The Washington times., 1920-11-27
LEGION OPENS WAR
AGAINST RED TAPE
Hospital Committee Heads
Charge Inefficiencies to Three
U. S. Veteran Bureaus.
Continued from First Psge.D


that stood in the way Of giving aid
to worthy eX soldiers and sailors.
The heads OF these boards met, ac-
/ cordins to schedule, and they drew
up regulation that would have
straighted things out but the regu
lation came to naught when Mr. War
wick himself finally declared the reg
ulation Illegal.
A confidential copy Of the regulation
was obtained. 1t provided three prin-
cipal things:
I. That the Public Health Service.
the War and Navy Departments, and
the various soldiers homes through
out the country. should give treat
ment to patients of the War Risk
Insurance Bureau.
.. That these agencies should also
give treatment to men receiving
training from the Federal Board for
Vocational Education.
3. That in emergency cases. where
Government facilities were not avail
able for the treatment of the men.
private aid should be sought and paid
for by the Government.
Conferences looking to approval OF
this regulation were held by repre-
sentatives of the Treasury Depart
ment the Public Health Service. the
War Risk Insurance Bureau and the
Federal Board for Vocational Educa-
ton on September - and thereafter.
but when 1t finally came to the point
that all these agencies approved the
regulation, Comptroller Warwick,
who had first issued instructions for
the drawing up of the regulation, held
it illegal and nothing has ever been
done about it.
LONG DELAYS CHARGED.
Complaints of the American Legion
has been in regard to the alleged
injustices and insufferable delays now
encountered by former service men
seeking Government aid. Men. for
instance, who have been partially dis
abled and who are taking vocational
training suddenly become afflicted in
some manner and require hospital
treatment. The Government holds 1t
has not the right. under the law, to
treat such men.
However, it was brought out at tn
hearing that Yell Lampkin of the Vo-
cational Board, has arranged with the
Red Coss to give treatment to such
men pending legislation that VIII
provide Government aid for them.
Further complaint has been in re-
gard to double physical examinations
that disabled men are required TO
undergo from both the War Risk In
surance Bureau and the Public Health
Service. The Legion officials contend
that this double examination. which
caused long delays and controversies
between the two services, ought TO
be eliminated. but 1t was brought out
that both services desire. If elimina-
ton Is affected. that the other be
ousted from control Of the cases.
DR.. r. Victor Keene. Of Indianapo-
lis. member OF the committee, told
hat ovNn n hn n
ton OF the legion. Otis Landreth, of
Gary, Ind. was sent to the Methodist
Hospital at indianapolis on July 16.
1920, and was found to be suffering
from BriGht's disease. He was con-
fined in the hospital and was there
in his cot on october Il, 1920, when
word was received that he was not
entitled to Government compensa-
tion because he was not more than
10 per cent disabled, all this in spite
of the fact that he had been contin-
uously in the hospital and faced a
much longer term there.
AssAILS RED TAPE.
Mr.. Lampkin excited much favor
able comment from the legion when
he protested strongly against red
tape. In loud tones he declared, in
regard to the decision that II W.
illegal to issue regulation simpli-
tying the method of sending former
service men to hospitals:
THE Comptrollers decision is dead
wrong. If we haven't got the money
to pay the bills, we ought to get It,"
And then he told of the case OF
man who had been taking vocational
training since last April despite the
| fact that the Comptroller had ruled
the man ineligible to receive train
ing.
"I am not going to tell you that
mans name" he said. "and I defy tho
Comptroller OF the Treasury or any.
one TO come and take him away from
this training"
Whercupon the Legion members up
plauded loudly and TO the evident
embarrassment Of other Government
officials present.
At this point a young man, unident-
ined. except that he was connected
with the Treasury Department, arose
to remark:
"You can't spend the governments
money without authority OF law"
IT'S been done time and again and
IL can be done IN these cases" was
the sharp response Of Commander
T.. w. Galbraith of the Legion.
There was more applause from the
'cgior members.