The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-05-02
Return Them to Suitable Employ
ment After Their Discharge
From Service.
GENERAL WOOD URGEsACTIoN
All Lines Of Effort Should BE Organ.
lied and Every Opportunity Given
Men to Settle Down In
Civil Life C%ontented.
BY LEONARD WOOD.
Major General Commanding Central De-
partment, United States Army.

partment, united states Army.
Appreciation of the work done by
our soldiers, sailors and marines In
the great war can best be shown by
active measures to return them to
discharge from service. 1t Is a ma
tional duty and n not to be shirked
by a nation that stands for justice and
square dealing. Our soldiers were
sent to their training camps-to the
battle line-with every demonstration
of q nations appreciation of the sacri-
flee that these men were willing to
make. Now that the active operations
of the wal are suspended we are In
clined to lose interest In those who
made our success possible. This is
the time for the nation to show that IL
understands and appreciates the sac
rifices which our men willingly made
when they answered the call for ma
tional service.
The 100000 men indicted into the
service, less the dead, are being re-
turned to their homes. We must or
ganlze all lines of effort so that every
possible opportunity will be given
them to settle down happily contented
in civil life. Some OF them we will find
a bit difficult to handle. and we must
have considerable patience with them.
They have been through a big expert
ence. Some are a bit unreasonable
In a way, and perhaps II is hard for
them to settle down.
Ambition 10 Aroused.
In seeing that they are returned to
suitable civil employment-and by that
I mean employment In which they
Will find contentment-we will find IL
at times difficult to deal with them.
We must remember that many of these
men, before going for the great ven
ture, had never been far from home.
had never seen the big things Of life.
had eve had the opportunity of
finding themselves. During their serv-
ice In the army they found out that
all men were equal except as distin-
guished one from the other by such
characteristics as physique. educa-
ton and character. They discovered
that men who are loyal, attentive to
duty. always striving to do more than
required, stood out among their fell
lows and were marked for promotion.
Naturally many Of them now see that
their former employment will not give
them the opportunities for advance
ment which they have come to prize,
and for that reason they want a
change. They want a kind of employ
ment which offers opportunities for
promotion. Many such men are fitted
for forms Of employment which offer
this advantage, and they must be given
the opportunity to try to make good In
the lines Of endeavor which they elect
to follow. 1t Is not charity to give
these men the opportunities for which
they strive. 1t Is justice. Others are
not mentally equipped to take advan-
tage of such opportunities IL offered,
and with these we will find 1t more
difficult to deal. They must be rea-
soned with. and directed, IL possible,
into the kind of employment best suit
ed to their characteristics.
We will find many of the men have
temporarily lost efficiency In the lines
of employment which they followed be-
fore entering the service, but for that
reaso alone they must not be deprived
of the opportunity to regain their eff
cheney In those lines, nor can they be
offered reduced wages during this pc
riod.
Give Them Square Deal.