The Benson signal., 1919-02-22

dSlluSLOU.- IcSlUcAt fSlISOA, III q
letter to the federal board of vocation
al education, has called attention to
the fact that the government stands
squarely back OF its disabled fighting
men. His letter follows:
This nation has no more solemn OBJ
legation than healing the hurts of our
wounded and restoring our disabled
men to civil life and opportunity. The
government recognizes this, and the
fulfllment of the obligation is going
forward fully and generously. The
medical divisions of the war and navy
departments are rendering all aid that
skill and science make possible; the
federal board for vocational education
Is commanded by law to dev lop and
adapt the remaining capabilities of each
man so that he may again take his place
In the ranks of our great civilian army.
The cooperation and interest of our citl-
zens is essential to this program OF duty,
Justice and humanity. 1t is not char
ity 1t is merely the payment of draft
of honor which the United states OF
America accepted WI hen it selected these
men. and took them in their health and
strength to fight the battles Of the ma
ton. They have fought the good Tight;
| they have kept the faith and they have
won. Now we keep faith with them, and
every citizen Is indorser on the general
| obligation.
| Under authority and direction of the
congress, complete arrangements for
rehabilitation of our disabled men have
been made by the federal board for vo-
cational education.
| According to estimates made since
| the announcement of the total Ameri-
can overseas casualties, there are more
than 100000 disabled men under treat
| ment in the hospitals in this country
and overseas. Of. this number more
than one-fourth have been disabled by
disease. Contrary to the general idea
| OF the casualty list, only very small
percentage of the total have suffered
disabilities which resulted in the am
putation of limbs.
To Help Every Man.
| 1t is not merely the men who have
lost arms or legs that the government
is offering to retain and restore to self
supporting activity, but the federal
board offers it's aid to every man, re-
gardless of his disability, who is en-
titled to government compensation.
The board realizes that the many thou
sands of men who are suffering from
shrapnel and gunshot wounds Which
weaken their systems, tuberculosis,
bronchitis, heart and nervous diseases.
all may be unable to re-enter their for
mer occupations. To all these men, as
| to those with more evident handicaps,
the federal board is extending oppor-
| tunity.
Within the next few months several
thousand disabled men will be train
ing under jurisdiction of the federal
board and at the expense of the gov
ernment. Those who had been actual
ly placed in training were taking
courses in a wide range of trades and
professions, including II different oc-
cupations. Industrial schools, colleges,
offices and shops throughout the coun-
try are being utilized so that most of
the men are being trained close to
4 their own homes. Thirty-one per cent
| of the total now in training are taking
commercial courses, II per cent are
learning the various phases of agricul-
ture, farm management, poultry rails
ing, dairying, etc. Others are studying
law, medicine, banking, and some are
being trained in engineering, teleg-
raphy, tailoring, window trimming and
designing accounting, store manage
ment, machineshOp practice, meat in
spection and traffic management.
Every soldier or sailor enlisted, in
Quoted, or drafted into the military or
naval service of the United States who
is suffering from disability not due to
his own willful misconduct may be en-
titled to compensation under the war
insurance act. 1t is his duty to pre-
sent his claim for such compensation
in order that it may be passed upon
by the bureau of war risk Insurance
He can procure full information by