The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-02-12

NEEDS VETS AID
Col. Charles n. Forbes Tells Some
thing Of Program Of Work
for Disabled Soldiers.

"The entire rehabilitation program
will be a dismal failure unless the
veteran himself plays ball." declared
i Col. Charles r. Forbes, director OF the
United States Veterans Bureau to a
group of delegates OF the Disabled
American Veterans.
Congress has provided literally for
the training of veterans who have
vocational handicap due to wounds,
injuries of disease contracted in the
lines of duty. It has provided ample
funds for this work and l am sure that
there will be no curtailment of funds
for the rehab Utilization of our former
service men. providing the men them
selves really desire TO be rehabilitated.
Unfortunately, we are forced to
admit that there are some ex-service
men who are undergoing vocational
training for the sole purpose of re-
naming on the payroll and drawing
maintenance pay, which ranges from
500 to s170 per month. Our govern
ment did not provide funds for the
sole purpose of keeping men on the
vocational payroll. This money has
been and will be appropriated for the
vocational rehabilitation of the ex-
service man. To my mind all veterans
organizations have duty to perform
and that is to assist in carrying home
to the man with a vocational handi-
cap the thought that he must take
keen interest in rehabilitation and be-
come fitted to follow a gainful occu-
patton as rapidly as possible.
Many men in the past have jumped
from one vocation to another, have
transferred from city to city, and have
demonstrated that their sole purpose
in undergoing vocational training was
to receive the maintenance pay twice
each month. This is neither fair to
the government nor is it fair to the
man himself. 1t is a certainty that
men are not going to be retained in
vocational training who fail to show
the proper interest and manifest a
real desire to be rehabilitated.
"The United States Veterans Blu
reau is doing everything in its power
to assist the ex-service man. It's vo-
cationai program is the greatest ever
conceived or put into operation by any
government on the face of the globe.
At the present time there are more
than 100000 men undergoing voca-
tiona1 training and it is the consensus
of opinion that men who have devoted
their time to this problem that there
viii be 100000 men in vocational trains
ing within the next two years.
us it fair or just that the govern
ment should provide the best train
ing available the highest type of in
structors the most modern of equip
ment for the use of men whose only
desire is to draw their 500 or $3.50
monthly? While it is true only very
small percentage of men are UNDER
going vocational training are of this
type, it is nevertheless true that there
are many men in training who have
not grasped the real opportunity to
make themselves useful citizens and
to occupy a real place in their COM
munities. The veterans organizations
can assist not only the bureau but the
man himself if they will only waken
in the man a desire actually to become
rehabilitated and to assist himself in
his training work.
TN view OF all of these facts" con-
tinued Col. Forbes, 'It is hard to my
mind to reconcile the statements that
the disabled ex-service man is being
neglected. The United States is doing
more for it's veterans than any gov
eminent in the world and it will con-
tinue to do more than its share so long
as the veteran himself plays the
game"