504  Reconstruction  of  Crippled  Soldier.  {Amjliy^\^m 
The  positive  aspect  of  the  employer's  duty  is  to  find  for  the  dis- 
abled man  a  constructive  job  which  he  can  hold  on  the  basis  of  com- 
petency alone.  In  such  a  job  he  can  be  self-respecting,  be  happy, 
and  look  forward  to  a  future.  This  is  the  definite  patriotic  duty.  It 
is  not  so  easy  of  execution  as  telling  a  superintendent  to  take  care  of 
four  men,  but  there  is  infinitely  more  satisfaction  to  the  employer  in 
the  results,  and  infinitely  greater  advantage  to  the  employee.  And 
it  is  entirely  practical,  even  in  dealing  with  seriously  disabled  men. 
A  cripple  is  only  debarred  by  his  disability  from  performing  cer- 
tain operations.  In  the  operations  which  he  can  perform,  the  dis- 
abled man  will  be  just  as  efficient  as  his  non-handicapped  colleague, 
or  more  so.  In  the  multiplicity  of  modern  industrial  processes  it  is 
entirely  possible  to  find  jobs  not  requiring  the  operations  from  which 
any  given  type  of  cripples  are  debarred.  For  such  jobs  as  they  can 
fill  the  cripple  should  be  given  preference. 
Thousands  of  cripples  are  now  holding  important  jobs  in  the  in- 
dustrial world.  But  they  are  men  of  exceptional  character  and  ini- 
tiative and  have,  in  general,  made  their  way  in  spite  of  employers 
rather  than  because  of  them.  Too  many  employers  are  ready  to 
give  the  cripple  alms,  but  not  willing  to  expend  the  thought  necessary 
to  place  him  in  a  suitable  job.  This  attitude  has  helped  to  make 
many  cripples  dependent.  With  our  new  responsibilities  to  the  men 
disabled  in  fighting  for  us,  the  point  of  view  must  certainly  be 
changed.  What  some  cripples  have  done,  other  cripples  can  do — 
if  only  given  an  even  chance. 
The  industrial  cripple  should  be  considered  as  well  as  the  military 
cripple,  for  in  these  days  of  national  demand  for  the  greatest  pos- 
sible output  there  should  not  be  left  idle  any  men  who  can  be  made 
into  productive  workers. 
With  thoughtful  placement  effort,  many  men  can  be  employed 
directly  on  the  basis  of  their  past  experience.  With  the  disabled 
soldiers  who  profit  by  the  training  facilities  the  government  will  pro- 
vide, the  task  should  be  even  easier. 
This,  then,  constitutes  the  charge  of  patriotic  duty  upon  the  em- 
ployer : 
To  study  the  jobs  under  his  jurisdiction  to  determine  what  ones 
might  be  satisfactorily  held  by  cripples.  To  give  the  cripples  pref- 
erence for  these  jobs.  To  consider  thoughtfully  the  applications  of 
disabled  men  for  employment,  bearing  in  mind  the  importance  of 
utilizing  to  as  great  an  extent  as  possible  labor  which  would  other- 
