Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-23
Return Them TO Suitable Employ
nnent After Their Discharge
From Service.
GENERAL WOOD URGES ACTION
All Lines of Effort Should Be Organ-
lied and Every Opportunity Given
Men TO Settle Down in
Civil Life Contented
by LEONARD WOOD.
Major General Commanding Central De-
partment United Statea ARMY

partment, united states Army.
Appreciation of the work done by
our soldiers. sailors and marines in
the great war can best bee shown by
active measures to return them 10
suitable civil employment upon their
discharge from service IT is q M
tional duty aud one not to be shirked
by Il nation tl.at stands for Justice and
square dealing. our soldiers were
sent to their training camps to the
battle liue-With every demonstration
of nations appreciation Of the saeri-
flee that these men were willing 70
make. Now Tint the active operations
of the war are suspended we ar" in
cliHed to lose interest In those who
made our success possible This j.
the time for the nation to show that II
understands and appreciates the sac
ritices which our men willingly made
when they answered the call for ma
tonal service
The 100000 men indicted into the
service, less the dead, are being re-
turned to their homes. We must or
ganlze al lines Of effort 50 that every
possible opportunity viii be given
them to settle down happily contented
in civil FIFE. Some Of them we viii find
a bit difficult 70 handle. and we must
have considerable patience with them.
They have been through "A big expert
ence. Some are bit unreasonable
in n way, and perhaps it. IS hard for
them to settle down.
Ambition IS Aroused.
In seeing HAT they are returned to
suitable eivlI enploymcnt-and Is that
| mem employment in which thay
will find eouteutmcu,-We viii find Ii
MT times difficult 10 deal with them.
We must remember thar 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 never had the opportunity Of
finding themselves, During their sery.
lee In the army they found ont that
all men We're equal except rs dj~tin
guished one from the other by such
characteristics rs physique, edgca
tion and character They discovered
that men Who ere loyal, attentive To
/. duty. aIWa, = striving to do npre dom
required. TODD ut among th'ir fol-
lows and were marked for" o8gt'nn.
Naturally many Of them now SEQ that
their former employment will not give
them the opportunities for advance
ment which HOY have come 20 prize
and for that reason they want
change. They want q 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 10 try t. make good in
the lines of en'lehtur which they elect
10 follow. 1t is not charity TO give
these .9en the opportunities for which
they strive. 1t is justice Others are
not mentally equipped 10 Take adHan-
tage of such opportunities II offered,
aud with these we viii find it more
difficult to deal. They must b2 rea-
soned with. and directed. II possible,
into the Kind of employment best suit
Ell III llitli OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
We will find many of the men have
temporarily lost efficiency in tile lines
of employment which they followed he
fore entering the service, but for that
reason 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 Then, Square Deal.
Our soldiers, sailors and marines
offered themselves for the great adj
venture. Many of them have been
through the great adventure, in which
they offered their lives, to the end that
justice might prevail and the world
be made safe to live in. Those who
did not come face to face with the
great adventure nevertheless were
ready to do so, and it was through no
fault of theirs that they did not have |
the opportunity. in training camps |
working from early morning until late |
ut night. fitting their bodies to meet /
the physical hardships of war. fitting
their minds to meet the mental shock I
of combat, and in the battle line I'm,
der Soul-stirring conditions these men I
stood ready to make the great sacrI /
fee.
Let us remember that a square deal /
for our honorably discharged soldiers, /
sailors and marines viii strengthen .
the morale Of the nation and will help .
TO create a sound national conscious /
ness ready to act promptly in support .
of truth, justice and right. /