The Elbert County tribune., 1917-12-21
Manned Soldiers to Be Restored
to Their Normal Earning
Capacity.
RE-EDUcATIoN WILL DO WORK
Uncle Sam, Profitino From Experience
Of the Allies, Has Provided Money
and Machinery for Un-
dertakinq.
BY cRITTENDEN MARRIOTT.

A war without cripples. That is
what this war is to be, so far as
Americas armies are concerned. No
man can justly be called a cripple
who In fair and open competition with
his fellows is able to earn a living
as good as or better than he did be-
fore he was wounded; and Uncle Sam
promises exactly this ability to a very
high percentage of the men who in
former wars would have been con-
sidered hopeless wrecks. That he does
not promise ignorantly or vainly is
proved by the results already attained
in France and England in the work of
're-educating" the permanently in
Jured. The war insurance bill passed
Dy congress provides the money and
the machinery for this wonderful
work.
BY the terms of this bill the United
States not merely insures that Grip
pied and blinded soldiers shall not
starve; 1T also insures, literally, that
nine out of ten of them shall be re-
stored to their normal ability and
earning capacity. The war may have
its killed, but Uncle Sam says 1t
shall have no cripples In the usual
meaning of the word
1t has long been known that SOL
diering Is really beneficial to the great
majority of those who engage in 1t.
The outdoor life. regular exercise,
wholesome and abundant food, and
training in the care of the body con-
fer lifelong benefits. Statistics show
that even this great war will benefit
at least 13 out of every 10 soldiers
who reach the front not only physi-
cally but also economically, for their
physical superiority will undoubtedly
win for them an economic superiority
over those who see no service in the
field.
Price Not Same Now.
The other two out of fifteen seem to
remain to pay the price. But they do
not pay it as they have done in former
wars. The government, by its system
of insurance-not pensions nor charity,
but insurance, the premiums for which
are paid by service-agrees to provide
for the families of nearly half of them
(the half that pay the last great
debit; and it further promises the
other half that they shall be so re-
educated that they will be able to take
an equal part and many of them a
than they would have done If they had
not gone to war at all.
Instances drawn from the experience
of the European powers are many. An
aforetime laborer in a steel mill, who
has lost both legs, becomes a repaircr
OF motor engines; a carpenter with one
arm becomes a turner at double pay
blinded blacksmith becomes, by the
aid OF an assistant, an expert on ven
tilating and heating; blinded mana
ger of great grocery store becomes so
much more adebt that he returns to
his old job and swiftly wins an in
creased salary. And there are thou
sands more.
And this is in France and England,
where money for re-education is none
too plentiful and where the great ma
5ority of men are content to remain all
their lives in the state to which they
were born. In America, where money
is plentiful and where every man is
striving to better his condition, the re-
suits will certainly be greater by far.
Paid While They Learn.
While the injured men are learn
fng they will get their pay as SOL
diers-the pay they were getting
when they were injured-and their
families will get the allowance that
they had been receiving, Both before
and after this period they Will, of
course, get the insurance to which
they are entitled by the terms of the
insurance act.
In re-educating the soldiers, as in
everything else connected with the
war, the United States will profit by
the earlier mistakes of it's associates
In the war
Some of these mistakes were seri-
Gus but unavoidable. One of them
arose from lack of preparation and
another from lack of explanation.
Jean Poilu never heard of re-educa-
ton until he had recovered about as
well as he ever would from the loss of
his eyes. Jean had been an acrobat in
circus and to him the future seemed
very dark. He could not go back to
his old trade, and he knew no other
and did not dream that he could learn
another. When the doctor asked him
what trade he wanted to learn he did
not understand. Later he was suspi-
cious. He did not believe that he
could learn any of the trades that
were suggested to him and he was
convinced that somewhere and some
how string was tied to the offer. 1t
took long time and much persuasion
to induce him even to indicate which
trade he preferred Then. when at
last the doctor began to believe that