The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-06-13
LEADS IN WORK
FOR DISABLED
Conference ON Rehabilitation
Shows Steps Taken by
United States.
CANADA TAKES LIKE ACTION
Other Allied Countries Leave RehabiiiN
tation to Private Enterprise-Pros-
ser Explains Scope of Refrain
ing Injured Men.

In its provisions for returning dis
ablel soldiers to profitable employ
merit. the United States government
leads the world. This fact was brought
ou at the International Conference on
Rehabilitation held in this city recent
ly 1t was shown that, with the eX-
ception of Canada, the United States
was the only government that had tax
sen official cognizance of the nations
supreme duty to rehabiiitate its sol
sdiers incapacitated through wounds or
illness from pursuing their former
smeans of livelihood.
In an interview, DIR. Charles A. Pros
ser. director of the federal board OF
vocational education. charged with the
work of reiraining the men from the
hospitals, told of the scope OF Amer
icas plans of rehabilitation.
"Nhen 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
-tFor 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 we'll again
the sick and the wounded. Men and
women, experts, devoted their whole
time to the problem of taking care Of
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 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 occupafiOnal re-
Mobilization. /
"In this matter, the United States I
found herself in little better posi-
lion than did the governments of our
allies. While they were busy with
var, private concerns took up the
of rehabilitation and are in
in charge of the problem over
here right now. On the other hand,
n America, there was already organ
zed and in operation board which
lad been doing the same work for
ivifians that the government now
wants done for soldiers. l refer toNthe
ederaI board of vocational education
''In June, 1915 by the vocational re-
act congress turned over
, this board the entire task of reed
eating and placing in employment the
ischarged soldiers, sailors and ma ]
mes who have been so disabled.
Schools Found Ready.
1--WE looked about u.s. first of all, for {
Icilities where this matter of edu-
ation might be settled. Did we build 9
.hools? We did not. We found that
the United States there were $780,
at there was not a principal nor an II
structor in any school who was not
ger to take up his share of re-edu-
ting a disabled soldier In addition,
ops and factories, offices and farms,
over the country offered us their fl
cilities without stint sc
"As soon as the man lands in q de- W
rkation hospital over here we have nj
ents who go to him and put the 1t
oposition before him clearly. He dr
shown that he must not be down w
arted, that he has the backing OF dr
100000 people. and that ON his
)ulders alone rests the responsibility A
making his life a success or fail
J. He is advised, Of course, where7- =.
it is possible, to go back into his
line Of work, and where that is not
,sible, he is asked where his pref
noes lie. He is educated according
his own desires" ~,
DOCTOR Prosser gave figures showing ~;
size of the task which the federal -.
rd has before it in this matter. 1t ~,
estimated that about 100000 men -
need the retraining OF this NUM- ~
half have been crippled by wounds A.
half disabled through illness