At this moment 30,000 maimed soldiers are asking for work; 30,000 jobs
are ready for them. The employers of France are holding the positions
open, because they need these workers. Only the training is lacking.
This society to train maimed soldiers is not in competition with any
existing form of relief work: it supplements all the others--ambulances
and hospitals and dressing stations. They are temporary, bridging the
month of calamity. This gives back to the men the ten, twenty, thirty
years of life still remaining. They must not remain the victims of their
own heroism. They ask only to be permitted to go on with their work for
France. They will serve in the shop and the factory as they have served
at the Aisne and the Yser. This is a charity to do away with the need of
charity. It is help that leads directly to self-help.
THE END
FOOTNOTES
[A] When I first published these statements the following letter
appeared in the "New York Tribune":--
GERMANY'S SPY SYSTEM
To the Editor of "The Tribune."
Sir: I was particularly interested in the article by Mr. Gleason in
this morning's "Tribune" because, having spent several months in
this region in ambulance work, I am able to support several of his
statements from personal observation.
The house he mentions on the beach near Coxyde Bains was beyond
doubt intended for the purpose he describes. I visited it several
times before it was completely destroyed, and have now in my
possession photographs which show the nature of the building,
besides a tile from the flooring.
Two instances in which spies were detected came to my knowledge; in
one case the person in question was the mayor of the town, in the
other a peasant woman. One other time I know of information was
given undetected which resulted in the shelling of a road at a time
when a convoy of motors was about to pass.
The high esteem in which the Red Cross flag is held by German
gunners (as a target) is only too forcibly impressed upon one in
that service.
MALCOLM T. ROBERTSON.
Mr. Robertson is a member of the Junior Class in Princeton University.
[B] When this record was first made public the "New York Tribune" stated
editorially:--
"The writer of the foregoing communication was for several years a
member of 'The Tribune' staff. For the utter trustworthiness of any
statement made by Mr. Gleason, this newspaper is willing to vouch. Mr.
Gleason was at the front caring for the Belgian wounded. He speaks with
full knowledge and complete authority and 'The Tribune' is glad to be
able to submit to its readers a first-hand, eye-witness account of
atrocities written by an American. It calls attention again to the fact,
cited by Mr. Gleason, that his testimony is included in the Bryce
Report, which should give Americans new insight into the value of this
document."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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