Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-04-17
IN WORK
FOR DISABLED
Conference on Rehabilitation
Shows Steps Taken by
United States.
CANADA TAKES LIKE ACTION
Other Allied Countries Leave RehabiIi-
tation to Private Enterprise-Pros-
ser Explains Scope of Refrain
ing Injured Men.

ing Injured Men.
In it's provisions for returning dis
abled soldiers to profitable employ
ment, the United States government
leads the world. This fact was brought
out at the International Conference on
Rehabilitation held in this city recent
ly. It was shown that, with the ex-
ceDtion of Canada, the United States
was the only government that had TAX
en- official cognizance Of the nations
supreme duty to rehabilitate it's SOL
diers incapacitated through wounds or
illness from pursuing their former
means of livelihood.
In an interview, DR.. Charles A. Pros
ser. director of the federal board OF
vocational education, charged with the
work of retraining the men from the
hospitals, told of the scope Of Amer
ica's plans Of rehabilitation.
"When we took our boys from their
civil Jobs and put them into the army
to risk their lives for an ideal, the gov
eminent promised three things to its
wounded soldiers. First, the promise
of physical care was made; then the
promise of compensation for injury
and lastly, those who came back Grip
pied were pledged the nations honor
that they would be retrained, re-edu-
Gated TO assume a responsible place in
the economic life of the country.
Best Surgeons Engaged.
'For our first promise, we got the
best surgeons possible and shipped
them to France or installed them in
this country in up-to-date hospitals,
with all the appliances that science
could suggest for making well again
the sick and the wounded. Men and
women, experts, devoted their whole
time to the problem Of taking care or
the unfortunate soldiers who found
their way into the hospitals.
"For the second promise, we have
the bureau Of compensation and the
bureau of war risk insurance, which
takes care that a disabled man shall
receive a pension, and in addition shall
receive insurance according to the size
of the policy he took out. 1t remains,
now that the war is over, to make good
our third pledge of occupational re-
Mobilization.
"In this matter, the United States
found herself in little better posi-
ton than did the governments OF our
allies. While they were busy with
war. private concerns took up the
question Of rehabilitation and are in
general in charge Of the problem over
there right now. On the other hand
in America, there was already organ
lied and in operation board which
had been doing the same work for
civilians that the government now
wants done for soldiers. [ refer to the
federal board Of vocational education
"In June, 1918 by the vocational re-
Mobilization act, congress turned over
to this board the entire task of reed
ucating and placing in employment the
discharged soldiers, sailors and ma
rines who have been so disabled.
SCnOOIS FOunu 1CdOy.
eve looked about us, first Of all, for
facilities where this matter of edu-
cation might be settled. Did we build
schools? We did not We found that
in the United States there were $780,
100000 worth of school facilities, and
that there was not a principal nor an
instructor in any school who was not
eager to take up his share of re-edu-
eating disabled soldier. In addition,
shops and factories, offices and farms,
all over the country offered us their
facilities without stint.
GAS soon as the man lands in a de-
barkatiOn hospital over here we have
agents who go to him and put the
proposition before him clearly. He
is shown that he must not be down
hearted, that he has the backing of
1OO,O00,O0O people, and that on his
shoulders alone rests the responsibility
for making his life a success Or a fail
ure. He is advised, Of course, wherev-
old line of work, and where that is not
possible, he is asked where his pref
erences lie. He is educated according
to his own DESIRES"
Doctor Prosser gave figures showing
the size of the task which the federal
board has before it in this matter 1t
is estimated that about 100000 men
will need the retraining. Of this num-
Der half have been crippled by wounds
and half disabled through illness.