The Washington times., 1919-01-23

The best man to teach a one-armed
soldier how to get along without his
other arm is a man who has only one
arm himself. At least that's the way
the surgeon generals office feels
about it. and out at Walter Reed Hos
pital they have on the job a one
armed Instructor to tip off the boys
who lost an arm in France how to
show two-armed men a trick or two.
Probably the strangest and most
impromptu class instruction in the
world is the sight of Jack Sweat.
who lost his right arm when he was
fifteen years old and swears that the
amputation made a man Of him,
teaching q group of Walter Reed pa
tients who lost their arms fighting in
France how to tie scarf with one
hand, how to do a neat double bow
knot on a shoe lace, roll a cigarette.
and operate a typewriter-and all
with the left hand at that More
than a hundred soldiers-some minus
a right arm, some minus a left-have
been placed under Sweatt's tutelage.
and by the free-masonry of the self
same affiiction, he is Buddy" 10 them
all.
knows All the Tricks.
There isn't trick of how to do
things with one hand that Sweat
doesn't know. What's more. he work
ed them all out for himself. All that
he's learned he is passing on to the
soldier boys. Coming from him. these
boys know it's gospel truth and what
he can do, they realize they, too, can
do-with a little practice.
The wisdom Of the choice OF such
an instructor is obvious. Nothing in
the world could be better for the
morale OF these dozens of young fell
lows who must face the future with
only one arm. For, If you were to
look for the most self-reliant indi-
vidual on the entire post, you
wouldn't need to go farther than
Jack Sweat. He asks no odds-nO
help from anyone. The boys see that.
They see that he is as happy and
full of the Joy of living as any two
armed man that ever lived-perhaps
OF helping him. Instead, he is al
ways the one who is opening a door
or performing a quick. efficient un-
obstrusive service for some one else.
In the wards, in the Red Cross hut
in the post canteen, on the grounds,
Sweat can be seen with his little
group of pupils about him. There's
nothing dogmatic about Sweatt's
method. It's Hey, Buddy" Hey,
you fellows" until he has a crowd
around him. Then he yanks his scarf
off. unties his shoe laces. and de-
mands the "makin's."
And then the lecture on one
handedness begins.
Better Than Two Hands
You know these boobs with two
hands aren't any better off than we
are" Sweat usually begins. First
place. the average two-handed guy
only uses his thumbs and forefingers
and usually he's .all thumbs and
this old left hand OF mine IL worth
his two any time because / use ev-
cry one Of my FIVE fingers. That
makes me have one more finger
than he has. He uses four. | use
five
Now when man goes to puiId q
mouse, ne doesn't just go at il hit or
miss Sweat continues. First pIaCe
he thinks out what he wants 10 do
and then has IAN architect draw a
plan Same way tying q scarf. Dope
out. the plan and then go ahead, so
one can see how the trick is done the
four-i hand is tied. the shoe Iaces
secured in a double bow, a neat ciga-
rette is rolled and finally, taking a
file between his little finger and the
next, be shows how he keeps his
nails filed and cleaned, without ary
assistance from anyone. thank you,
The whole thing takes the form az
a game to the boys and the competi-
tion in one-arm efficiency is keen.
Any fellow who can't fasten his own
leggins gets the laugh from his
comrades until some morning he
proudly exhibits a pair he has, fas-
tened himself.
For. these boys who belong to the
"Amputation Club" don't waste any
sympathy on themselves or each 9TH
'er. They never speak of losing an
arm. They will tell you they GO;
theirs" either at Chateau Thierry, or
BoiIleau Wood or somewhere on the