The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-01-30
ROTARY COOPERATION.


turned soldier and the community.
The United States now has had under arms
about 3,75O,000 men. In the course of the en-
suing two years this whole number of men must
be absorbed into civil life.
If there shall be further service for troops of
the United States anywhere on the globe, it is
probable that the manifest advantages of mill
tary training will move the Government to offer
the benefit of active service to the new recruits
from year to year, so that the proportions of our
national task of adjustment are substantially
those of our entire present enrolment, according
to Allen D. Albert, who has been Instrumental
in working out the cooperative plans contemp-
lated by the Rotarians.
The British Empire faces the same problem.
Neither Government will lack for schemes of
absorption. So it to the training of our
American troops. Out of the undigested plans,
rivals and institutions, and the inexperience even
of the most thoughtful came program that has
worked admirably.
Our Government has several boards or
bureaus whose activities reach to the future wei
fare of these men-the personnel boards of the
army, navy and marine corps; the federal board
for vocational education; the employment service
of the department of labor; the special employ
ment bureaus of the ship-building and other
boards the commissions on training camp activi-
ties; and so on.
The first definite proposal is, that the United
States Directors of International Rotary address
to the President, in the name of the Rotary Clubs
of the United States, an expression of hope that
he will designate board-made up of the chair
men of several boards, or consisting of the men,
bershp of the commissions training camp
tivities, otherwise-to correlate in adj
vsory capacity the plans local and national, for
the return of the troops to civil life.
poA, hos The
ment Of returned soldiers and sailors. This COM
mttee has seemed to regard chiefly the wounded
and invalided men. This tendency is response
to the emphasis put upon that limited problem
by officials Of Government rather than the origi-
nal project. We are faced with problem well
within 10000 invalded men-for whom Rotary
must make every exertion needed, of course; but
providing for them will leave many times more
| than 10000 others who will merit and require
attention.
By it's membership plan, Rotary is conspicu-
ously able to scan the field of employment and
thus serve the Government in locating returned
men. This ability is obviously an opportunity to
serve.
| But employment is only phase of the need
!, of the returned in uniform. AS type he
has been greatly strengthened by his service
The exceptions SO few as to be relatively un-
important. Those who know the service have
been thrilled at how much has been wrought for
these men by their military service in body, mind
and spirit.
The only way to keep it is to continue in the
soldiers civil life the agencies that have proven
| so wonderfully beneficial to him in his military
life. In other words, there must be more of CO.
| operation than have known heretofore in our
municipal institutions of health, education, rec
reation, and religion. If we cannot obtain it, we
must lose great part of the ambition, the new
spirit the cleanness of living that have made
| our troops the marvel of the war.
Whatever we do in these premises must be
kept rightly related to the Governments pro-
gram-as a matter of fundamental necessity
| Whatever do further must be done after
the fireworks have been set off and the cheering
has died down.
Whatever we do, finally, must be done by de-
veloping existing institutions of education, re-
creation, and religion rather than by attempting
to create new ones.
/ One hundred thousand Japanses are now liv-
ing in the United States; all but five thousand
of them in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast
| districts.