New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-08-16
Give Your Boy
a Chance
By EDWIN F. BOWERS, M. d.
Of Ihs Ngilonass

Capt. Arthur H. Samuels Of the sur
geon generals department told me an
interesting story the other day.
1t seem that once upon a time, long
before the Mullah Of the HohenzOllerns
went mad-and shattered up the world
there lived a panhandler who was
v more useless and nO-account than
the average bum of his species.
This %panhandler was practically H.
literate, totally Incorporate and utter
ly hopeless in the job Of being a man.
One fine day. while labOring under
the uncorrelating influences Of a hang
over" from a large evening the night
before, this poor derelict was shaker
from his precarious perch on the brake
beam Of a freight"
When the trackmen picked him up
he was minus q left hand-alsO a right
hand and arm.
Something occurred while he was In
the hospital. something that brought
about q rebirth in this tramprworth
possibly q dollar and q half a day from
his neck down, and nothing from his
chin to his scalp.
Anatomically he a decidedly cur
tailed-spiritually he had grown great.
For, provided with artificial hands,
this reborn man started out to make
something useful and creditable of
himself. He sold papers. and became
self-supporting. He hewed out an ecu
cation, climbing slowly and painfully
up from the pit Of ignorance he had
settled into by gravitation.
One position after another he con-
quered-like the ancient Pistol, who
vociferously insisted that 1.-THE world
was his oyster"
Finally our hero-he was a hero by
this time, although he himself never
suspected it-Qualiied for a college
course, took his B. A., studied law,
hung out his single, and rapidly be-
came one of the. leading authorities on
corporation law in his section. He In
terested himself in politics. and devel-
oped an enviable sphere of influence
In his party.
Raised q Family.
Oh, yes-and he married a sweet
Southern girl, and has two beautiful
children. And they all lived happily
ever after.
It's a splendid and inspiring thing
this regeneration of a man-this
growth of a soul. It kind Of "gets you"
with a little catch in the throat. l
tell the story as Captain Samuels told
It to me, because some Of the boys we
are sending overseas will return dis
abled each year of the fighting. Many
If these will be crippled in arms, legs
or Eyes. They'll need, first Of all, a
spiritual %stiffening in their spinal COL
umns.
Then they'll need some kind Of vo-
cational re-education-theyrl need to
know, ever though handicapped by the
loss of members, how to do the thing
they did before they went over to bat
tie for a cause as high and noble as
ever enlisted the lance Of a Bayard or
q Galahad.
II this rehabilitation Is not possible.
they'll need to know how to do some
thing else that will make them self
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
In this they are going to receive the
help Of Uncle Sam himself, and of the
very best brains the old gentleman can
enlist for this reconstruction service.
In every section of the country, CO.
prdinating with q central agency at
Washington, curative workshops" for
the treatment of those crippled In war
will be established-together with a
complete system Of providing food.
shelter, clothing and pay for the SOL
Aiers during the period Of their re-edu-
cation.
After the boys are trained-re-
educated to their old trade or else to
one adapted to their capacities-they
will be provided with a "job."
Those who show enough gold to the
pan from the neck up will get a posi-
tion." Here there is no limit to the
possibilities. It's up to the man HIM
self. From his neck up he may be
worth $lUO,OUO q year.
Practically every big employer Of
labor in the community Is enlisted In
the good cause to help the handicapped
boy get all that's coming to him. Which
Is all that any boy of real spirit could
expect, or would accept.
There's no charity in this PROPOSE
aon-merely an honest, sincere effort
TO make every III matter in what
condition he may be-mOst useful to
himself, his family, and to the eco
nomic needs Of his community.
Woman's Help 10 Needed.
Now, here's where we need the good
help Of women-the mothers, wives,
sisters and sweethearts of the boys.
It's going to take a little time to do
this work of re-education. Give the
boys this time. Let them stay with
their teachers in these schools until
they are once more fitted to earn a liv-
Ing.
The very greatest injury you could
possibly put upon your physically in
jured boy would be to turn him into a
psychical cripple--to sufocate him in
maudlin sentimentality.
Don't for the great love you bear
him, don't take him home. and make
him a dependent. That you are willing
to toll and slave for him Is most
praiseworthy III you. But your we'll
meant efforts may transform a self-re-
mectinR earnest man into an idler-a