Evening star., 1944-11-19

American plan resembles the English
one OF the last war. But. in the crfteria
1t has set for the priority Of discharge,
the United States method is radically
different. The economic factor has been
ruled out and the personal one lexclud.
ing, of course, military considerations
controls. On the basis Of poll taken
among the soldiers, men are to be re.
leased in accordance with their total
length OF service. length of time over.
seas, combat awards, and number OF
children
Very likely, the accent given tho
American plan has been Influenced
by Englands experience with her in
dustry directed demob. lization Her pro-
gram looked good on paper. It begged
down in practice. 1t had ca,.ed for q
cautious, leisurely demobi1zation, but
the men were not in a cautious, leisurely
mood. They wanted to go hcme They
were tired of war and tired of the army.
They resented seeing some who had suf-
fered no more than the other being re-
leased first because they happened to
come from the right" industry.
Disorder broke out In the camps.
Troops went on strike. England was
forced to speed up the entire program.
scrapping most of her original plan in
the process. The lesson was clear for
our planners, that a demobilization
which overestimated the economic, and
underestimated the personal factor, in
vited failure.
CT Benefits Are Enlightened.
We lean more closely to the English
in the measures we have established for
assisting the veteran to return to civil
ian life after his discharge than in our
technique Of demobilization. In the
financial aspects we have borrowed
more pages out of England's book Of
experiences than OUR own.
Last war, discharged American SOL
diers received only $50 cash payment,
31z cents per mile to their place of en-
lstment. and their accumulated pay.
They were given no provisions for un-
employment insurance.
English soldiers, on the other hand,
received cash payment, all amounts
due them, a railway warrant home,
and 26-day furlough with pay and
ration allowance. Most important of all,
they received an out-of work donation
policy. This assured them of 26 weekly
unemployment benefits in the first year
after discharge. Mitigating the dis
content they felt with the demobiliza-
ton, this provision for unemployment
insurance prevented unrest from crystal
lizing into violent action An addi-
tional measure assisted servicemen In
obtaining loans to open up one-man
businesses.
We, this war. like the English last war,
are giving our soldiers more generous
treatment than they received in 1s18-
1920. Discharge pay runs up to $500, and
ex-servicemen are entitled to mem-
ployment compensation at $50 a week
for as many as 50 weeks. Furthermore, a
provision of the CT Bill Of Rights guar
antees so per cent of loans up to $4,000
for establishing businesses, farms or
homes.
Re-employment Policy Matches English.
Similarly. in Unemployment guaran.
tees, we are now matching England,s
measures of the last war more closely
than our own. The United States offered
no legal assurance to a man, inducted
into the Army. that the job be left
was to be his when he came back. En-
ployers were under no obligation other
than moral and patriotic one, to rehire
veterans.
Unfortunately, during Englands
troubled demobilization, mandatory re.
employment provisions she had estab-
hshed were f1outed. However, Englands
intent was to give the veteran prefer
ence in his former job. As early as 1915.
the Munitions War Act provided: I'm
any readjustment of staff that NAV be
effected after the war, priority of en-
ployment will be given to workmen In
the owners establishment at the beqin-
ming OF the war who have been serving
with the colors." The re-employment
provisions of our own Selective Service
Act also fix legal responsibility on the
part of the employer after this war to
reinstate veterans in jobs of similar
seniority. status and pay as they held
when they went into the service.
In providing educational assistance.
however, the GI Bill Of Rights has gone
further than did either England or the
United States at the end of the last
war. At that time, we In America. made
virtually no provisions for educating
any but wounded soldiers. Thousands
Of veterans wrote to the Federal Board
for Vocational Education asking for as
sistance. but little action was ever
taken.
England Did Little.
England also did surprisingly little IN
this field. During the worst phases OF
her rehabilitation crisis, the Commit.
tee on Unemployment Of ex-seryice.
men reported that 1t was ~ con-
vinced that the only suitable method Of
finding employment for these men i
the extension Of the training scheme
to nondisabled men. The absence Of
agreed training schemes lay at the root
Of almost all Of the difnculties which
the committee found when they investi-
gated new trads o. district"
We seem to have learned the Lesson.
Veterans are encouraged to cmtinue
thslr education. Thsy mag receive as-
distance toward tuition up 10 eeoo Q
yeas. PIN 10 month sahs1stsuco an1
o1l1eonal allowance tor dspendsuto.
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