Evening star., 1940-10-13
Unstable Draftees
Cost U. 5. $4,000
Each Since 1917
Present Program Would
Entail Expenditure Of
$3.50. 900. 900 in n Years
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

"SAS SA "A SSAs
Since then they have cost the
Government an average of $50, 600
each. including the cost of hospital
buildings, compensation and other
expenses involved in taking care of
them.
II the same figures apply to the
400 900 men to be inducted in the
next few months, the total cost
for the next % years to the Gov
eminent for the $4,000 probable
neuropsychiatric patients will be
$l60 ,0O0, 900. In case of war with
large-scale induction the estimate
rises to close to $4,000, ,OOO, 900 to be
paid by taxpayers-and even in DAYS
OF astronomical appropriations this
Is respectable figure.
Mind and nerve defects are hard
to detect. The neuropsychiatrists
on draft boards and in recruit
depots must do some shrewd guess
ing and at the same time bear in
mind that the outstanding soldiers
OF any war are likely to come from
the ranks OF men they are likely to
reject. Such a man, for example.
was Napoleon. Another, for better
or worse, was Adolf Hitler. He is
just the sort of fellow who, had he
been an American draftee, might
have cost the taxpayers $33 900 to
date.
Anxious to Pass Them.
The problem is further compli-
Gated by the fact that these are
the men local draft boards want
to get rid Of and they are only too
anxious to pass them over to the
Army. They are often the problem
boys, the shiftless ne'er-do-wells
the dullards Of American towns
who have long worried their neigh
bors and the police. 1t is easy for
the local doctor to say. THE Army
Will make a man of him" He is
willing to shut his eyes to defects
that would bar from service any
entirely normal, outstanding young
fellow.
Actually the Army seldom is liable
TO take care of him" Such men
make poor soldiers. They are often
hypochondriacs. They are the COM
papy drunks. They take poorly to
discipline although under excep-
tlonal circumstances they sometimes
rise to heights of valor. But they
are intolerably expensive-as the
United States Veterans Admins
tration will testify with tears in its
eyes.
These are the sort of fellows To-
cal draft boards, medical advisory
boards and induction boards should
watch for with eagle eyes, says
Surg. Gen. Thomas Parran.
Another problem for the draft
boards Is that of sorting out the
men with residues of venereal dis
eases among the 100000 who
eventually will be called before
draft boards. These, not only are
likely to show up in disabilities dur
ing the term of service but in heavy
disqualification and compensation
bills for taxpayers in years to come.
Death Blow to Syphilis.
But under the present plans of
DR.. Parran the examinations may
turn out to be a blessing for the
country. making it possible to strike
death blow against the scourge
OF syphylis. Men between the ages
of 81 and IS, it is expected. will rep
resent 10 per cent of the active stages
of this disease in the Nation. About
900, 900 cases would be expected. Ap-
proximately 10000 of these would
be Infectious
To detect these cases will require
a small army Of physicians and
nurses but, DR.. Parran believes, the
/ job would pay big dividends. He
proposes that a team of one or
more doctors and nurses be pro-
vided at each registration point to
take blood specimens. These, with
properly filled out identification
blanks, are to be sent to the nearest
public health laboratory. Men who
have positive or doubtful sociological
tests would be directed by mail to
report to a private physician or
clinic where further tests will be
made. There are approximately
$500 OF these in the United States
where free treatment can be OBJ
tanned.
Not Cause for Rejection.
An arrested venereal case will not
necessarily be cause for rejecting a
man for military service, although
there Is the danger that it will re-
suit in a serious brain disease later
in life and add to the enormous
burden of neuropsychiatric depend
ency.
The examinations, 1t was stressed
at a meeting last month at the
American Medical Association head
quarters, are bound to bring out
physical defects sometimes unsus-
pected by the men themselves. Pro-
posals that individuals whose def
ciencies are not too serious but suf-
ficient to bar them from service be
taken into the Army anyway and
built up into efficient individuals are
meeting with little favor at present.
The immediate need is for a thor
oughly effective body Of men, cap
able of being put into full war serv-
ice at any time.
In 1917 one man out Of every five
or six examined was unable to 60 to
war because Of some economic or
matrimonial reason. Thus a tre-
mendous amount Of unnecessary
work was placed on the shoulders
of the doctors. It is proposed on
this occasion to have the man
passed for all other reasons before
submitting to the medical examina-
ton. A different plan would in
volve the examination Of 16,500, 900
instead Of 4,000, 900.
Tests to BE Close to Home.
Every effort is being made to ex-
anime the man as closely as possible
to his home SO that he will be away
from his job or position as short q
time as possible. There will be 100
induction boards to make final ex-
aminations Of registrants before they