Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-10
AS ONE WOMAN SEES IT
Government So Busy Being a Father
TO Disabled Soldier Boys II Hasn't
Time TO Mother Them--So One
Woman Does II
By SARAH u. LOWRIE
TWO THIRDS of the college boys


l. one asks what they mean to be can't
make up their minds. There is nothing
surprising II within the somewhat limited
field of their horizons they see nothing that
impels them as a life work. They have
their fathers business for one thing, and
that has generally betrayed n seamy side
either as not worth the struggle If their
fathers are ovcrworkcd and poor, or too
contining and bcnumbng If their fathers are
oyerworked and rich.
Moreover, TO start in to work under the
parental eye is too much like oil that has
gone before to exactly seem novelty and
a glorious career. Besides. in the curious
play and counter play of influences that
son feels in his home. ten to one bis mother,
without meaning to, has prejudiced him
against his father as person not always
satisfactory TO have money relations with.
Or IL there is none of this undercurrent of
prejudice, It sometimes happens the rela-
tionship as business associate is an impos-
siblc one because the father cannot get IL
into his head that the careless youth whe
has suddenly grown to look like man is
actually man. He would sooner trust his
office boy, who has to do thing his way or
leave. than his son, who probably has
enough of his father in him to have way
of his own.
PUT IL It is easy to turn ones back on
- ones fathers career, choosing a salts
factory one for oneself is not easy. Be-
cause until you have tried how can you
know what you want to do, not to speak
of what you can do, especially as nothing
that happens to you in your undergraduate
years gives you any sense of being better at
one thing than another, unless you count
athletics! >
This last was the way one boy summed It
up, at all events, and ] rather think he
spoke for the majority.
If healthy, sound young fellows feel at
loose ends on getting through college, what
must be the sensations Of the boys who are
dismissed from the army these days. sans
leg or arm or hand, or who are blind or
she'll shocked, with n new, career to make
out of the fag ends they have left?
DOSSIBLY the boy is sound of body. so
l. far as appearances go, and only threat
encd with i'll results if he returns TO his
previous. occupation. Perhaps he has been
telegraph ,operator-an indoor, nervous.
confining job; the physical examination
shows that he will be mental wreck if he
goes back TO that after shell shock. He
must ind an t-door job that is not likely
to strain him nervousy. How is he to de-
termine what and whore that is? Every
day counts, for he probably has some one
dependent on him. lie appeals TO the Gov
ernment that has pledged itself ready to
hGip him get into harness again. but the
question for him and for the Government
is. What harness?
The appeal to tho Government goes
through the Red Cross Bureau, where the
disabled soldier files n report, giving his
record, his disabilities and his intentions.
from the Red Cross Bureau he goes to the
Public Health Bureau to be examined and
classified for compensation.
There are two classes of disabled soldiers,
the second and the third
soldier allotted to the second class Is
entitled to 500 a month during a specified
period Of time. If he has wife an addi-
tlonnl 500 month is added. IL he has
mother to support an additional $50 a
month. Each child under age will bring
him an additional SO.
celveS only training for future occupations
without money allowance.
,AS soon as the examiners at the Bureau
ot Health have diagnosed his condition and
Speclhed what types of labor he is safe to
Try ana what not he is passed on to the
Federal Board
Before the officers of the Federal Board
ne makes request for training in an occu-
patton that will eventually support him. 1t
IS just at this point that he needs help eight
times out Of ten.
WAS talking to woman the other day
/ who has given some 500 disabled soldiers
help in just this dilemma. This woman is
Mrs; George Laing Like most persons who
Mt their job, she just naturally came by hers
from being ready to do the next thing with
out much thought of the consequences to
herself. She was on the woman's auxiliary
" tn. ieueIdI bohrd during the war, and
knowing the ropes by that experience got
into the kind way Of showing those who
were strange and shy among the disabled
soldlers tho way to get what the Govern
mGnt was ready to give for tho asking, if
only the asking was done according 70 form
and with the rcd tape all attended to.
Having begun by bcfrrnding n vonnr
chap here and there, her task has now
grown beyond her single power to cope with
it. for the boys whom she had helped over
-
What they want most is to talk it all over
ana weigh the pros and cons for this life
work or that with some one who has n
knaCk or listening and putting the right
guiding without debating.
flrSt lhey talk over what the chap used
to do and can now do no longer. Then thev
discuss the things that fellow without n
leg or without a hand or with tubercuar
tendencies or with broken nerves can do.
Then they look over the particular omen
ing that seems on the whole 10 promise
best. Then they find out together how one
may learn that trade or profession, and
where.
'TNHE Government Is glad enough to have
\ all this sensible and kindly thrashing
ont done, for It can only be n father to the
disabled soldier and set him up in business
Crnment' 3 line.
During, the period Of study. and the after
| period Of turning that study to account
these wards of the Government turn once
more to Mrs. Laing 10 report progress. to
report discouragcmcut, to report worry
very often about their families, She gcts
as many as forty letters a month from the
| men who are at their trades and beginning
the, long climb up the ladder Of self support
some men are studying mechanical cngi-
neering, others milling, others have taken
| business courses, some are at the Industrial
Art School learning designing or weaving
| or Illustrating, some ar" at the Williamson
| School learning some agricultural speciality,
| poultry -raiscrs.
They have talked it over with her. and
are IN many cases touchingly ready to fol.
low her advice, for which reason she is
very qniets almost rhary of giving it.
SOMETlMES they arc so hopeless that it
- taxes a great deal Of gentle humorous
boosting to get them self confident. She
and her, committee had a pretty and com.
pretending way of helping some Of these dis
,,,,t,r unI nd h.,