The Washington herald., 1920-07-22
LEGION SEEKS
HOSPITAL AID
Claim Politics Has Handi-
capped Helping Disabled
Discharged Soldiers.
orus,se Ledger serviceo


The American Legion will ap-
peal direct to President Wilson to
come to the rescue OF thousands Of
disabled veterans of the war who
are suffering fssA the governments
failure to provide adequate hos
pitai facilities for them.
According to II. H. Raege. men,
ber Of the national legislative COM
mittee OF the American Legion. a
committee Is now working on a
plan for consoiidating-and co-ordi-
mating the three bureaus function
ing for disabled discharged soldiers
to be submitted soon to the Presi-
dent. who has the power to execute
It.
Seek Hospital Facilities.
The efforts OF the American
Legion are now being more particu-
larly directed to obtain proper hos
pital facilities for thousands OF
tubercular and neuro-psychiatric
Pebchts Who aie hot ocihS PfOpciAy
cared for. According to estimates
made by Col. w. c. Rucker, medical
inspector of the Bureau OF War
Risk Insurance. and submitted to
Congress, there are $4,000 potential
neuro-psychiatric cases and 10000
cases Of tuberculosis among veter-
ans which need attention now, ami
that the number would gradually
increase.
Col. Rucker estimated that 30,oos
beds were needed, but at present,
according to reports reaching the
American Legion, more than half
of the insane cases under the gov
ernment's jurisdiction are still In
State insane ssylums and private
institutions. In a telegram to the
American Legion. DR.. Thomas W.
Salmon, chief of the National Com
mittee for Mental Hygiene and also
associated with the Rockefeller
Foundation Fund. condemned the
public Health Service for its treat
ment of disabled veterans.
Il believe most important hospi-
tai problem now affecting former
service men Is treatment of mental
cases" he said in part. June 10,
of 5,009 mental and nervous cases
in hospitals, only 1,644 were in Pub
lie Health Service hospitals, con-
stituting the smallest percentage of
any special class.
III these men who need the most
and can speak the least for them
selves are thus abandoned less than
two years after the armistice, what
does the future hold for the in
sane soldier? Task of proper care
not overwhelming numerically or
through special difficulties, but re
quires modern humane conception
of needs by Public Health Serv-
ice. instead of incredibly compIa-
cent indifference"
OverruIed by Politics.
The American Legion recently
called a conference of members of
its special hospital committee and
representatives of the Bureau of
War Risk Insurance. Public Health
Service. General Staff, Federal
Board for Vocational Education.
Surgeon General OF the navy, and
National Home for Disabled Vol
unteer Soldiers. In its report on
the conference. which has just been
completed, the legion said.
During the conference an effort
was made by certain members of
the committee to show that projects
could be purchased by the govern
ment and made Immediately avail
able for hospital use. In other
words, certain officials of the gov
ernment have approved for purchase
projects which for political reasons
were not taken over by the Pub
lie Health Service.
Col. r. G. Cholmeley-Jones, di-
rector of the Bureau of War Risk
Insurance, has charge of the admin
istration of the s46.000.000 appro-
priated by the last Congress in the
Sundry Civil Bill for hospitaliza-
lion. He has informed the legion
that his policy would be to treat as
many cases as possible of general
and surgical nature in hospitals
now existing and operated by the
Army and Navy departments.