New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-26
Baker $ I'iun Fails
To So!re Employment
Problem, Says Kircl,,ce,

Secretary Bakers plan for coping
with the nations growing unemploy-
ment problem was criticised Yesterday
by DR.. George w. Kirchwey. Federal
employment director for New York
State. Secretary aker announced that
all men now IN the army may remain
i'll the servic until assurd civilian en-
plolyment.
"That, however, does little indeed to
ease the situaton,' said DR.. Kirchwey.
Aside from the fact that the order
takes no account of the soldiers already
Jobless and without funds, Dr. Kirch-
wey pointed out that the new ruling
still leaves the matter Of deferred dis
charge wholly at the individual sol
dier's pleasure
There is nothing in it," said he,
compelling the soldier to remain in
service unity he has found job.
Once the normal rehabilitation order
reaches his until, he may leave at any
time he chooses by simply going
through the formality of making out a
written application. Any one who
knows the attitude Of the average SOL
der at all knows that just at present
his chief desire is to get bac kto civil
ian life.
81 am very much mistaken if this
order from the War Department is
going to serve in any way to abate
the keenness of that desire Nor from
the standpoint Of job getting am at
all sure that the soldier wont be
quite right in getting to the centres
of employment at the earliest possible
moment.
after all. the man on the spot has
every advantage over the man at a
distance when it comes to securing
work The soldier is quite as we'll
aware of this as anybody else. Take
this fact in conjunction with his
eagerness for the freedom of civil life
just for its own sake and you find
that below the surface this order from
Washington leaves the situation not
far from where it found it,"
The remedy. DR.. Krchwey believes.
lies in turning over the arrangements
of the draft boards. simultaneously
discharging each man at the point
where he entered the service. Once re
turned to their homes, he declared. it
is a practicable certainty that 90 per
cent OF the men could get immediate
work Other alternative plans have
been advanced and discussed, the State
Director said, but this ono, he declared,
has the approval of all the best-quali-
fed Judges.
at has. furth ermore." he said. "been
repeatedly urged upon the General
Staff at Washington. both informally
by numerous unofficial groups and for
mally by the Department of Labor and
the War Industries Board. as the log
zeal and efficient way of meeting the
country's vast rehabilitation task The
General Staff, however, despite all
pressure, turned the suggestion down
fatty"
Following this decision of the Gen.
eral Staff's. it was learned on unQues-
tionablc authority by The Tribune yes
terday that appeal was made personally
both Secretary Baker and President
Wilson to take steps to avert the pres
cnt system of what employment agents
style WHOLESALE rehabilitation" with
the accompanying unemployment com
plicatlons which experts predicted were
certain to result Secretary Baker
however, is reported to have replied
that rehabilitation was q military mat
ter on which it was not his province to
override the General Staff The Presi-
dent, on his SIDE it is said. refused to
go counter to the decision of the War
DEPARTMENT as whole
"The condition that has accordingly
arisen" said DR.. Kirchwcv, as not
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