Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-21
VETERANS WILL
SEE PRESIDENT
ON VISIT HERE
TAFT MAY PROBE AFFAIRS AT
SOLDIERS HOME
DELEGATES PLAN TO VISIT HIM
IN SEPTEMBER
Managers of Institution Conduct Quiet
Investigation to Ascertain Names
of Leaders in the Present
Trouble
WI HEN President Taft arrives in
w Los Angeles in September he

HJ HEN President Taft arrives in
wv Los Angeles in September he
" will be greeted by a delega-
ton of the veterans of the ma
tional soldiers home at Sawtelle
and requested to make a personal In
vestigation of conditions at the home
for the purpose of showing that the
management of this national institu-
tion should be taken from the hands or
the New York commission and placed
in charge of the United States war de-
partment.
The Sawtelle veterans have great
confidence in President Taft and be-
lieve that his knowledge acquired while
secretary of war will be of invaluable
aid In the fight against the existing
conditions at Sawtelle, and also be in
strumental in having all national sol
diers homes placed under direction OF
the war department.
"All is quiet along the Potomac" was
the statement of a score of veterans at
Sawtelle yesterday, but the determined
stand taken by the veterans has been
instrumental in having many who con-
templated asking for discharges from
the home remain to see the matter
thoroughly threshed out and assist in
the investigation.
I'VE realize that we have just
grounds for COMPLAINT" said one vet
eran yesterday, "and it will be no great
hardship to remain here even If we
have to go without proper food, for we
all realize that eventually change of
management will result and that we
will then get the entire benefit of the
money that congress appropriates for
the soldiers homes"
That the managers of the Sawtelle
home have been making quiet in
vestigation among the inmates to de-
termine the leaders of the present re-
bellion was the reason given yesterday
by a number of the veterans for not
wishing to give their names in sub
stantiation of the charges of improper
management. The veterans are per-
fectly willing to tell of the present
conditions, but all request that their
names be withheld, as it would result
in instant dismissal from the home,
they state, if their names were made
public.
Governor Feels Secure
Governor Cochrane yesterday re-
fused to discuss the present agitation
and stated that If an investigation is
held he could easily vindicate his po-
sition.
"The idea of graft = absurd" he
stated, "and If any grating is done it
is not by the local board of managers.
| have been at Sawtelle for nearly ten
years and know that grating is I'M
possible"
The governor was told that no insln-
uation of grating had been directly
made but that mismanagement was
alleged and was the reason why the
inmates of the home were in rebellion.
''If there is any fault to find it
should be laid to the members of con-
gress. They make the appropriation,
and if it is not big enough to meet the
requirements we have to get along as
well as we can under the circum-
stances. If the inmates had some work
to take up their time they would not
find such opportunity for continual
fault finding" replied the governor.
Governor Cochrane admitted that he
had heard charges of graft in regard
to the soldiers who asked for fur
Tough.
1T has been said," he stated, that
when men have gone on furloughs their
names are still kept on the rolls, and
that their ratiOns are charged for, the
same as though they were at the home.
The idea of charging for ratlons, or
trying to graft on the rations of men
who are on furlough, is as ridiculous
as the other charges"
Real hens eggs are supposed to con-
stitute the breakfast meal at the home
each Sunday morning, but number
of the veterans stated yesterday that
instead of real eggs they received a
cheap substitute egg preparation. What
the veterans desire to know is whether
the buying of real eggs or whether
the imitation preparation is charged
for.
Another question that is receiving at
tention from the soldiers is in regard
to the allotment of the clothing sup
ply. For a long time after the homes
were established each inmate was al
lowed a certain amount Of clothing
and this clothing was issued in ex-
change for the old when the time for
the new issue arrived. This plan is
now changed. The old clothes are
cleaned, old shoes are mended and re-
issued. 1t is asserted that the cloth
ing of dead soldiers is repaired and
again distributed.
Economy in Clothing
Before the change in this depart
ment, it is said, the officials were will
ing to dispose of all the clothing they
could, as the manufacture of cloth
ing is controlled by the board of man
ayers. Since the change, it is stated,
that the least clothing the board of
managers dispose of the better pleased
they seem. The result is great economy
in the clothing department, and would
be commendable IL the government de-
rived the benefit and the additional
sary channels.
The "boys in blue" assert that they
would require proof to convince them
that the appropriations are reduced in
consequence, and if not, why not?
The men are loath to believe that
congress desires to stint their appro-
priation, but only ask that the money
that is appropriated be properly ex-
pended.
IT would like to look again at a real
slice of roast beef" said a veteran yes
terday afternoon. when / asked one
OF the officials at Sawtelle why good,
solid meat was not served once in a
while he told me that most of the sol
diers were SO advanced in age that
their teeth were poor and they could
not masticate solid meat. Well, can't
dispute the assertion, for the simple
reason that have never had a chance
to try my teeth on roast beef since I
came here. but 1 would be willing to
wager that every inmate of the home
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