The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-04-25
Return Them to Suitable Employ:
ment After Their Discharge
From Service.
GENERAL WOOD uRGESACII0N
All Lines Of Effort Should Be Organ
ICED and Every Opportunity Given
Men to Settle Down In
Civil Life Contented.
BY LEONARD WOOD.
| Mi ior General Commanding Contra! De-

| 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
suitable civil employment upon their
discharge from service. 1t Is ma
| tional duty and one 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 nations appreciation Of the sacri-
| fee that these men were willing to
make. Now that the active operations
of the war 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 II
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
| possible opportunity will be given
them to settle down happily contented
| in civil life. Some of them we will find
! bit difficult to handle, and we must
! have considerable patience with them.
! They have been through big expert
ence Some are bit unreasonable
in way, and perhaps 1t is hard for
| them to settle down.
Ambition Is Aroused.
| In seeing that they are returned to
| suitable civil employment-nnd by that
! mean employment In which they
| will find contentment-we will find 1t
| at times difficult to deal with them.
We must remember that many of these
men, before going for the great ven
! t,lre, had never been far from home,
had never seen the big things Of life,
had never had the opportunity Of
finding themselves. During their serv.
ice In the army they found out that
oil men were equal except as distin-
guishcd one from the, other by such
| characteristics as physique, educ a.
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
change They want kind Of employ
rhent 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 II offered,
and with these we will find it more
difficult to deal. They must be rea-
soned with, and directed If 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
reason alone they must not be deprived
Of the opportunity to regain their ell.
! cheney In those lines, nor can they be
| offered reduced wages during this pc
Rod
| Give Them Square Deal.
Our soldiers, sailors and marin S
offered themselves for the great all
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 1t was through no
fault of theirs that they did not have
the opportunity. In training camps
working from early morning until late
at night. fitting their bodies to meet
the physical hardships Ct war, fitting
| their minds to meet the mental shock
| Of combat, and in the battle line un-
| der sou!-stirring conditions. these men
| stood ready to make the great s8cfi-
| fee.
Let us remember that a square deal
for our honorably discharged soldiers,
| sailors and marines will strengthen
the morale of the nation and will help
TO create a sound national conscious
! ness ready to act promptly in support
| % +r,,tb iuSIipa and right
Born In a Bobsled.
/ Cedar Falls. Ja.-"h hl.Incing bany