Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-21

Wv WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. IA news
w paper that prays for a speedy end,
and longs for the day when For
Rent" sign will be hung on the editor-in-
chiefs office door, is new thing in the
newspaper game But the Comeback, the
paper published by the wounded soldiers at
Walter Reed Military Hospital, announces
this desire as it's editorial policy.
The first of chain of similar newspapers
It be established in tie reconstruction hos
pitfalls of the country, the Comeback will
live just as long as it is necessary for the
government to support reconstruction hos
pital for the men who have made the" sacri-
flee over there
'"The Comeback announces its purpose to
carry on for a while,' the editorial in the
first issue states eff the advertising and cir
culation holds out we shall be here until the
last rehabilitated soldier has settled down on
one of Secretary Lanes soldier farms or
married beautiful heiress, whose father
dabbled bit in war stocks"
Written and printed = the wounded men
themselves and sold by the Red Cross nurses
who have borne the burden of the war with
the men, the paper tells the story of the men
who are asking a chance to "comeback."
Don't cOddle u.s. is their message to the
too sympathetic public. 1--WE have made
our sacrifices like men and now we
ask for a square deal and a chance to stand
on our own feet. Putting a lily in our hands
and calling heroes isn't going to take
the place of the job we reed to support our
selves and our families"
eve are not objects of charity or pity
Give us your advertising and subscription
and we will take care of the rest"
The Comeback is confronted with as many
responsibilities as ever faced a newborn
newspaper magazine The editor, in the
first edition, declares that the paper will have
as many duties to perform las a soldier in
France has cooties."
First the little paper is to uphold the
morale of the wounded men, explaining the
various plans of the government for their
welfare and training. 1t is to keep alive the
spirit of carry on which upheld these vet
Grams of Chateau Thierry, Argonro and the
Marine, in the midst of the fighting.
Many of the men come back to the hos
pitfalls in this country entirely unaware that
their Uncle Sam has / de any preparations
for their futures, beyond the meager pension
granted the veterans of other wars. Despond-
ent the men are convinced that their handi-
caps in the form of missing arms or legs,
will bar them forever from active participa-
ton in the affairs of the world.
To these the Comeback explains that the
government has determined that not one
man from cover there shall go back into
civil life less fit to support himself than he
was before he enlisted in the service.
''You have lost your right arm, Mr.. Ma
chinist," the paper says, "Well, your Uncle
Sammy has new arm for you that will en-
able you to go on with your trade or enter
new line of business. Write to us and we
will tell you all about it,
Secondly, the Comeback must serve as
model for the dozens of other papers to be
published in reconstruction hospitals in other
sections of the country. Even as the hospital
at Walter Reed stands a model of its kind,
the paper published by the Walter Reed men
will blaze the trail along which the other
hospital publications will follow.
Already two other reconstruction hospitals
have established weekly newspapers, similar
in policy and makeup to the Comeback. The
New York hospital has it's "Rightabout" and
the hospital at Newport News has established
paper as yet unnamed.
The naming of the paper is left to the men
of the hospital The Comeback received its
title from Private Earl Barrows, a veteran
of Argonne forest, now learning to play base
ball with specially designed artificial arm
invented for him at the hospital. When he
is mustered out, Private BarroWs expects to
study engineering at a technical school in
New England.