Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-05-02
sEKEUAL WOOD UUGEsAcTON
All Lines Of Effort Should Be Organ
lied and Every Opportunity Given
Men to Settle Down In
Civil Life contented.
= BY LEONARD WOOD.
Major General Commanding Central De-
nartment. limited Statea Army

= BY LEONARD WOOD.
Major General Commanding Central De-
partment, United States Army.
Appreciation Of the work done by
our soldiers. sailors and marines In
the great war can best be shown by
active measures to return them to
suitable civil employment upon their
discharge from service. 1t is a ma
tfonal duty and one not to be shirked
by a nation that stands for Justice and
square dealing. Our soldiers were
sent to their training camps-to the
battle llne-with every demonstration
OF a nations appreciation of the sacri-
fee that these men were willing to
make. Now that the active operations
Of the war are suspended We are IN
clined to lose interest In those who
made our success possible. This is
the time for the nation to show that 1t
understands and appreciates the a c
rihces which our men willingly made
when they answered the call for IA
tional service.
The 100000 men indicted into the
service, less the dead, are being re-
turned to their homes. We must or
ganize all lines Of effort so that every
possible opportunity viii be given
them to settle down happily contented
In civil life. Some Of them we will find
q bit difacult to handle, and we must
have considerable patience with them.
They have been through q big expert
ence. Some are q bit unreasonable
In a way, and perhaps It Is hard for
them to settle down.
Ambition 10 Aroused.
In seeing that they IRE returned to
luitabie civil employment-and by that
mean employment In which they
will and contentmsnt-we will ind It
At times dif1euit to deal with them.
We must remember that many Of these
men. before going for the great ven-
tnre. had never been far from home.
had never seen the big things Of life,
had % had the opportunity Of
finding themselves. During their serv.
ice IN the army they found ont that
III men were equal except a. distin-
euished d from the other by such
eharactsristics a. physique, educa-
ton ana character. They discovered
that men who are loyal, attentive to
duty, always striving to do more than
required, stood cut .anenG their fell
lows a2d were marked for promotion.
Naturally many Of them now see that
their forme- employment VIII not give
them the opportunities for advance
ment which they have come to prize,
ana for that reason they want a
change. They want q kind Of employ
ment which offers opportunities for
promotion. Many such men r fitted
for forms Of employment which offer
this advantage. and they must be given
the opportunity to try to make good In
the lines Of endeavor which they elect
to follow. It IL not charity to Give
these men the opportunities for which
they strive. 1t IL Justice. Others are
not mentally equipped to take advan-
tags of such opportunities II offered.
and with these we will md 1t more
difficult to deal. They must be rea-
soned with. and directed, II possible.
Into the kind Of employment best suit
ID to their CHARACTERISTICS.
We will and many Of the men have
temporarily lost efficiency in the lines
Of employment which they followed be-
fore entering the service. but for that
reason alone they must not be deprived
Of the opportunity to regain their efi-
cheney In those lines, nor can they be
offered reduced wages during this Pc
Rod.
Give Them Square Deal.
Our soldiers, sailors and marines
offered themselves for the great ad-
venture. Many Of them have been
through the great adventure. in which
they offered their lives, to the end that
Justice might prevail and the world
be made safe to live In. Those who
did not come face to face with the
great adventure nevertheless were
ready to do SO, and It was through no
fault of theirs that they did not have
the opportunity. In training camps
working from early morning until late
at night, fitting their bodies to meet
the physical h~ardships of war. fitting
their minds to meet the mental shock
of combat, and In the battle line I'M
der soul-stirring conditions. these men
stood ready to make the great sacrl-
fee.
Let us remember that a square deal
for our honorably discharged soldiers,
sailors and marines will strengthen
the morale Of the nation and will help
to create a sound national conscious
ness ready to act promptly In support
Of truth. Justice and right.