The daily Alaskan., 1918-03-19
Maimed Soldiers to Be Restored to Their Normal Earning
 Capacity.
RE.EDUCATIoN WILL DO WORK
Uncle Sam, Profitlna From Experience Of the Allies, Has Provided Money and Machinery fer Un.
 dertakinp.
By cRITTENDEN MARRIOTT.

Dy Shi ii 6NOEIN CmAnhIOi ls
 A war without crlpples. 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-educatlng" the permanently in- | jured. The war insurance bill passed by congress provides the money and the machinery for this wonderful work.
 By the terms of this bill the United States not merely insures that crlp- pied and blinded soldiers shall not Starye; 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.
 It has long been known. that sol | dlering 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- fex lifelong benefits. Statistics show that even this great war will benefit at least 19 out of every IS soldiers who reach the front not only physi- cally y'but also economically, for their physical superiority will undoubtedly win for them an economic superiority over those who see DO 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 1t 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 debt); and 1t 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 better part in the life of the world 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 steel mill, who has lost both legs, becomes a repaircr of motor engines; 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 a great grocery store becomes so much more adebt that he returns to his old job and swiftly wins an tn- 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 jority 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 ing 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-edurating the soldiers, as in l everything else connected with the war, the United States will profit by I the earlier mistakes of its associates in the war.
 Some of these mistakes were seri- ous 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 we'll as he ever would from the loss of his eyes. Jean had been an acrobat in a 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 a string was tied to the offer. It took long time and much persuasion to Induce him even to indicate which trade he preferred. Then, when at I Iz1H- NnE