The Washington herald., 1920-03-29

Blame Put On Congress
Refusal of Congress to appro-
PIRATE money for construction OF
additional hospital buildings is re-
sponsble, according TO officials OF
the Bnrran of War Risk Insur-
anrr and the Public Health Ser
VICE Failure of departmental Of
hccrs 70 make proper use of avail
able hospitals, especially at the
ARMY cantonments, is blamed by
Congress
Congress has refused to act.
House leaders have argued their
program of economy would not
permit such appropriations as the
Public Health Service has held TO
be absolutely necessary.
Cones to Capital.
One soldier. who did not receive
treatment from the government
went to a private hospital. He was
operated on and told he had but a
few weeks to live. He was urged
TO remain at the hospital. He, re-
fused.
Instead he came to Washington.
He told a pitiful story to officials
OF the War Risk Bureau. He
pleaded that something be done for
men Of his type. He asked for moth
ingrfor himself. 1t was too late to
help him and he knew 1t.
This is the story of a dead man.
he said, for Gods sake won't you
do something for the others?"
Another Typical Case.
Col. r. G. Cholmeley-Jones, direc-
tor of the War Risk Bureau, vouche:
for that story. He tells of another
In Boston he was asked to visit the
home of a former soldier, one of
the thousands suffering from lack
of proper care and treatment.
I'VE went to the boys house and
we found him sitting there in front
of a great big stove" said Col
Cholmeley-Jones. Il do not think
1 have ever seen such a CHASTITY ap-
pearance as. witnessed there. He
was dying. You could watch him
die-could just watch him fade
away. The boy had been to a hos.
pital to which he had been sent by
the government. The hospital was
APPARENTLY the only place where they
could find "A bed. The buildings, the
surroundings, and everything were
so unsatisfactosy-he could look ou
of his window and see a pig pen-it
was so terrible that he went home
When We found him we took hin
to the Parker Hill Hospital"
Tells OF st. Louis Conditions.
Representative L. c. Dyer, of ST
Louis. has revealed conditions ex
listing in that city with respect t.
the governments action for the car,
of tubercular patients. He estimat
ed that there were about 800 tu
bercular patients in st. Louis fol
treatment. They were sent there b,
the government from surroundins
sections. despite the fact that tn,
st. Louis climate is not suitable 70,
such cases. The Federal govern
ment had no facilities. The city o
st. Louis set aside an old marin,
hospital, described by Mr.. Dyer a
being down by the river in the fac
tory district"
Sob stories" without end nigh
be related to show the condition
now existing. Reports on instance
of this character are reachin,
Washington from many sections o
the country. The demand has beel
for action, one way or another. Ap
peals have been made either to Con
gress for appropriations for addi
tionsl hospital facilities or for for
NAL notice to the country that ther
was more of political buncombe tina,
of sincerity in the glowing promise
of how well the government intend
ed treating the men who came ou
of the war mental and physica
wrecks.
s3O,0O0,O00 Needed at Once.
More than three months ago, tn
Public Health Service laid befor
Congress a plan for the care G
former service men designed {
cover a broad period of years. Tn
whole program, 1t was estimate,
would cost sS5.Ooo. 900. but imme
) diats appropriation of $4,000. 90
was recommended. oficials of. tn
Public Health Service expect {
have $4,000 cases of nervous an
mental cases this year, and hav
asked for equipment for 1880 hos
CONTINUED on PAGE TWO.