Salvage

Physical examinations for the draft are showing one-third of American manhood ill-toothed, ill-doctored, and ill-fed. One out of every two men inspected for military service has been rejected for ailments ranging from mouldy teeth to syphilis. Of these 900,000 physically unfit men, 200,000 have been reported by draft board medicos as readily curable. President Roosevelt last month announced a plan--not yet in effect--to have these 200,000 treated by their own doctors at government expense.

This New Deal for the rejected is a constructive idea, but it lacks clarity and completeness. It is patently unfair for a man to receive a permanent 1B to 4F exemption on the strength of a broken bicuspid or an ingrown toe-mail, especially if he really wants to enter one of the military services and is unable to pay the necessary medical bills. But under the voluntary provisions of F.D.R.'s plan many a man will retain his hernia and 4F classification rather than be cured and reclassified. Further, the large number of cases caused by malnutrition and improper exercise cannot be handled except in camps similar to the triple-C layouts. England, faced by a like problem, in a test case last year took one thousand rejectees and found that 850 could pass as one hundred per cent fit for military service after twelve months of medical and dental care supplemented by open air, exercise, and adequate food. A similar program should be developed from the president's as yet nebulous scheme.

Rather than yielding to penny-pinching, pound-wasting budget balancers who would throw out the CCC and other New Deal aids to the underprivileged, Congress should realize that wars are won at the supper table and in the dentist's and doctor's office, as well as on the drill fields of Devens. Using the CCC as framework, a series of semi-military camps could be set up to strengthen American youth both for battle and for peace. Anyone rejected for remedial defects should be at once subject to this physical reconditioning. No nations can hope to be strong with half its young men growing up as weaklings-to do something about this is only common humanity and common sense.