Newark post., 1920-11-17
PRACTICALLY ALL WAR
VETERANS ABSORBED
BY INDUSTRY
Through Government Agen.
cies More than 100000
Were Placed

Reports IN the possession OF the
War Department show that prac-
tically every man enrolled in the
United States Army at the time of
the armistice has been absorbed
bv industry between the dates of
November II, 1918, and today.
This conclusion is approximate
ed to certain extent, for the de-
nartment has figures only con-
rerning those men who made ap-
9lication for placements by the,
War Department to find positions
for them. This number is only
small proportion of the men who
we're in the army. Generalizations
of reports, however, indicate that
every man who wanted job pro-
cured one, and that the absorption
bv industry of Americas great
army was accomplished without
great economic disturbance or
without material distress.
The magnitude OF this accom-
plishment may be gathered from
the fact that on November H.,
1918. the day of the armistice, the
United States Army had enrolled
total of 3,7O3,273 officers and
men. Of these 1S9,436 were Of
ticers, while 3,513,s37 were in the
ranks. Today the total of officers
and men in the United States
Army is 212,067.
A large portion of the men in
the army now have been enlisted
since the armistice, but, assuming
that the total number of men in
the army today represents what is
left of the wartime force, it fol-
lows that 3,491, ,206 men were
taken out of the army and given
over to industry.
Following the armistice the
War Department built up an in
dustrial service under the leader
ship of Col. Arthur Woods, who
had the title of Assistant to the
Secretary of War. The records OF
the office of the chief of the
bureau of information of the Wan
Department, Major Matthews
show that from December l, 1918
to June 10, 1920, 1,4S2,S61 dis
charged soldiers registered fol
employment, and that of these l.
O62,046 were placed.
From September 20, 1919, tt
January 10, 1920, the figures were
48S,1O5 registered and 364,651
placed. Major Matthews said they
were unable to record figures
showing the number of unem
ployed. In the State of New 4orE
those who registered for employ
ment were 244,957, while those
placed totalled Isl, 1898.
The task of the government II
re-absorbing it's military forces
into industry included sailors al
we'll as soldiers, so that the prob
lem represented the reabsorptioi
of more than 100000 men from
both branches of the service.
The armistice meant not onl!
the demobilization Of the fighting
forces but also the change t.
peace time production of WARTIME
industry. 1t was under these \dif
ficult industrial conditions Ant
with the rehabilitation proceed
ing at an unprecedented spee'
that the men were to be returne'
to peace time occupations.
The War Departments agenc.
for placing men in industry wa
assisted by various State and prl
yate welfare organizations. II
addition to the instrumentalltle
built up by States and cities, or
ganizations like the America
Legion, the Red Cross, the Y. M
e. A., the K. of c., the Y. M. H. A
and the w. C. c. S. rendered valu
able assistance, while the com
mercial clubs, newspapers, busl
lcs concerns and individuals al
rendered help.
One of the difficulties found /
the reabsorption of these men int
industry was the wartime psychoI
ogy which the soldiers and sailor
had acquired. Many of them Wer
disinclined to leave the cite
where they were demoblizet
while the life and adventure an
excitement through which the
had gone during the time of thel
service made it difficult for ther
to reacquire the peace time att
tUde toward industry and work.
The result was that in tn
larger cities there developed