The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-03-20
THURSDAY MARCH 20. 1919.
INEXCUSABLE BLUNDERS


General Ireland for the care of
insane patients who have come
back from abroad. Arrangements
have been made by the authorities
of forty-four states to receive and
care for soldier-patients from their
own states if evidences of insanity
existed prior to their enlistment"
1t will be noted by the above para
graph, taken from the General We'll
fare Bulletin of March 9Th, that for
ty-four states have arranged to take
off Of the federal governments
hand and care for their mentally af-
fiicted soldiers "if evidence of in
SANITY existed prior to their enlist
ment." If this isn't severe slap in
the face for members of local boards
and recruiting bureau officials of the
United States war department then
we fail to understand its meaning. In
other words, it admits the incompe-
tency of many Of those intrusted
with the duty of enlisting OF select
ing men for the army. 1t has been
clearly demonstrated that this con-
dition existed throughout the coun-
try, but until now we have seen no
such open admission of it by those
high in authority.
The requirements of the army and
navy regulations concerning the ply
sical and mental condition of their
personnel is clearly defined and it's
regidity precludes the enlistment OF
selection by recruiting officers OF
AGENCIES of any one who does not
measure up to certain prescribed
physical and mental standard.
Why were these rules so fragrant
ly disregarded?
It's an easy matter to distinguish
a man with an artificial. leg, a disa-
bled arm, or even a glass eye quail
ties that bar a man from enlistment,
and are infirmaties that can be de-
tected at a casual glance, yet many |
such men so afflicted were regarded
as "select" men and inducted into !!
service.
Recruiting officers and local boards !
were doubtless provided with doc
tors and scientific equipment for the
quick and ready detection of con-
sumption, Bright's disease, color
defective intellect, epilepsy
etc, and yet they failed to detect
these inequities in thousands of men.
They were passed as "selectmen"
and forced into military service, ,
thousand of them have died and are
buried in a foreign land, as a result !
of the stupidity OF disregard of the
army regulations on the part Of !
those entrusted with the selection Of !
men for the army under the select |
i've draft act. The crazy ones who |
have survived the hardshipS to which |
they have been subjected, and as a |
suffering worse men
tai impairment are to be returned to
their respective states, by it to be
cared for in asylums prepared for
them.
Consumptives inducted into the
service as "select" men have been
thrown with great bodies Of other
men-fellow soldiers, and by spread
ing the germs or disease have prob
ably been, or will be the means of
killing more Americans than their
services as soldiers accomplished
with powder and ball in the distruc-
ton of the enemy they were forced
TO combat.
This thing of having inexcusabiy
inducted into OF enlisted for military
service in the army, men IN advanc-
ed stages of consumption, crlpples'
imbeciles and incompetents is stig-
ma upon the United States and it's
selection boards throughout the
country which time cannot efface II
it's history is correctly written.