The New York herald., 1920-01-05
PROTESTS AGAINST
TURNING SOLDIERS
OUT OF HOSPITALS
American Legion Counsel
Urges Retention of Hopeless
Cases of Tubercular Patients.
Herald Bureau.
No. I,JO2 H street, n. w,
Washington, ID. g., Sunday.

John Thomas Taylor, counsel TOT the
Legislative Committee Of the American
Legion, who has opened offices in Wash
ington, issued today an appeal TO the war
Department and Congress not 70 discharge
the thousands of hopelegsly bedridden sol
diers who contracted tuberculosis in the
army. He says these men are facing the
prospect of being sent back to their homes
TO die, or being turned loose as menace To
the health Of their families and their
neighbors as the result of a War Depart
nent order directing that those who nave
been in army hospitals twelve months ano
are not improving shall be discharseo aS
soldiers and as patients.
"The number Of tubercular victims OF inc
war is estimated at $4,000" declared MT
Thomas tonight, "and the number VINO oe-
yelop the complaint as a result OF eA
oosure during the war VIII increase ra'hel
Than diminish for a period Of several years
: The peak will probably be reached sonle
fiyo wears from now. when the number VI
cases will reach approximately oo,ooe.
"The Public Health Service, a brancn ol
the Treasury Department, Is directeu ~
care for the wars disabled after they al
discharged from army or naval hospitais
by provisions of the War RISK insul'thGo
act, but w. G. Rucker. or the rupic
Health Service and chief medica. ADVISER
of the War Risk Bureau, tells me that IL
these socalled incurables are turned foose
on the community by the War Depart.
ment the Public Health Service mas no'
enough beds in its hospitals to care iof
them.
Eager To He Retained.
s'The effect of this order of the war
Department on the minds OF THESE men u
pitiable and they are writing ana teie
graphing me appeals that they DC alioweu
10 remain in the hospitals just ie"
months longer. They do not wish 70 DC
DISCHARGED from the well equipped tuper-
,ular hospitals owned by the army and
sent home. where they will be lookeo
1Ipon as a menace to public heaitn "nie
awaiting assignment to PUBIC Healtn Sei
vice hospitals, which, officials ADMIT car
not at this time accommodate them o"inS
to the fact that fully 1880 addiuonai peos
will be needed for these ana otner oideo@ o'.
Of the wars disabled. wnich nave ho"
reached a grand total of IoW. s.
sE,ach one of these patients When as
charged is a marked man. Immediately
l.pon discharge a letter Is sent 10 Tue
health officer in the former service man 5
home town stating that Private so ana 90
has been discharged this day from an
culosis. He will not be welcome. He VIII
nc looked upon as a menace to the health
Of that community If he has no home ne
vi find difficulty in getting suitable
Iydgings i'm any boarding house, for SICK
persons are not wanted as guests in these
esta blishments.
ITO discharge them from the army hos
pitals where they now are being treated
and at the same time discharge them from
the army, means that these officers and
men, instead of receiving their military
pay and allowances will only receive a
percentage of the $50 allowed under the
war risk act as compensation. For partial
disability this would not amount to more
than s20 so or So according to the degree
of disability. Most of these men have
families, and they could not support their
families on any such sums.
Cannot Support Themselves.
Not being able to support themselves
or their families they would either have TO
starve or go TO work. II they went to
work they could not avail themselves OF
the treatment at the health service hos
Ditals. If they went TO the health service
hospitals their families would starve, be-
cause they could not exist on the meager
sum allowed by the government. What is
more, by exposing themselves in their ef-
forts to provide for the support of their
families they would be deprived OF that
rest and treatment and freedom from
worry about money affairs which are
essential factors in promoting their
chances for ultimate recovery.
These men should be placed on the
Stme basis as the members OF the regular
army and retained at the army hospitals
until they are cured, thus receiving full
pay and allowances for their dependents,
or until such time as adequate hospitals
and moro adequate compensation can be
provided for them after discharge from
the military service. We have asked that
their compensation be fixed at S75 a
month.
Upon insistence OF members Of Con-
y1'ess and officers of the American Legion
the War Department recently modified its
original circular to commanding officers
directing the discharge of tubercular pa
tients in the case OF those who are making
satisfactory progress, and who, in tho
opinion Of the commanding officer, will
fully recover in n reasonable time, but
the man who has no hope of recovery un-
der even this modification OF the original
order will not be taken care OF by the
army and retained in his military status
IL he has been in the hospital twelve
months. He should be protected and kept
In the aWr Department Hospitals II he so
desires"