Hernia Is No Excuse

The U.S. Government, alarmed by the draft's showing--that half the nation's young men are ill-toothed, nearsighted, addlepated or otherwise unfit--last week took steps to improve the physique of U.S. manhood. The start of the cure was announced by Franklin Roosevelt.

Of 900,000 already rejected for military service as physically or mentally substandard, 200,000 have been certified by draft-board physicians as mendable cases. On these 200,000 the first work will be done. They will be sent willy-nilly, said the President, to private doctors and dentists for treatment of eyes, teeth, hernias, venereal diseases, etc. As soon as they are fit, they will be immediately certified for military service.

But thousands of the other rejected recruits will never see military service. They have defects that, by Army standards, are irreparable. Example: the Army prefers to enlist no false-toothed men (but will keep soldiers who, like Grant and Washington, use store teeth later).

Naturally the Army wants no men with tuberculosis, chronic heart diseases, mental diseases. But the Selective Service System indicated that there would be treatment for some who will never be physically capable for full military service. What Government agency would give it was not stated. Presumably it would be NYA or CCC or both. Thus a big slice of defense funds would be spent to build up non-combatants as well as fighting men.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.