The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-26
US. TO FOLLOW
PEARSON'S PLAN
FOR WAR'SBLIND
Eight Thousand Sightless
Soldiers Will Be SchOoled
in Self Help.
BLIND BEGGAR OBSOLETE
Scientific Methods Insure Sells
Support to Those Who No
Longer See.
MANY SIGHTLESS IN PARIS
Wheeler Estimates 5000
There Alone Lost Eyes
During the War.
MANY SIGHTLESS IN PARIS

II war has It's compensations. count
large among them the new opportunity
and incentive 1t has been the means Of
giving the blind. In doing their plain
duty by the men made sishtless In their
service, the nations are at the same
time acquiring vision. Under compul-
sion Of war, solution of the whole prob
lem Of the blind" has advanced immeas-
urably. The number of blinded soldiers
g relatively small; in learning how to
return them to industrial life the world
Is devising a practical system OF educa-
ton for the far greater host Of blind
civilians.
Somehow the words blindness" de
tendency" and "destitution" have be-
come linked in the language as IL they
were born conjoined. The process of
divorce is well under way. The pioneers
saw It long ago, but it has taken a war
ard the soldier walking in darkness to
make most of US see that It Is easily
possible for blind man to do a mans
part in the world, not merely blind
mans part This is fact. not sentiment
Consider the word of that indomitable,
fascinating blind man, Sir Arthur Pear
son, that the majority of men who have
gone forth from St. Dunstan's Hostel
for Blinded Soldiers and Sailors In Lon
don are earning more money than they
ever earned before. and some Of them
more than they ever dreamed OF earn
ing and all in self-respectful ways.
Day of Blind BesEar Gone.
The blind begsar has inspired both
poetry and activtty by the police. He
and his craft are doomed. The day is
coming when every passerby will know
that IL man is a mendicant the reason
does not lie in his blindness Owners OF
factories are learning. right here in New
York and wherever old prejudices are
being swept away by demonstrated
truth. that they have work the blind can
do as we'll as those who can see.
Ability to earn a good living Is becom-
ing ordinary rather than exceptional,
thanks TO the teaching at such places as
St. Dunstan's In London and Evergreen
in Baltimore, where all Americas
Blinded soldiers, sailors and marines go
TO have the way pointed by the Govern
meut and the Red Cross Institute for the
Blind.
Few blind men alas are Sir Arthur
Parsons: few blind women are Laura
Bridgmans or Helen Kellers. So much
the greater Is hope for the ordinary per-
son without sight, for ne and not the
phenomenon is the object OF the new
SOLITUDE.
The number OF men who have come
cut of the war blinded Is far less than
most people suppose. 1t is safe to say
that the figure Of blind veteran polk
Ing along with a cane or being led along
the streets was common in the vision
Of those trying to imagine conditions
after the war. Somehow. probably be-
cause the blinded soldier is the most
appealing to the feeling of pity and is
held IN special affection among those
wounded, and because of a general be-
re' that shell shock and gassing often
destroy the eyesight, the notion has
teen prevalent that blindness would
Rave big place in the casualty lists.
This is not true.
Blind Soldier q Rarity.
TIE army definition of blindness Is
Insufficient sight to perform work for
which cyesight Is essential" All the men
thus afflicted Ga word used with apollo
g"s 20 Sir Arthur Pearson, who detests
~ IN the war could be pretty nearly
got into Madison Square Garden. Dr.
ll'e them IN the worlds population and
u Is easy to see that blind soldier is
and will be a rarity
The latest United States Army report
= that 227 men out OF the millions we
~ent into the national service have been
minded, Small as Is this total students
believe that this figure is too large.
Among the Allies the proportion OF
blinded men among the total casualties
mas been one in 1900. and there is no
apparent reason why the American rate
should not correspond with this
schuyler Skaats Wheeler. whose in
,erest in tho matter will be explained
Le'eatter. obtained the following figures
,or THE SUNDAY Sun, and the Red Cross
institute for the Blind verified them:
I.HG.And Observation-Disclosures. ], 500
ray ......,.............. 700
an '.''.'' .,-.-....,.s.... oo
ESTIMATED.
f..r.e .'''''.' ...s........s.... z'uoV
a"S ''''''''''' 's..sss.ss.sss.. o'VVV
Mr., Wheeler said:
The figures for France and England,
lam satisfied. are quite accurate. There
claim that Italy's total Is larger
than here given. but think not The
"s"io ! have FOR the United states r.
~ which think is a little too large.
Inc Red Cross told me some time ago II
would not reach 100. Germany and Rus
"a are pure estimates, but are based on
NE total casualties; the number OF
nAnded follows pretty evenly the same
percentage OF casualties for every coun-
~ There IL a general impression that
the var blind are more numerous than
tNey really are. When l went 10 Europe
- AConti1usd on Tenth PassA