Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-17
GREATNlMbER
j. s. Soldiers
IN DESPERATE
PRED|CAMENT
Many Returned Yanks Find
Themselves PenniIess After
Spending Their Money
for Clothing.

New York, Aug. l6.--The serious
problem of fighting men returning
to America and, after spending what
little money they have in Quitting
themselves with civilian clothes.
finding themselves penniless, with
no job in prospect, has been made
the subject of a very frank state
ment by Alfred L. Smith, executive
secretary of the unemployment bu-
reau committee OF New York City.
When making an appeal to EN-
ployers, asking them to make sacri-
fees if necessary to, give work to
returned American fighters, he said
These Are Real Men.
"Unable to finance themselves
during any lengthy period of unem'
ployment; too proud to ask assist
ance from welfare organizations; too
honest to resort to illegitimate
methods, many former soldiers, sail
ors and marines, who have been un-
able to get jobs today are in despair.
During the past week we have
had numerous former service men
applying at the unemployment bu
reau, at No. sos Pearl street, for po-
sitions, who admitted they were
without money with which to buy
lunch. Other applicants claimed
they did not have the necessary car
fare with which to go after jobs
open in various parts of the city.
Won Honors in France.
these boys are Americans; they
have won honors abroad. They
were given a wonderful welcome
home. Many of them are too proud
to ask relief FROM philanthropic So
cieties.
ut is true that these ex-hghters
we're paid in full when they received
their discharge. They also got a
bonus of $50 each. Out of this
money the majority of them had to
buy new clothes. What they had
left was spent during the time they
have been out of the service.
"We admit that some of them
NAV have been too liberal with what
little money they had on hand after
leaving the service. But that does
not alter the fact that we must pro-
vide employment for each and every
man who was with the colors when
this nation faced the greatest crisis
in its history.
ut is no reflection upon the en-
ployers of New York nor upon the
unemployment bureau to admit that
there are thousands of jobless ex-
service men in this city. The trou-
bic is that, while there are hundreds
of vacant positions, most of theGob-
less men are either young and in
experienced, men who are without
special training, or executives, pro-
fessional and technical men who IND
it difficult to connect during what IS
generally admitted as the dullest
season of the year.
"The great demand now is for
skilled mechanics and ordinary I'M
skilled labor, and for these positions
most of the idle soldiers applying at
the unemployment bureau are en-
tirelv unified and would not satisfy
the employer in case they were hired
for such Jobs. We cannot refer a
general clerk to a skilled toolmak-
er's Job, nor a civil engineer to a
heavy porter's job.
while the unemployment com
mittee is confident there will be jobs
for everybody within compare
lively short time, it is imperative
that work he found Immediately for
hundreds of ex-service men who
cannot finance themselves much
longer.
Married Men Desperate.
"Scores of men who got married
before they went overseas are des-
perately seeking work. One man
who called at the bureau the other
day was willing to take job at Sic
a week so as to be able to buy food
for his mother, his wife and for an
other that had not yet arrived. We
have scores of men who are prac-
ticalfy the sole support of their pa
rents. H.
"'A1l want is a job is the uni
versal cry of the ex-fghter who is up
against it today.
Don't Capitalize Sacrifice.
"These men are not trying to CAPT
salize the fact that they were in the
service. The majority of them take
off their uniforms within few days
after getting out of the service
They apply at the unemployment
bureau because they know we are
placing hundreds OF men every week
in positions. We are getting Won.
derful cooperation from the EN-
2loyers with whom we are in con
slant touch.
4 There are some employers, how
ever, who do not realize the real stu.
alton. If these will consider wha'
the man who is just out of the serv
ice is up against and will make a
place for at least one ex-hghter i
will be appreciated.
sWork must be given these men