There are, however, certain conditions inherent in military life which go far towards unfitting the soldier for civilian occupation. Without entering into a discussion of the reasons for these conditions, two of them at least may be enumerated. In military life individual liberty is impossible, but it is of supreme importance in civil life. Further, in military life ambition or self-interest, which may be considered a fundamental motive in human action, becomes of secondary importance. Self-interest is, in fact, disciplined into complete abeyance. The moment the soldier becomes a civilian the restraints upon his individual liberty are more or less removed, and it is entirely in keeping with the impulses of human nature if he should, for a time, go to the opposite extreme. Then again, he finds it no easy task to awaken the ambition lying dormant within him, and it frequently happens that it is only from bitter experience that he learns it is necessary to rely, in the first instance, upon himself. These two conditions alone emphasize how different are the various problems of demobilization and mobilization. The success or failure of the work of reconstruction depends, not so much on the highly-developed organization as on the amount of personal service, whole-hearted sympathy and understanding brought to the work by those who, together with the soldier, must face the many obstacles confronting him in the first stages of his return to citizenship. Without the active co-operation of the soldiers themselves the work of reconstruction could not be a success. Undoubtedly our present stability, in comparison with many other parts of Canada is, in a large measure, due to the initiative and strength of purpose with which our soldiers have met, and are meeting, the tasks of a humdrum every-day life. It would, no doubt, be surprising to the average citizen were he to know how many men in Nova Scotia have re-established themselves without assistance from the Government. It was not until the closing days of 1915 and the return of casualties gassed and wounded from Ypres, Festubert, and Givenchy, that the problems of demobilization began to press for attention. The country was sadly lacking in proper hospital accommodation and equipment, especially for the treatment of surgical cases. The disabled man was finding it no easy matter to re-establish himself and the provision of industrial training or suitable employment for him was an urgent need. In many other ways the necessity for a radical change made itself apparent.