The Washington times., 1920-12-21
CHOWO.K.,SAY
WARD E VETS
Mt. Alto Patients Split Over Food
Charges-Claim "Goldbricks"
Make Trouble.

Flat denial OF the charges Of bad
food and worse treatment, made
against nurses and officials by
tubercular service-men patients OF
ward a. Mt. Alto Public Health
Service Hospital, was voiced by pa
uents In ward ''E' today.
ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY.
In letter to DIR. S. L. Christian.
twenty-six patients in Ward f. de-
clare everything at the hospital is en-
tirely satisfactory so far as they are
concerned. They characterize COM
planners in Ward A as Chronic kick
ers, agitators. and trouble makers"
and charge that one OF them, in par
ticular. has a bad record in another
hospital.
Instead of being a hero of the
trenches, as he was described, they
declare him a "two-weeks service
man." In conclusion, they ask that
he be sent to st. EliZabeth's.
Fear of withdrawal OF privileges
from the patients. especially passes
20 visit the city. was expressed by
Ward Il men as a result or the ex-
posture OF alleged conditions by the
Ward A men.
THE authorities are very much
put out" said one of the patients.
"and they're going to shut down on
US, sure. We now have the prfvi-
lege of visiting the city daily. or
course, II 'gold-brickers (army par
lance for a man who likes to stay In
bed) come down town and spread
wild stories this privilege will be taken
from US.
CALLED CHRONIC KIcKERS.
1.-THE doctors and nurses are mighty
good to us now. But it's in their
pAwer to make things mighty I'M
comfortable for us, too. We're salts
fed with things as they are. We
don't want to lose our privileges on
account OF n few chronic kickers.
I'VE don't believe a word of those
charges of bad eggs, and skinned
milk. In our ward we got bad eggs
Just once. That might happen in any
private family.
"As to the milk. we get all we can
drink, and none OF it Is SKINNED. It's
regular milk. in bottles. with the
where else.
Those Ward A men who are kick
ing are better situated than we are.
They have better quarters.
we an get the same food-it
comes from the same diet kitchen"
eve want the doctors and nurses
TO know that we aren't kicking.
"And especially. we don't want TO
lose our privileges on account OF
few agitators, who wouldn't be salts
Ned in Buckingham palace"
The letter the Ward e men sent to
DR.. L. Christian follows:
LETTER TO DIR. CHRISTIAN.
"Dr. S. L. Christian:
Dear Sir-We. the undersigned pa
tients Of Ward z, Mt. Alto Hospital,
desire to make a statement with ref
ercnce to the recent complaint of Mr.
Joseph Bernstein. q patient of Ward
A, which appeared in an article in
The Washington Times. as we believe
Mr.. Bernstein Is speaking for the men
of this ward without their consent.
1--WE are not in sympathy with
Mr.. Bernstein's movement to improve
the so-called bad conditions, as we
do not consider any improvement
necessary. II we should. we know we
are perfectly capable of appointing
our own committee to speak for us.
KICKED LIKE ARMY MULE.
Mr.. Bernstein spent several days
in this ward. and was kicking like
an army mule, the whole time. His
uncalled for remarks were directed at
the nurses, food and everything in
general. We believe him to be an
agitator and a trouble maker; also q
soap box artist-one who has caused
considerable trouble at Providence
Hospital. where he caused fourteen
men (ncluding himselO to be elected
He also was the instigator OF trouble
at Greenville, S. c., as men in this
ward who knew him at Greenville
will testify.
His army record shows he put In
about two weeks service on this side
OF the pond, and never contracted
tuberculosis In the trenches, as the
article states We also know that
Mr.. Bernstein never saw France except
in the movies or the funny paper
"wi1l you kindly permit us to sug-
rest that Mr. bernstein be given
transfer to the Washington Asylum,
St Elizabeth's, or some other institu-
ton where his gas and hot air may
be put to some good use.
Respectfully yours:
Eris w. Scott, o. o. Orrick, Antonio
Ellis. William Albert Grigsby.
Francis X. Brady, Michael McGurk.
Peter A. Ross, w. II. Faison, J. W.
vaughan, Charles II. ludlow, will
lard Brown, Tony Stellano. Merrill
A. Greene, Bernard A. LAWYER. Mil
ton Roach. Fred J. Plant, J. r. Nc
Daniel. Raymond Moshabee. John
I<ayser, jr.: Albert l.. johnson,
Hugh t. Little, Edward A. Botcler,
John l.. Aheras, w. c. Powell. r. c.
Gagliano, Kenneth a. Caddell
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