The sun., 1919-03-19
RED CROSS ASKS AID
FOR WARS CRIPPLES
Representatives OF Allied M
tons Here to Form Re-
Mobilization Plans,
FRENCH TELL OF HELP
Making Over Of $4,000 Men
Disabled by War Is De-
scribcd at Meeting.

March % the victorious heroes OF the
Twenty Division win march up
Fifth avenue. Other days will see other
parades of the men who are pouring
back to America on the transports, the
fortunate ones who have passed through
the horrors OF war and are more or less
urscathed. But there are at least 10o.-
900 OF those coming on tho transports
who are not unecathed. who arc crippled,
blinded or gassed. who will need the
grateful help OF America before they can
take the place they have earned In life.
and Ii is lest wa forget our duty to
these that the American Red Cross Is
holding a conference this week at the
waldort-Astoria on the rehabilitation Of
the disabled. The Red Cross Institutes
for Crippled and Disabled Men and for
the Blind called the conference, but II 10
International In scope, having represen-
tatives from France. England, Belgium,
Italy. and thirty delegates from Canada
The French and Belgian Ministers Of
War, the Italian Ministry OF Pensions.
the British Ministries Of Pensions and
Labor and various departments OF the
Canadian Government are represented.
and among tho American agencies which
cent men or women are the Office of the
Surgeon General, the army. the Federal
Board for Vocational Education and tho
Bureau of War Risk Insurance. All the
sessions will be at the Waldorf excspt
the meetings tonight and Friday eve
ming. which are to be at Carnegie Hall.
and the closing mass meeting Sunday
afternoon at the Hippodrome, with
Charles 2. Hughes presiding.
European Speakers Heard.
Tho opening session yesterday morn
ing was largely given over to speakers
from Europe. who told what their coun-
tries had accomplished toward hitting
wounded soldiers to take UP civil life
again. DR.. Maurice Bourrillon, president
OF the permanent interallied committee
on war crlpples and director OF the
French national institute for crippled
soldiers, described the beginnings Of the
making over of the $4,000 Frenchmen
incapacitated by war diseases or wounds.
Through tho French Governments CEN
tres for reparative surgery. its voca-
tional schools and its national office Cor
discharged and disabled soldiers. that
country has remade and reeducated 49,
7s7 broken men, 25,s64 Of whom chose
training In their former occupations and
1873 in new ones. The French Par
lament has given preferential right to
disabled soldiers to civil positions In the
national Government and many COM
munal administrations, but NJ. Bourril-
Ion Is not sure this Is q good thing. as !,
encourages too many wounded ones Il
refuse education and wait around for the
chance to become "functionaries."
The real French traits show in the rule
OF the Government over there. which sup
plies wounded men with two artificial
limbs. one for work days and the other
to wear when dressing up.
Louis Alleman, chief OF the educa-
tional staff of the institute for cripples
at Port-Vilez. France, spoke for Bel
GUM: Nittorio Putt, director of the
Rlzzoli Institute at Bologna, for Italy
Miss Ethel Wood. secretary OF the Lon
don War Pensions Committee, for Eng
land. and l.. Gerald Robinson and W. +
Segsworth of the department OF soldiers
civil reestablishment, for Canada.
Care Promised to Soldiers.
NO soldier disabled in line OF dut,
shall be discharged from the army til
cured or as nearly so as the nature o.
his hurt permits" IL the policy of thu
Surgeon General OF the American Army
according to Col Frank Billings. chief o
the Division of Physical Reconstruction
under the SUPERINTENDENT Col. Billings
who spoke in the Afternoon, said Their,
were now forty-eight reconstruction hos
pitfalls in America doing active work re
storing wounded fighters TO a norma
condition. Twelve hundred reconstruc
ton aids are doing the work in psyche
therapy and occupational therapy, 60'
enlisted men are acting as instructors
and 100 officers are also engaged in edu
cational work. Col. Joseph L. Miller. as
sistant chief In Col. Billings's depart
ment, described the teaching of trade
In the hospitals.
Twenty-nine hundred and forty mel