Show give your boy a chance by EDWIN F BOWERS M D of capt arthur 11 II samuels of the surgeon generals department told me an interesting story the other day it t seems that once upon a time long 1019 before bt bore rore the mullah Mul hili of the went brind anad ands lathered up the world there lived a panhandler who was even more useless and no account than the hie average bum buin of liis ills species q this panhandler was practically illiterate totally intemperate and utterly hopeless in it the job of being a man mail one fine day while laboring under the un correlating influences of 0 a hangover from a large evening the night before this poor der derelict ellet was shaken from his precarious perch on the brake beam of a freight when the trac kmen picked him up helas he was minus a left hand also a right hand and arm something occurred while lie he was in the hospital something that brought about a rebirth in this tramp worth possibly a dollar and a halt half a day from his neck down and nothing from his chin to his scalp anatomically he was decidedly curtailed tailed spiritually he hid had grown great for provided with artificial hands this reborn man started out to make something useful and creditable of himself he sold papers and became self supporting he hewed out an education climbing slowly and painfully up from the pit of ignorance he had bad settled into by gravitation one position after another lie he conquered like the ancient pistol who vociferously insisted that the world was his oyster finally our liero hero he was a hero by this time although he himself never suspected it qualified fled for a college course took his B A studied law hung out his shingle and rapidly became one of the leading authorities on corporation law in his section he interested te himself in politics and developed an enviable sphere of influence in his party 1 raised a family oh ob yes and he married a sweet southern girl and has two beautiful children and they all lived happily ever after its a splendid and inspiring thing this regeneration of a man this growth of a soul it kind hind of gets you with a little catch in the throat I 1 tell the story as captain samuels told it to me because some of the boys we ore fire sending overseas will return disabled each year of the fighting many of these will be crippled in arms legs or eyes need first of all a Z spiritual stiffening in their spinal columns then need some kind of vocational cat ional education reeducation re need to know even though handicapped by tile the loss of members how to do the thing they did before they went over to battle for a cause as high and noble as ever enlisted the lance of a bayard or a galahad if this rehabilitation is not possible need to know how to do something else that will make them self supporting self respecting in this they are going to receive the help of uncle sam himself and of the very best brains the old gentleman can enlist for this reconstruction service in every section of the country coordinating with a central agency at washington curative workshops for the treatment of those crippled in war will be established together with a complete system of providing food shelter clothing and pay for the soldiers during the period of their re edu cation after the boys are trained re educated to their old trade or else to one adapted to their capacities they will be provided with a job those who show cn enough ugh gold to the pan from the neck up will get a position here there Is no limit to the possibilities its up to the man himself from his neck up he be may be worth a year practically every big employer of labor in the community is enlisted in the good cause to help the handicapped boy get all coming to him which Is all that any boy of real spirit could expect or would accept theres no charity in this proposition merely an honest sincere effort to make every man no matter in what condition he may be most useful to himself his family and to the economic needs of his bis community womans comans help Is needed now heres where we need the good help of women the mothers wives sisters bisters and sweethearts of the boys its going to take a little time to do this work of reeducation education re give the boys this time let them stay with their teachers in those these schools until they are once more fitted to cam a living the very greatest injury you could possibly put upon your physically injured boy would be to turn him into a psychical cripple to suffocate him in maudlin senU sentimentality mentality dont for the great love you bear him dont take him home and male make him a dependent that you are arc willing to toll and slave for him is most praiseworthy in you but your well meant efforts may transform a self re rc spec specking ting earnest man into an idler a handicap to you and a terrible enemy to himself it may put the reverse english in the little story captain samuels told me in germany they are using from 85 to 90 00 per cent of all their disabled men back of 0 the lines while the remaining aing 10 to 15 per cent are entirely self supporting take a lesson from those these scientific savages god grant that your dear boy may come homo home to you safe and sound but if lie he should be hurt give us a chance to bring out all that there is in liim him to place him in the very heist best possible condition to work for his furuie and for the future of those who love him and so you will do most for him most in ost for yourself and most for the country lie gan ga e so much to save |