Evening star., 1919-04-27
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

C1NCE the dawn of time the Grip
pie has been considered a liza
bility, to his family. to
his community and to his
nation. The manned. the malt
and the blind have furnished the
great source from which the beg
gars of the world have been derived.
The war Just ended has added hun
dreds of thousands. even millions OF
crippled men to the total of those
suffering from physical disability. But
in the very act of doing so, the war
has quickened the interest OF the
whole in those who are no longer
whole, until the reconstruction and re-
education of these millions have be-
come not only an act Of justice. but
an act Of sound economic sense.
Not only does it relieve the nations
from the burden of supporting in
charity these men. but it adds to the
productivity of the nations. which has
been sorely strained by the losses due
to the war.
Benefit of Experiences.
The United States was the last of
the great nations to enter the war.
1t was the last of the nations to un-
dertake the solution of the problem of
reconstructing its disabled soldiers
and sailors. But it has the benefit Of
the experience of Great Britain. Can
ada, France and Italy and it has now
developed a system of it's own. which
is almost performing miracles in this
twentieth century. This system was
established through the operation of
the vocational rehabilitation act of
June q, 1918, and 1t is asserted by those
familiar with the work that America
now is ahead Of all other nations in
what it is doing for the rehabilitation of
wounded soldiers.
Under this act the federal board for
vocational education, acting in con-
junction with the war risk insurance
bureau, takes over the job of re-edu-
eating the disabled soldiers. sailors
and marines, and of teaching them
vocations, or professions, which ena-
bles them to be self supporting citi-
zens Of the republic.
Incidentally, there is being built up
in this country an organization
through this work with the wounded
soldiers which will be invaluable in
the reconstruction and re-sducatIon
Of that other army Of disabled and
MANNED civilians which each year the
industries Of the country thrust~out.
It would be the height Of folly. when
this organization has been perfected
to care for the men who have given
their arms. their legs or their eyes in
the cause of their country, to cast
this organization upon the junk heap
when these men have been cared for
The organization can be used. and
should be used. to re-educate those
who have been disabled permanently
in the industries OF the country.
Heavy Toll of Industry.
Every one knows that many men
are injured in the factories. in the
mines and on railroads each year. But
not many people have ever made an
estimate, or have any conception OF
the number. Garrard Harris of the
research division of the federal board
for vocational education has just
published a book, however. entitled
THE Redemption of the Disabled"
which deals very thoroughly and in
structfvely with the problems as they
relate to the men manned in military
service and to the men disabled in the
industries. The figures which he
gives for persons injured in in
dustries emphasizes with startling
clarity the need of holding on like
grim death to the organization now
created for the reconstruction of the
soldiers and sailors.
eff the United States" he says.
maintained an army of 100000 men
in the field year after year. and this
army was engaged in constant hos
tilities, its annual output of perma-
nently incapacitating disablements
would be just about equal the number
of those resulting annually from in
dustrial accidents, despite the ad-
vance made in safeguarding workers,