The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-07-08

Soldiers-Now Education for q Liv-
ing is Added to the Pension.
NEW YORK, July 8. What the Uni
ed States and the other nations that
we're engaged in the last war are doing
or the rehabilitation Of their manned sol
ers was compared with methods fol-
owed after other wars in statement
v Douglas G. McMuftrie, the director
If the Red Cross Institute for crippled
md disabled men at 81 Fourth avenue,
his city
The new methods" said Mr. McMur-
tric, now being used by the United
Etates and other countries to restore the
HIhled soldier to a happy and productive
lie bring into strong contrast the fate
bf the disabled soldier in olden times.
Historians have done very little to lit
the veil that covers the fate Of the dis
abled soldier in antiquity. In view OF
the limitations Of primitive medical and
surgical scencc and OF the custom OF
despatching the enemy wounded after the
field had been won, there is every reason
to believe that it is a bloody veil. 1t Is
recorded, however. that ancient Athens
fed it's disabled soldiers at the states eX
pcnse and that Rome under Augustus
paid for the keep Of its disabled legion
aries ont Of public funds.
During the Cmsades, ST. Louis OF
France. returning with his shattered host.
established an asylum for some 800 sol
dcrs blinded by the Asiatic sun II
most eases. however, the disabled soldier
was thrown upon private charity for sup
port This duty devolved upon the Tor,
Yo had brought his vassals to the king
ard upon the monasteries.
with the crumhlug Of the fcudal sys
TEN. and the development of standin
armies during the 18th century, the pro
fcssional soldier came into being. An
from that time the disabled soldier wa
a recognized type Some Of them foun
refuge as lay-monks in monasteries. bu
the monastic life was not usually to thei
liking. and they were often driven to joir
. ing the ranks of beggars and cutthroat,
with which the countryside was infested
In Queen Elzabeth's time the captain
Of forces in Flanders complained that the
were expected to make provisien for I'll
sick and wounded whose charge lay hea'
lily on them The queen was trouble
bv these miserable creatures whenev,
she took the air Toward the end of n
reign steps We're taken to provide f
manned, hurt. or grievously sick soldiers
but little good was ACCOMPLISHED
r Later came the establishment az t
great Hotel DIES Invalides in Paris,
Louis XIV. known as the Nagnifcen
and is still in existence The ROYAL h,
pital at Chelsea, England, for disabled s
diers was founded by Charles IT, in II
tation Of the French king In connect
with these two institutions arose {
French and English system of pension
which, however, have had to be cons
erably amended under the stress of
late war.
1T is pleasant to be able to say Il
no nation has hitherto been so gener,
in its provision for the disabled sold
as the United States of America.
mouth colony. founded in 1920, passed
first pension legislation in 1876, provd
that any man who should be sent TO
as a soldier was to be maintained &C
petently the rest of his life The OF
colonies soon followed suit. Gene
Washington had the pension quest
Nmch at heart, though he had h
time pursuading congress to live up
its obligations Our first pension bill
nation was passed in 1872, and, as ev
one knows, since the Civil war the pr,
sions for soldiers pensions have been
usually liberal
"One other feature deserves menti
THIS feature is the state and federal
dtrs' homes The former number in
cess of 80, all told in some of them
wives. mothers, widows sisters, or dal
tds of the benefcaries are maintai
"A well as the disabled and invalided
,hers themselves The total number
Individuals maintained in these state
stutions is about 1000. The nun