Evening star., 1919-04-27

The answer, it is said. is. when he
has been reconstructed by the voca-
tional education board" The only
real Reconstruction problem in the
true meaning of the word which
faces this country is the reconstruc-
ton of these disabled men. The other
problems, great as they may be, are
of readjustment from a war to a
peace basis.
The success which has been at
tanned in England. France and Canada
in the reconstruction and re-education
OF MANNED soldiers and sailors is
now a matter Of history. There are
thousands Of these men in those coun-
tries.
From Laborer to Manager.
a. E. Holder of the vocational edu-
cation board. appearing before the
congressional committees in support
of the rehabilitation bill, told the
committee that in Canada he had
found soldier who was discharged
in disabled condition had been
trained to become an estimator and
cost accountant in construction work.
whereas he previously had been
bricklayer at much less wage. He
referred to many other cases. where
the disabled men who had been given
training were earning today an ade-
quate living.
When the United States government
undertook this work Of reconstruct
ing the men who had lost eyes or
limbs in the country's cause, it was
with the idea that the nation was in
debted to these men to restore them
as far as possible to their. pre-war
civil status. This is matter of sim
rle justice, not aims. It proposes to
,estore the earning. capacity of the
t>> - I4 lAv1
upon his family or othe state.
The old pension system Of past wars
was discarded as entirely inadequate
when the country went to war with
Germany. Such a SYSTEM must neces
sari1y have an Ill eneetcupon the pen
sioners themselves. But under the
tenn now adopted the men will not
suffer the painful and degrading ex-
perience Of becoming, mere cripples
after having been heroes. A busy
nation soon for9ets the sacrifices of
its individual citizens, unfortunately,
and only on special holidays remem-
bers the valor of the men who gave
arms and legs and eyes in battle. A
crippled French soldier has put 1t
tersely: For q year the war cripple
will be hero; after that, for life,
he will be only a cripple"
Still Good Insurance Risk.
The vocational education board has
just been informed by the casualty in
surance companies that the insurance
rates charged employers who insure
themselves and their employees against
loss from accident and sickness will
not be increased because Of the en-
ployment Of former soldiers and sail
ors who have been MANNED. but who
have been able, through the training
work. This is a matter of considera-
BILE importance to. the, mon. for en-
pfoyers. IL not at present, in after
years, might have been djsinclined to
accept them IL they were forced to
pay higher insurance premiums than
il they employed whole men. The
casualty insurance companies Of Great
Britain, where the number Of manned
soldiers and sailors is far greater than
in this country, set the example some
time ago by announcing they would
not increase their insurance rates to
the employers.
Under the operation of the reha-
Utilization act. the disabled men. dis
charged from the military service.
will be under civil control; there is no
military organization in charge. Con-
gress determined that-it would be a
military authority and control after
they had been to all intents and pur-
poses discharged from the Army. The
sooner they were returned to civil
life, Congress contended. the better.