The New York herald., 1922-08-14

FORBES PLANS WORK.
FOR WAR DISABLED
Director Thinks Vocational
Training Will Help to Re-
store Morale in Hospitals.
EXPECT HARDING'S O. X.
New Policy Aims Primarily at
Cure i'm Tuberculosis and
Mental Cases.
EXPECT HARDING's 0. X.
Special Dispatch to THE NEW York HERALD,

Special Dispatch to The New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. O., Aug. IL.
The plan of the United states Vet
Grams Bureau to give several thousand
veterans in hospitals the benefit of a
practical vocational training the minute
their physical condition permits has re-
ceived favorable reaction from physi-
clans and welfare workers, Director
charles r. Forbes announced to-day.
The new policy is aimed to restore
the tagging spirits OF 65 per cent OF
the tuberculosis and mental cases in the
hfty hospitals now managed by the Vet
Grams Bureau. Virtually all of them
are well enough to walk around and to
worry about their future because they
DO not nave enough to do, Col. Forbes
said. He will submit his plan to Presi-
dent Harding soon and he expects Ex-
ecutive approval. To-day he said:
"Of course there are many important
angles to this problem. all Of which are
being worked out carefully by this Office
and the medical division OF the bureau.
Some to Go Home.
Some OF our hospitals can be con-
verted into combination santarums
and training centers, where the men who
have progressed physically to the work
ing and planning stage will be given as
much to do lin their chosen vocational
work as competent officials find they a re
able to do without danger OF relapse.
This will result In better and more
contented mental state at once. and as
the men improve their vocational work
will be steadily increas
In many individual instances il will
be possible. we hope to permit student
patients OF this sort to go to their
homes subject to reasonable regulations.
For them we will devise simple in
spection system as to their physical con-
dition and to be assured that this lati-
tude in their behalf is not abused In
all such instances the men will be al
lowed TO go home for the final stages
of their complete recovery and voca-
tional training only after competent
medical officers have found them near
enough to good health to justify the
step.
Pay Status Retained.
"We expect to keep these student pa
tients on the same pay status as they
are at present. Our only object Is to
get the veterans away from the conven-
tional hospital as soon as possible
There is no use restoring a mans body
If he has to stay in a morbid atmos-
phere so long that his morale sinks to
the point where he is afraid to take the
plunge again into civil life.
Doctors and scientists agree that
system which revives physical functions
at the expense OF economic usefulness
has betrayed its trust The conception
of hospitals function as mere physical
restoration is narrow. sectarian and OBJ
solete.
I'VE believe this plan. when fully
worked out. which is being done speed
lily, Is applicable not only to mental and
cases which have progressed
to benefit by 1t. but also to
thousands of chronic general cases. The
plan is designed TO fit into a larger
policy OF applying long needed minimum
standards in all hospitals"