Evening journal., 1918-11-22
HOW THE BRITISH
!: Will BE LET OUT
No Man Sent Home Until
Job Is Ready
For Him
~. S. OFFICERS
: : SEE THE. TESTS
nY rREnERICK N. kIRBY.

N E. A. Special to The Evening journal
= NEW YORK Nov. 22.-Details of, the
biggest dress rehearsal IN history, IN
which thousands OF British soldiers
participated In a trial rehabilitation
shave just been brought here. The
~English experience is 10 be made avail
liable TO our government
The scheme was prepared by the
British war offlce and the ministry OF
labor. i was rehearsed by troops in
scamp near London, the rehabilitation
taking tweniy-four hours. II was close
-ly watched by military observers in
4rluding L. S. officers. for any flaws.
OF the men who took part In the re-
~hearsal one-half was assumed 10 have
-iust arrivel from France; the other half
was assumed to be from "a collecting
-place in the United Kingdom All were
Theoretically bound for homes In a GER
tain specified district. II they had
come from the train hungry they would
have been fed. and. If they had been
In need Of sleep, would have been
housed.
A dispersal station, under the plan
worked out. will have these comforts
ready, though they may not always be
wanted.
The men participating as actors In
the dress rehearsal were in full equip
ment on arrival. they entered an inn
provlsed office, where each man re-
ceived a sandbag In this he placed his
private belongings Then he handed
over his rifle, steel helmet, gas mask
(if he was assumed 10 have just come
from France) and other equipment. II
~any important article was missing, She
man was sent TO another desk TO give
IAN explanation. Here the officer in
charge was called In to corrOborale or
comment on the mans story. a salts
factory explanation ended the matter.
otherwise, the soldier was debited on
his dispersal certificate with an amount
corresponding TO the deficiency.
i A man left the shed In his uniform
rsnd carrying only his great-coat and
sandbag containing his private belong |
~ings. In real rehabilitation, soldiers |
-will be allowed to keep their uniforms. /
but the greatcoats must be returned on /
conclusion Of their furloughs. The men |
will be permitted TO wear ~heir uni /
forms for twenty-eight days after dis /
persal, and thereafter on special" Oc- /
casions only.
Then follows the Recommendation" /
process. Each man got an Out-of-work /
insurance policy, securing him. in the /
svent Of unemployment, a weekly sum, /
10 be determined later. In exchange for |
mis- dispersal certificate he received a |
protection certicflate for use during his /
-four weeks furlough. II entitled him |
TO advance pay for the period A label /
for the return OF his greatcoat at the |
1end Of his furlough was issued to him:
chis military service papers and a rail- |
way warrant for his journey were put /
II 8 y; envelope marked with the num- /
Der OF his railway group. This number |
indicated TO him those Of his comrades \
who were going home the same way.
Ihe men were warned OF fhe time 4
OF the train departure, and finally taken
10 The station and seen of. The soldier
was at last demoblized. The clerks en-
tered earnestly into the spirit OF the
rehearsal
. The full scheme cOntemplates the es-
tablishment OF eighteen dispersal cen
ters. The rate Of rehabilitation will
be controlled by the labor ministry.
and no man will be sent back home
until there is a job awaiting him.
similar plan, differing In details
only, will undoubtedly be worked out
by our own War Department, In CO.
operation with the Department of
Labor Employment Service, using the
British experience as a basis.