The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-12-20
RELIEF FOR DISABLED SOLDIERS.


Tho proponents Of the $4,000. 900 state hos
piai for the treatment OF cx-srvico men con-
stitute n rare admixture OF sincerity and selfish
ness. II is increasingly evident that tho Amer
lean legion OF the state has determined to hazard
Its very existence Oh tho attainment OF this OBJ
jectivc.
We do not charge that the legion is iteslf
cuipable in the natter but Il Is very evident
fact that It Is permitting i'sclf to be used by the
old bourbon crowd composed of architects. con-
tractors and lamcduck politicians. and that
about tho best It can expect to secure result
Of the unholy combination. is Its own complete
dlscredit whether II wins or iosea.
There arc some facts that tho public will not
soon forget For instance. that the legion lead
crs did set In" with tho Robertson Hoffman
clique to set tho hospital project going. ana that
even II II were practicable project 1t could not
bs constructed excepting under the supervision
Of that same clique. no matter how Its influence
may bc masked by others.
Tho American legion. which assumes to
speak and act for no ex-servtce men OF Okla
homa has within its recorded mcmbeeship only
about 20 per cent of the cx-servico men. leaving
80 per cen OF the ex-service mon who are not
making any organized effort to force their
views and schemes upon tho body polite. OF
tho 20 per cent recorded members, less than
one fourth are active within the legion.
We state these figures for tho benefit OF
those who may hesitate to follow their convlc-
t,ons In the face OF 30 formidable a political
threat as is frequently made by some Of tho
political leaders Of tho legion. We have no
doubt that 1t would be an easy matter to or
xanixe an even more formidable force OF ex-
service men on the single issue OF opposing the
legion az It has functioned since Its organiza-
ton In this state The great body OF ex-scrvice
men are citizens first before they are legionairs.
Of that you may rest perfectly assured.
10 much for that aspect of the question. Now
a 10 aid for the real disabled ex-soldiera Once
nsnin we want to assert that II IN n criminal
tragedy that adequate aid for them has been so
long withheld. Yet we are prepared to discover
,hnt the excuse, II not the reason will be dis
covered In he or they who first devised this
scheme OF having the various stetes build hos.
p,tals for the federal government to lease and
operate
That WAS the method adopted forEcaring for
these broken men. And the mere fact that two
wears have gone by without q single such hos
pital having been constructed to receive 4 single
one of the broken men. Is at once an indictment
of the plan adopted and an answer to the gen
tlemen who are asking that oklahoma at this
late date engage In discredited undertaking.
Assuming that there are the thousands OF
hospital patients among the cx-scrvice men al
Legged to exist, what Is the sane. common
,uprestion? That they be left to shift for them
selves and die. IA II is said they are doing and
have been doing for the more than two years
since the armistice, while the pork -barrelers of
the various states erect state institutions and
,epso them to the federal government?
put" say the proponents OF the project we
can have the building ready for occupancy with
in n year"
Let the answer stand for a moment What
Is to become of these thousands" who oro
dying during that year? In great part tho
present sentimental concern Tor them win hav,
abated once the funds start trickllng from, tho
state treasury towards the construction work
wherever that may be located.
As a matter of fact, the building would NOT
be ready within year IL what has been and is
can be accepted basis OF what will be
Two yaers ago the state legislature appropri-
construction OF three tuberculosis hospitals in
Oklahoma. II a single one Of the institutions is
ready for occupancy we should like to have the
fact proven. In at least one instance not a
spade OF dirt has been thrown on the construc-
tten work. yst tuberculosis victims were dying