The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1917-12-21
ORDER OF ELKS GIVE
GREAT WAR HOSPITAL
WILL SPEND QUARTER OF A MIL
LION FOR THE RECONSTRUC-
TON OF THE MANNED AND
WOUNDED.

The Elks' War Relief Commission
announced last night that the gov
eminent had accepted a gift of
S250,000 from the Elks to provide a
great reconstruction hospital-the
flrst in the United States-where
manned and disfigured American
soldiers and sailors may receive the
pest OF expert attention and occu.
patlonal instruction. The statement
issued last night from the New York
oIflce OF the commission, 149 Broad
way, reads in part as follows:
Ihis first reconstruction hospital.
where our soldiers will be re-edu-
Gated in occupations which will
best fit them not to become bur-
den to society, will be erected in
Boston. 1t will consist of a COM
plete unit of twin ward hospital
buildings, vocational workshops, bar
racks, mess hall, and post exchange.
This was definitely decided upon
today at meeting of the Elks' War
relief Commission, composed of John
x. Tenner, chairman; Joseph r.
Tanning, secretary; Jerome B. Fisher
James R, Nicholson, Edward Right
or, and Fred Harper. grand exalted
ruler, following a conference with
Surgeon-General Gorgas.
THE site will be on Parker Hill,
Boston, contiguous to the Robert
Brigham Hospital The institution
will serve as the model, the stand
ara maker, for similar plants to be
established throughout the United
States The buildings will be thol-
oughly modern in architecture, light
and cheerful, and will have well
trained and especially efficient pro-
fessiOnal staff"
Ex-Governor Tenner, chairman of
the Elks' War Relief Commission.
said:
In the beginning of the war, ex-
cept for Germany, the nations, in the
conservation of their men, conducted
their work upon the lines that had
held in all previous wars. Disease
was to be prevented so far as pos
sible and the treatment of the wound
ed consisted in saving life. with the
expectation that discharge from the
army with some sort of pension
would be the future, II any perma-
nent impairment of function re-
manned. No medical or surgical
thought apart from saving life was
given or considered necessary
within few months, however,
it became evident that the mere
saving of life, unless it was followed
by or associated with attempts to
part, represented a waste that was
hot tct4 .f
the nation was jeopardized. Asso-
ciated with this, the pathetic con-
dition in which most of these young
men were placed, with the greater
part of their lives to live bound by
their physical handicap, was too
overwhelming not to make it obvious
that something more than mere life
saving was called for"
THE government officials are
particularly grateful to the Elks for
this magnificent gift, which will
tend to minimize the suffering and
disabilities caused by the war;" said
Major Elliot G. Bracket. director Of
Military Orthopedics, with headquart-
ers in the surgeon-general's office.
at is a fine thing for the nation
and is of incalculable consequence
from the standpoint of happiness of
the soldier. The need of this same
rehabilitative work as a factor in
solving our civil and industrial prob
lem has been evident for some time,
and already attempts have been
! made to meet the need through the
establishment of such work. 1t will
result in one of the lasting contri-
buttons which can come out of the
disasters of this war"