Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-01-27
FAKE PROMISES
BRING VETS TO
CAMP SHERMAN
Here's An Inside Story" Of Way
Vocational Training Plan Is
Failing
BY HARRY HUNT.

disabled veterans at the Veterans
Bureau School here, circulated in
publicity issued from the bureaus
Washington office, has misled both
lbc public and the men eligible for
training.
Typical of this is the story hand
ed out in Washington Dec, 8, by The
bureaus publicity office.
Disabled soldiers throughout the
country are giving a ready response
10 the new plan of the government
for conducting vocational training in
schools directed and maintained by
the government, according to re-
port from Colonel Charles Il. Forbes,
director of the United States Veter-
ans Bureau; that there is great de-
maud for admittance to the school
opened yesterday at Chillicothc, o."
this story ran.
"Col. Forbes personally directed
the opening Of the new school yes
terday," the story continued, land IN
a communication today to Major
Leon Frazier, executive officer of the
bureau, he predicted that this school
will be filled to its capacity Of 5000
students within week. He said the
school was opened with a wonderful
demonstration Of enthusiasm by the
frances who already have been ad-
mjtted"
Still More OF 1t.
Further along in this Official boost
was stated:
Colonel Forbes said the conditions
under which the disabled men will be
trained at the school are excellent
and that there is high morale
among the 800 men who have already
been admitted"
This sort of publicity might natur-
ally be expected to stimulate the ap-
plication of disabled men for admis-
sion to Camp Sherman. Yet what
are the facts?
Six weeks after Colonel Forbes had
praised the excellent conditions"
under which the men would be
trained there, was not single class
n the school, with the exception Of
me shoe repair shop, equipped or
organized for giving the men any
thlng approaching efficient instruc-
uoh IN the trades they had come to
learn
Morale Near Zero.
Six weeks after Colonel Forbes
mad emphasized the 'high morale"
among the men at the school, dis
satisfaction, unrest and morale
approaching zero was unmistakable
on every hand.
went through the various classes
ana school rooms without any guide
or mentor from the headquarters
Offices.
l purposely passed by the offices
ana went straight to the school
buildings i'll order that might find
la.Ses operating at normal and tho
instructors. and men not "on show"
talked with scores Of. the men.
Ail sad they had come to Camp Sher-
man with high hopes.
they had been led to believe that
ne'e' above any other place, they
"puio Ind opportunity for skilled,
e''e'ent training in trades fitted to
''cIr abilities and DISABILITIES.
,,,! put SIX weeks without equipment
"'ooot any apparent progress to-
" %'io the goal on which they had set
'"e,r hopes, had resulted in a gen
~" reversal of sentiment.
IRE of Camp Life.
III we were getting the traininc
we wouldn't mind it," one man ex-
n'aiHed' Few of us care for life at
,pe5e army camps. We got full of
INA. while in training. But we were
%"''Ns to stand living in camp again
"a We could speed up our rehabilita-
"on training.
\ lot of us-most of us. in fact
s"N'e here from other schools or
from shops where we were in place
"'ent training. And most of us now
%iSh we were back where we came
The official publicity bureau also
aPfead widely the impression that
'"efe was great demand among the
ueh for admittance to this Camp
sherman school.
ms IS a. variance with the stories
'i the men themselves.
Inc men say they were persuaded,
N very large percentage of cases
70 accept transfer to Camp Sher-
man. Agents from the various re-
s'ohai buteaaS visited them and told
ulem OF the great shool the govern
Heht was organizing at Camp Sher-
man and that they would have bet
yer and more prompt training here.
A ptar1a Lat.s .~..-x. ...l. H..