The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-18
ACTION ON
 !. PART OF CONGRESS DEMAND IF LEGION
Warn of Necessity of Pro. viding Relief for Men Meeting With Injustice Through Inadequacy
 of Laws
By Associated Press

By Associated Fress
 Washington, December I7.--
 Speedy action was demanded of
 Congress on all matters affecting
 the governments dealings with
 former service men, in resolutions
 adopted tonight by national and
 state officers Of the American Le-
 zion at the conclusion of a three
 day conference here with officials
 of the war risk insurance bureau
 The resolutions also warned Congress of the imperative necessity of provid- ing relief for men who have met with injustice through the inadequacy or laws under which the present insurance and compensation regulations are ad- ministered.
 Throughout the afternoon session of the conference, an evident spirit of con- cern was that the legion's power must be exerted if the nation is not to un- dergo again the burden of pension payments. The pension system was characterized by delegate after dele gate as unnecessary and unjust, and as adding burden on the coming gen. erations which the taxpayers of these years should shoulder.
 Brigadier General Lord, director of finance of the war department; V. w. Lambkin, chief of the rehabilitation division of the federal board for yoca- tionall education, and Surgeon Lavin- der. representing the public health service, appeared before the legion rep resentatives and were questioned close ly in regard to the activities of their departments. Specific cases were em- ployed in rapid succession by the le- zion delegates in developing complaints of inefficiency and in illustration or changes in administrative practice re- quested by the former service men.
 NO SPECIFIC COMPLAINT
 Franklin D'Olier, grand commander. assured the officials at the close of the inquiry that the legion had no specific complaint against them, but that such must not be interpreted to mean the legion did not recognize fail ure on the part of the war risk bureau. the public health service and the vo- cational education board ito function satisfactorily
 At the conclusion of the discussion. the delegates summed up their views of needs of the former service men, as demonstrated by their study of the situation here, as follows:
 s"The Watson and Sweet bills should be passed by Congress forthwith.
 "The bureau of war ztsk insurance, federal board for vocational education and the public health service-especial- ly the sections of the two latter agen~ cies dealing with ex-service men should be comb under single head, and one representative of the unified agency should be placed in each state.
 "The following notifications regard ing insurance should be adopted: Pre- miums should be payable through the local postoffices. Restrictions based on relationship of beneficiaries should be removed The amount of the insur- ance under term and converted policies should be payable at the option of the applicant in lump sum or otherwise, and if the applicant has exercised no option, then at the option of the bene- ficiary. partial disability benefit should be paid under all policies.
 That all disabled persons having war risk insurance while in the hos pitals, or while receiving benefits un- der the war risk insurance act, or while receiving training, should have the pay IHCIt Ol all PI ciiiu uiiio c- mitted during the continuance of their disability and training. That all forms used shall be simplfied so as to be made as short and simple as possible.
 VOCATIONAL TRAINING
 "All men receiving vocational train- ing should have their maintenance pay in full and a vocational training off cial should be permanently stationed at every hospital where disabled ex- service persons are being cared for, to give personal and individual informa- tion.
 Immediate and adequate steps should be taken to reach all persons 0t present entitled to vocational train- ing and not receiving it, and to ac- quaint them fully with their rights and to give training to all who are entitled to it. recreational eatures should be added to the vocational training pro gramme,
 Substantial increases in all the pres ent rates should be granted. Imme- diate. liberal and effective action should be taken on all claims
 Persons suffering from tuberculosis should be considered as totally disabled during the continuance of the disease and compensable accordingly
 Hospital facilities It present pro- vided are inadequate and Congress should make a far more liberal pro- vision for same"
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