THE EFFECT OF THE WAR.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13927, 9 July 1917, Page 1

THE EFFECT OF THE WAR.

A RETURNED SOLDIER PROBLEM,

AUCKLAND, July ii. The -condition of the health of certain discharged soldiers who apply to the Claims Board of the Auckland Patriotic' Association for assistance was referred to by Mr V. -T. Lanier, (chairmini of tiie hoard) in an hii.'rview Tester day. ' "At not infrequent interval?," .said ilr Lamer, "men appear before the board suffering from the effects of neurasthenia and shell-shorlc. Many are well on the road to recovery, but other cases require additional treament, I lie men being obviously unable f n take proper care of themselves. I consider that a great injustice is done to those men by discharging them before they have recovered, or before the authorities are satisfied that tlley aiv going to people who are competent to look after them. Up to the present, eases of the kind which have come under the notice of the board have been few in number, but one lias to look aliend to the fact that many of our men will return to us in this condition before the war ends, and they should be taken in hand as they are reasonably fit and well, There can be no doubt that their complete recovery in many instances would be assured if they received proper i-eariuciit. It might be a question of a few months in some cases, but a much longer period ! would be required by others before they recovered. These men, to the ordinary observer, might be considered, fit and well, and many of them ;,re, so far as bodily health goes, but otherwise they are essentially ill', requiring more attrition than those wounded by shot or shell. Men arc not so unstable as to require treatment in a mental hospital, yet they are quite unfit to be left to (heir own resources. This is a class of ease which is discharged often without home and friends to go to, and allowed lo roam about aimlessly. Such cases are among the gloomiest and saddest results of the war, and they constitute a, problem which, it appears, no attempt'has yet been made to solvo/Whose care are they? Certainly not the care of the small boarding-house keeper and of the goodnatured friend but obviously that of the State which, difficult as the problem is, must face it sooner or later," / - .