The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-09
By BEATRICE wAsHBURN

| practically the same thing, but what 1t really stands for Is permanent and total disability. At least that is what the government calls 1t, but the boys>--our exservice men who were not killed in France but who have come back to die instead-allude to 1t lovingly as r. and T. because 1t means S100 month and hospital care,
 They don't seem to look ahead and see what 1t means besides, but per maps it Is just as well. They are still pretty young--it was char acteristic of our American army---tnd perhaps death In T, B. hospital is no worse than death In the trenches. after all. except that it takes a iit- tie longer.
 tSop minute in Ward I and look them over while the Red Cross medical worker goes from bed to bed. Ward l represents the danger cases" at U. s. F. H. $. hospital 50, and 1t commands view across the Blue Ridge mountans that rise, like lov- ing, violet guardians from the cir- cled hills.
 Ward I has men of every class. state, and former rank. There Is
 
 the navy, a lieutenant colonel and a merchant marine officer, but most of them are privates. Tuberculosis is a great leveler. Some of these men come from California, two from Maine, six from the middle west, and the others from the south. Some of tfem are from your state, no doubt, or even your community, for Ward Is always full There is never any dearth of patients. The boys, in the 5ocular spirit that even a hemorrhage cannot quell, refer to 1t as "St. Pe- ter's' ward. There are 1000 more men in the hospital and some of them will be discharged as arrested cases but many of them, 1t Is feared, will come to Ward l in the end. It Is the last place they stop.
 q ain't kicking against the gov- ernment,,' said Charlie. feebly, from the first bed. Charlie looks so young that it is hard to believe he is vet eran of the World war and not just a little boy, but his discharge papers show that he was gassed in the Ar gonne. His X-ray plate will show you--if you have the heart to look that Charlie has only great va cancy in three lobes of his lungs he breathes painfully through the 1 fourth. Charlie halls from Georgia.
 No, ma'am, ain't maxim a kick against the government. Folks say the government ain't treatin' us boys right, you might find folks in this hospital to say that very thing: but I reckon the government has treated me white. I got my P. and 1 T.. the Red Cross helped me file 1t, and now it's come"
 ! Charlie's voice trails away into si- lence. The boy in the next bed to ! him opens bright, unseeing eyes and the nurse bends down to stroke his burning hand. He Is a beautiful boy, with curls and big brown eyes, and the fever gives him ghastly l illusion of health. The Red Cross has sent for the boys mother (for- tunately he Is not married), and she will be here tonight. but there Is no use in telling him this. Besides, he would not understand Towards the end tuberculosis sometimes grants her victims the mercy of un- consciousness.
 "Seems-like--I-w would - kinda l like--to--go--home me-again--and--see --the---folks.' pants the boy, each word sharp staccato.
 The Red Cross worker says. softly, 1 for fear she will choke on the words; How would you like your mother to come and see you here-and your lit tie friend?" The boy has been engaged for four years-ever since the day he marched away to war, His eyes--already more than half his face--begin to burn like candles. He only pants and gives up trying to speak,
 We will put them up at the hos- tess house." continues the Red Cross worker, who has already transported. welcomed and tried to comfort 161 relatives of dying patients. We will keep them as long as they want to stay"
 She knows and the nurse knows and the chaplain who has been in 1 just that morning to see him that the mother and little fiancee will not stay long.
 From the lower bed comes asdeep, husky voice. Meet Sergeant John Smith of east Tennessee. who was at Fismes. Sergeant Smith has still two lcbes left to breathe with.
 'I ain't klckin against the govern ment," he assures the Red Cross worker with the native courtesy of the mountain born We get treat ment in this hospital that would cost us $50 month and they're miAhty nice to us, too. Hut the foiks llke to see are the ones who waved me down the streets of Knoxville the day we went off-ladies stufffn' us with pie and comfort kits and sandwiches and throwin' roses at us. Just six months ago---before got laid up here--I asked one of those ladies' hus- bands for, . job and what do you reckon he told me? Said l. didn't look strong enouxh--that he wanted a husky mani"
 Silence settles on the ward. There can be no give and take of conversa- tion when each word is, literally. paid with blood.
 T reckon they've forgotten us All right" comes from the fartheat bed. Soldiers going off to battle ali dolied up to fight for their country is one thing. but ex-service men hang ing around the streets askin' for job Is something else again. You got to take things as they are"-with a -philosophic sigh he turns and closes ! his eyes.
 They are so easily exhausted that even this little controversy has iett them wornla and spent The breath ing of the sickest boy Is like the ticking of an old clock. The Red Cross worker goes from bed to bed stooping here to leave letter. there . check--there Is no question in this