The Pulaskian., 1919-04-18
Chief of Staff Says Home Folks Do Not Understand
 Methods.
BIG PROBLEMS TO SOLVE
Why the Old Draft Boards Could Not Be Used-Provision Supplied for All Those in Distress-Honus
 Given to Discharged Men.

Washington-Th war department authorizes the following statement from the office of the chief of staff:
 The present system of demobiliza- tion does not seem to be understood by the people of the country. As a fundamental starting point, let us as sume that all the selected service men who have been inducted into the ser vice during the war were removed from their home communities at one time, and that upon their departure, aud until their return conditions of labor and industry did not change in the slightest respect in any portion of the country. Again let us assume that the conditions of labor and in- dustry having remained exactly the same, all these selected service men were returned at the same moment to the niches previously held by them in civil life Under such assumptions the entire operation would have been performed without the slightest jar to the industrial conditions of the coun- try.
 This would be an ideal condition. but it is based on an utterly absurd hypothesis. The selected service men were not all inducted into the service at one time. Nor did the conditions of labor and industry remain un- changed after their departure from @l,n;c hon,a lfcfrio ofc
 Tremendous Problem.
 Could the history of each particular fob from which employed men had been withdrawn be traced, could it be discovered whether the job re- mained open to him or whether As Job had been filled by B could 1t be definitely ascertained that B left q job which remains open to A; It might be possible, were these return ing men so many spare parts of Il machine, to assign each returning man q definite job But they are not spare parts of machine. They are human beings, influenced on the one hand by home ties, and on the other by vary Ing desires and ambitions; and if no positions which they want are imme- diately open to them, they, as well as fhe original unemployed, must be grad uallv absorbed in the industrial life of the nation.
 This, then, is the tremendous prob lem that confronts us--to return to q country whose digestion for labor IS not now of the best hundreds of thou- sands of men without employment, not forgetting that they and their families deserve the grateful thanks of the na- ton, and remaining keenly aware that their patriotism and sacrifice demand that they be given every possible rec ognition and favor.
 Certain Specific Laws.
 As certain specific laws govern the discharge of soldiers, and their inter ests as we'll as those of the govern ment must be jealously guarded. the nse of local draft boards for the entire Rehabilitation of the army would, among other things. involve the 1oi- lowing: Necessary commissioned ana enlisted personnel for the preparation of all records of each man discharged 1; for the reception, storing, care ana sbinment of all government equipment turned in by him; for his physlcal eA- animation and final payment. mere would also be needed facilities Tor housing and feeding men, including hospital treatment, while awaiting dis- charge. a,
 The machinery necessary at each one of the local draft boards Wo'iiu us- pend upon the amount of work wiiicn if would be required to do. About 4eso local draft boards would nave 'o be provided with this necessary aa per, xonnel and othe. facilities mentioneu