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


Glowing reports of the wonderful OPP
,ortpnitv for vocational training for
HsabIed veterans at the Veterans
Rnreau School here, circulated in
nrbIicitv issued from the bureau S
Washington office, has misled both
+bo nublic and the men eligible for
training.
typical of this is the story hand
ed out in Washington Dec. 3, by the
breau's 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
tbn government, according to a re-
mort from Colonel Charles R. Forbes,
dreclor of the United States Veter-
ans Bureau; that there is great de-
mand for. udmittance to the school
cDcned yesterday at .Chillicothe, o."
this story ran
"Col. Forbes personally directed
the opening Of the new school yes
terday," the story continued, land III
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 a week He said the
school was opened with a wonderful
demonstration of enthusiasm by the
aainees who already have been ad-
mitted"
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 500 men who have already
been admitted"
This sort of publicity might natu1-
ally be expected to stimulate the an
pheation 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
framed there, was not a single clas7
IN the school, with the cxcentiop IF
,Dc shoe repair shop, equipped Or
organized for giving the men anv.
~'"g approaching efficient instruc-
learn. "''u eoi'ie TO
~. Morale Near Zero.
ok weeks after Coloner Fo,ha.
n"d emphasized the "bicb n,ona1,,
sa4 @".ong the men at the school. die.
""'lSlactlon, unrest and n,oraio
"pproaching ",' zero was unn1i5falahla
On every hand. ,'i''''''Naoie
and went through the various cIassos
or ,,." school rooms without anv s o,ido
Offices. ' 'he headquarters
and yopt tt'eiy passed by the Offices
bnildi, went straight to the school
'uuolnes Les in order that I miobt ol fnd
i9stI', ,frg$ operating at normal and the tho
ue1ors and men not "on show y
An ya?l s?lNed with scores of the men
,n:, n,a,. sad they had come to Camo sben Men.
man. with high homes ''p 'neF-
hon.. l"eS mad been led to believe tba.
wonid ABOVE any. other place, tbev
a @@uId find opportunity for sl,ilioa; lh
fEat, ,t,ent training in trades fitted to
Ir p. aoiltIes and DISABILITIES.
vtbo bu' SIX weeks without equipment
r ~.nout any apparent propress to.
tboi "to Ene goal on which they had set
orsI "opes' had resulted in gen
9r"I reversal of sentiment
..r. lire of Camp Life.
II we were getting the traipjne.
wouldn't mind it," one man ex.
G,''''eo'' Few of us care for life at
,1eSe army camps. We oot FIJI If
.}. ."%t while in training. But we were
+, lug mug TO stand living in camp again
a. we could speed up our rehabiiita-
uon training.
. lot of us-most of us. in fact
e r".'e here from other schools or
.i0'il shops where we were in place.
% n.enV training. And most of us now
@iSIl we We're back where we came
Inc official publicity bureau also
4p'ead widely the impression that
'"'re was a great demand among the
."eA Tor admittance to this Camp
"'lefman school.
Sls IS a. variance with the stories
'l lhe men themselves.
The men say they were persuaded,
III a very large percentage of cases
TO accept transfer to Camp Sher-
man. Agents from the various re-
E"hal bureaus visited them and told
mem of the great shool the govern
Nltlt was npCso,,,1;,,a. oSl. -.