Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-11
BLINDED SOLDIERS
GAINING NEW SKILL
Contentment Comes as Fears
for the Future Are Found to
Have Been Needless.
OTHER SENSES KEENER
AS SIGHT is DESTROYED
Thousands Learning Brush Making,
Chair-Mahng, Other Trades;
Some Raise Poultry.

Desire not to become public charges
ia causing thousands OF Belgian,
French and British soldiers blinded In
hattie in the war to turn to all pos
sible trades in order to enable them
to live independently. Raised from
what may be termed as a living grave.
thew ask no odds because of their af-
niction. They want to forget that they
are blind.
Independence" is what they want
More than 10000 blind soldiers are
learning brush-making. poultry farm
other trades heretofore requiring
.skilled" labor Some of those blinded
early in the war are already making
good
blinded to get to work is pathetic.
They listen closely to the instructors
and carefully absorb every detail. With
the destruction of sight the other
senses. especially hearing, nave gained
correspondingly in keenness and pow
er. and their brains have become more
highly developed. Many of the men
claim they are better OF without sight
than with it.
cannot help but see SO many things
that we become confused. Now. we can
concentrate. Also the fact that all de-
tails of some things are not visible mas
made 1t SO that We have less to worry
about"
No Word of Self-Pity.
Not one word of self-pity or sadness
comes from them. They have forgot
ten their af1iction in their work. and
along certain lines may be called the
worlds best workers.
| One blinded French soldier, shot five
| times while on patrol duty, Is now
learning brush-making. When he has
| learned his trade he intends to go back
| to his home village and go into bust
ress for himself.
| Another soldier. who had his optic
| nerve destroyed by a bullet. within
six weeks learned blind trade. and
now he is supporting a wife and five
| children.
DO you think that l would shut
myself up in an institution all nay
life?" he said. when told that the gov
| eminent would help him. II would
| sooner be buried at once"
The first shock of discovering that
he is blind causes great mental de-
preston on the part of the soldier.
| He broods over his misfortune, and
tunity to learn ito do something" he
clutches hungrily, and his spirits at
| once begin to rise.
A trumpeter named Poirier Of the
wounded in both legs, but stuck to his
work until two bullets in rapid sue
cession struck him in the face running
his sight. He was rescued after lying
| several days on the battlefield In the
| hospital he attempted suicide several
| times. When his condition allowed he
was taught a trade and now he IL a
contented. even IL not happy. work err
Contain Note of Gratitude.
! Letters from battle blinded soldiers
received AT the Belgian. French and
British blind fund headquarters, $50
5th avenue. New York city. all con-
tain a note of happiness and graft
tude. One British soldier, who has
taken up poultry farming writes: 81
often wondered how ] would support
myself. That question has been
answered to my great satisfaction"
All over Europe. these days. small in
stitutions. either partly or wholly sup
ported by public funds. are being or
ated war victims. The inevitable in :
adequacy of the equipment of these
institutions is pathetic. Even a peace
full. prosperous nation cannot complete
within SO short time 1t has been
suggested that the United States should
help. not through race friendship or
for political or diplomatic reasons
but in the name of humanity.
1t has also been suggested that the
following classes of institutions should
be established and permanently oper-
ated: "a Training schools in which the
battle blinded can learn a trade: f2)
employment agencies which will find
positions for them; go workshops in
which they can make usefu1 articles
for sale; 90 commercial agencies
through which these blind made arr
ticles may be sold.
BY aiding in the establishment OF
ms G Int lad
the American people will perform an
act peculiarly American" They will
enable thousands of their unfortunate
fellow beings to become self-support-
ing. INDEPENDENT and useful.