The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-24
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsKN. Director.
Washington, d. G.
EDUCATION FOR SOLDIERS
WIDOWS

| washington -. L.. marcn l9.--EQu-
cation for work, at government ex-
pense and with government support.
is promised for about $4,000 Ameri-
cans, including $4,000 women, by a
measure which has already rassed the
senate and is said to have excellent
prospects in the house.
This is the Kenyon-Fess bill, which
lpassed the senate on January 81 of the
current year and now lies awaiting ac-
ton by the house of representatives.
Representative Simeon P. Tess of
Ohio, whose special protege is this
bill. attempted in vain to get a quorum
together to discuss it during the last
few days of the closing session of Mr..
| Wilson's administration.
This bill offers vocational training
under the supervision of the federal
board of vocational education to the
widows and orphans of Americans who
lost their lives during the period that
the United States was actively engaged
In the World War and also to Ameri.-
can citizens who served in Allied
Armies, that is. with the Canadian,
British, French, Italian or Belgian
forces. In other words, the United
Estates government is planning to help
the wives and children of heroes fit
| themselves for jobs whereby they can
earn their bread and butter and our
men who did their duty under for
eign but allied flags will. in this way,
not be deprived of their privileges as
! Americans.
1t is estimated by the federal board
that at least 10000 Americans who
| had enlisted in allied forces will thus
become eligible for vocational train
ing and 10000 widows and 5000 or
phans. These figures are a conserva-
tive estimate compiled by the war de-
partment, and it is possible that
further investigation now. being made
| by the various district offices of the
! federal board will increase this num-
ben- Among prominent individuals
especially interested in the compiling
of these statistics, is Miss Helen p
! Mccormick. of New York City, who is
county, N. Y, and chairman of the
| Catholic Big Sisters of that locality.
Miss Mccormick is personally search
| ing the records of the local war heroes
| in order to find especially how many
women and children in Americas
greatest city will be entitled to such
| training.
What Women Are Eligible.
In order for a widow or orphan to
be eligible for this training it will be
necessary to prove that the husband
or father. has died since April 7, 1917.
as a result of injury or disability in
CURED, increased, or aggravated while
IN service, or traceable, in the opinion
OF the board, to origin during his
lperiod of service. No widow can re-
ceive these benefits unless she COM
mences course of training under the
supervision of the federal board prior
to January l, 1925, nor in the event OF
her remarriage. Moreover, applica-
ton for such training must be made
to the district office of the federal
board Is months after the date that
the bill passes and has become a law
in the case of an orphan, vocational
training shall only be furnished be-
tween the ages of IA and Is years. Of
course at this time, most of the or
phans or soldiers killed during this
war are from two to five years of
age. The provision allows, however,
that provided application is made by
the child's guardian before the eight
cen months have elapsed, the child
will receive the training when Il years
OF age. The reason that the age limit
is set in this manner has been ex-
planned by Mr.. Monroe. a member of
the house committee on education, to
be based on the ground that the pub
lie schools take care of these children
up to the age of fourteen 1t is ex-
pected that in these cases an arrange
ment will have been made by the fed
eral board OF vocational education and
the educational authorities of the vari-
GUS states for carrying on the educa-
ton of the children in accordance with
the ruling of this bill.
In the cases of the men who served
with allied forces, the bill states that
Every person in the military or naval
forces of any ally of the United States
in the late war, if a citizen of the
United States Immediately prior there |
to, and having resumed citizenship II
lost by reason of any oath or obliga- |
ton taken for the purposes of enter
ing such allied service, who. since
April Z, 1917, has resigned or has
been discharged or furloughed there |
from under honorable conditions, hav- |
ing disability, in the Judgment OF
the board, constituting g vocational
handicap, or of q degree of 10 per |
centum or more, incurred, increased, |
or aggravated while a member of such |
forces or later developing such dis
ability traceable, in the opinion of the
board. to service with such forces
s. shall be furnished BY such board,
where feasible, such course of voca-
tional rehabilitation or vocational ana
general education as the board shall
prescribe"
Includes Medical Treatment.
1t will be especially noted that by
the above-quoted passage in the Ken
yon-Fess bill, a new latitude Of eligt- |
bility is given in that to be eligible,
man may have either 10 per cent disa-
bility or vocational handicap.
Formerly, the provision was for the
handicapped only. In |
another section of the bill this express
son also lncluueS men why SCI NeU "ieit
the United States military and naval |
forces.
Another very interesting feature of
the bill is the provision stating that |
all medical treatment which any
widow, orphan or ex-service man may
require while receiving such training, |
be provided at the expense of the gov
eminent. As no provision of this sort
has been made by congress, such or
as the Elks have raised /
special funds to take scare of doctors
bills incurred by men who have re-
ceived or are now receiving such train
ing. However, as most of these mill
tary organizations are now closing all |
their war work, most of their funds
have ceased to be available for this
purpose.
Another section of the bill provides
that every person electing to follow
a cnIIrsa shall while foIlnuinr the