The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-04-21
LEADS IN WORK
FOR DISABLED
Conference on Rehabilitation
Shows Steps Taken by
United States.
CANADA TAKES LIKE ACTION
Other Allied Countries Leave Rehablil-
tation to Private Enterprlse-Pros-
ser Explains Scope of Refrain
ing Injured Men.

In it's provisions for returning dis
abled soldiers to profitable employ
ment, the United States government
leads the world. This fact was brought
out at the International Conference on
ly. 1t was shown that, with the ex-
ception of Canada, the United States
was the only government that had TAX
en- official cognizance of the nations
supreme duty to rehabilitate its SOL
diers incapacitated through wounds or
illness from pursuing their former
means Of livelihood.
In an interview, DR.. Charles A. Pros
ser, director of the federal board Of
vocational education, charged with the
work Of retraining the men from the
hospitals, told of the scope OF Amer
ica's plans of rehabilitation
"When we took our boys from their
civil jobs and put them into the army
to risk their ives for an ideal, the gov
eminent promised three things to Its
wounded soldiers. First, the promise
of physical care was made; then, the
promise of compensation for injury;
and lastly, those who came back Grip
pied were pledged the nations honor
that they would be retrained, re-edu-
Gated to assume a responsible place In
the economic life of the country.
Best Surgeons Engaged.
"For our first promise, we got the
best surgeons possible and shipped
them to France or installed them In
this country in %up-t0-date hospitals,
with all the appliances that science
could suggest for making well again
the sick and the wounded. Men and
women, experts, devoted their whole
time to the problem of taking care OF
the unfortunate soldiers who found
their way into the hospitals.
For the second promise, we have
the bureau of compensation and the
bureau of war risk insurance, which
takes care that a disabled man shall !
receive a pension, and in addition shall
receive insurance according to the size
of the policy he took out. 1t remains,
that the war is over, to make good
our third pledge of occupational re-
Mobilization.
"In this matter, the United States
found herself in a little better posi-
ton than did the governments Of our
allies. While they were busy with
var, private concerns took up the
question of rehabilitation and are in
in charge of the problem over
here right now. On the other hand,
n America, there was already organ
zed and in operation a board which
lad been doing the same work for
civilians that the government now
wants done for soldiers. I refer to the
board of vocational education.
"In June, 1918, by the vocational re-
%abilitation act, congress turned over t
o this board the entire task of reed {
eating and placing in employment the t
ischarged soldiers, sailors and ma {
mes who have been so disabled. '
Schools Found Ready. q
1--WE looked about us, first Of all, for 9
where this matter Of edu- 1
alton might be settled. Did we build u
We did not. We found that il
the United States there we're $780, t
jO,OUO WOIlH VI SClOOl ltCillileSJ anu "
there was not a principal nor an Il
structor in any school who was not n
Iger to take up his share of re-edu- t,
ting a disabled soldier. In addition, s.
Iops and factories, offices and farms, O
over the country offered us their
~cilities without stint.
GAS soon as the man lands in a de-
rkation hospital over here we have
ents who go to him and put the III
OPPOSITION before him clearly. He ca
shown that he must not be down F"
arted, that he has the backing Of Jo
100000 people, and That on his pc
alone rests the responsibility ne
making his life a success or a fail
He is advised, of course, wherev- tn
it is possible, to go back into his en-
line of work, and where that is not LEI
ssible, he Is asked where his pref of
noes lie. He Is educated according of
his own desires" off
DOCTOR Prosser gave figures showing
size of the task which the federal cif
I'd has before it in this matter. 1t ne
estimated that about 20O,0O men we
need the retraining. Of this num- 81,
half have been crippled by wounds tb.
half disabled through Illness. IN
Sees His Name on Memorial.