The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-01-15
DELAY IN DEMoBILIzATIoN.


from Fraoe is very likely to start a bitter dis
cussion in congress. Mr.. Dyer alleges that the
war department. is not proceeding with demobn
Iization at anything like the rate of speed it
could proceed. And, furthermore, the depart
meut refuses fatty to pay any attention what
soever to individual applications for dis
charges, no matter what the reasons may be.
The rehabilitation of the troops In Europe
is proceeding slowly. The department is al
ready away behind its schedule for bringing
them home, although Secretary Baker, Gener-
! al March and other officials have said they can
bring back the men at about the rate OF two
hundred thousand month According to
members of congress- they are bringing them
back at the rate of only about forty thousand
to fifty thousand month. One source Of dis
satisfaction is the retention of many soldier
boys in positions which are strictly nonmilitary
lin character, but more on the order of profess
lsional or clerical jobs.
England's far-sigilted program for demobil
sization contrasts unpleasantly with ear total
lack of anything that can be called well con-
sidered plan. The British government recently
had what might be called dress rehearsal ?
to see If the arrangements for the return of
soldiers TO peace conditions would work with
out a hitch. An army unit was demobilized
and In an incredibly short time each soldier
found himself In his native town, mustered out
OF service, paid off, clad In civilian clothes with
government insurance policy In his pocket
guaranteeing him against unemployment, and
a government voucher which could be cashed at
any postoffce calling for monthly payments for
the next six months
We have worked out no comprehensive plan
to compare with this but have begun demobil-
ization in haphazard way Our Industrial
cente-s are beginning TO I'LL up with soldiers
not all of whom are able TO get their old jobs
back They come back better men than when
they went away, but hosts of them find them
selves, In the matter of making livelihood
months behind their old associates who remain
ed at home As far as possible our government
should correct the hardship and injustice of
this
In time no doubt there viii be work for all /
The federal department Of labor believes that
q million workers are Immediately needed by |
the factories, farms and railroads of the coun-
ny. Ii this De so, industries when under
jul headway will absorb all applicants and ask |
for more. But meanwhile our government |
saould neglect no steps TO make the reabsorp-
ton swift and easy
1t iced not occasion surprise that the airrnen
should the non-e1pert be over-skeptical about
possibilities Of success. Whatever difficulties
The aeronauts experience, they viii es- T
eape many Of the major difficulties of the ex-
plorer who attempts the journey by sea and
land and ice. The problems of air currents In !
the frozen north are beyond the ken of the Law
men. but II It be supposed that the airship can
Dc navigated, It's great speed and freedom from
interrupted progress viii be tremendous assets
TO success N polar exploration. By the Us. of
hydro aeroplaaes the difficulty of landing
should be made less since there is open water
IN polar area Admiral Peary says the project .
s practical and he knows both the polar region
and aircraft.
"Jiu1aarn" Lewis, who wabbles for Illinois I
rs United States senator and will soon be out
81 the JOB has translated political science into
the language Of unreasonableness This iudg.
-neIt ls formed from reading of the senator's
speeches And yet the press associations tell I
1s That Lewis IL considered for the cabinet Do
sItlon from which Gregory viii retire on March
fourth! &
What did President Wilson really mean .
when be SAD that be would not be out of touch '
with congress during his absence in Europei
Is the matter soznething psychological e
What an awful toll of life and propertv II 9
has taken TO convince (ge-.-nsr,- 3Ia+ a. aIa Z