw a little Ort dox church with
much ground about it which seem to be a prevalent condi ion in Manchuria.
One 2s impressed by the substantial and well built fence . The houses all
through the country are built with brick or mud; very th ck walls.