Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-05
Factories to- Open to
Manned Soldiers Sent
Home From War


factories, shops and Offices in the
United States are planning to open
their doors after the war TO the sol
diers and sailors who may return
home handicapped by wounds so scrl-
Gus as to force these men to enter new
trades and industries.
Already field agents employed by
tho Red Cross Institute for Crippled
and Disabled Men in this city are at
Work demonstrating TO employers of
labor that man who has lost an arm
or leg may prove to be Il valuable
worker capao,c OF maintaining himself
in comfort If not affluence; for with
the allowance made by the government
to the returned fighter, wages earned
would place him on a better footing
financially than he was before the
war.
Douglas V. McMurtr-ie. director OF
the Red Cross institute. has knowiedsc
OF hundreds of typical cases of men
who have been CriplAed IN mu.s,ry
and in batt,c. Such men, according to
Mr.. McMurtrie, instead OF bccomins
respondent dttelicts or mere pension
ers have learned trades and profess
sions which have made them happy
and successful.
"a mecuanic who enlisted in the
Princess Patr,cIa's regiment and who
Was wounded and returned to Canada
spent three months in 4 convalesc>s
hospital ana nNW earns. II iS said,
double his former pay, having taken
advantage " mechanical drawing and
arithmetic classes carried on at the
Institution. Writing to the hospital
instructor he said: AT present, since
my discharge from military service. l
am. technically, better man all
around; | nm able now to hold 4
lob us foreman in u machine shop.
With more than twice the salary l
was getting before"
A former private in the Thirteenth
battalion, before enlist,ng was get
ting II week for driving city milk
route. He lost at arm and leg and.
after u course IN a re-education school
subsequent . preliminary training at
the convaleseent hospital, he obtained
II position as a metal turner and At
ter at SIS IA month.
| Quoting Lori Shauxhnessy. Mr.. Nc.
Mqrrtrie said that the occupations and
training provided reveal astonishing
talents which even the man himself
did not know ne possessed The sue
cess which ls being achieved in Can
ada in dealing With the problem OF vo-
cational re-etklcation. MIR. MeMurtrie
stnted. has been Inspiring TO those who
have the same work In hand in the
United States.
The federal board for vocational
education, with an initial appropria-
ton OF S2,000,100, Is authorized to take
over all schools and institutions nee
eSsary to re-educate the crippled SOL
der or sailor aud, in certain cases, to
build new schools. Thus far the pre-
liminary work, OF rehabilitating the
war cripples has been undertaken
largely at the Walter Reed General
Hospital in Washington under United
States army supervision. and ut a
dozen or more similar institutions
thruout the country.
Basketry. lypewriting and similar
simple kinds of work are given the
patient to .seap his mind clear anu
bright and give him an interest in
life. Maj, Gen. William Gorgas. sur
geon general OF the army. it Is under
stood, heartily approves Of this meth
cd. The Red Cross Institute here
however, will not take a man for
training until he has peen discharged
from the military or naval service. It's
plan contemp!ates the employment OF
q re-education advisor In every mill
tary hospital where the needs of the
patients US to learning new trades or
professions could be studied, and the
men will be given every advantage OF
selection after practical tests.
The public has too often confused
the idea of q cripple with that of Il
beggare." said Mr.. McMurerie. The
resulting reaction has done a great
injury to the cause of the self-re-
spectng disabled man In regarding
him as subject for charity but
not for trade training and employ
| ment.
ITO be sure there is historical prece-
dent for this attitude for in past de-
cades and centuries various peoples
have condemned the cripple to the
status Of roadside beggar or at best
employed him as jester or court fool.
And in our experience there Is justifi-
cation in the view because we have
seen many aripples at street corners.
making public exhibition of their de-
formity or amputation and soliciting
aims of the passers-by. The number
OF these beggars is small in compari-
son to the great body Of physically
handicapped men VINO are usefualy
employed, but the few have vigorously
advertised, have made a considerable
impression on the succeptfbilities Of
the community, and have reaped u
profitable harvest. A bank teller re-
ported recently the case Of a crippled
street beggar who deposited in