The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-25
RED TAPE WAS CUT
 IN THIS MANS CASE

Washington, January 2i-(Special)- )-- Can, in the legal eye of the government, man lose both legs without undergoing actual amputation? The question has been decided. He can
 The case was that of Lieut. John W. Marshall of the Twenty-third Engineers, who as result of a high explosive shell suffered the permanent disability of both legs in the Verdun sector. He is a brother-in-law of Col R. s. Thomas, in charge of government works at Mobile.
 Returning to the United States, Lieu tenant Marshall was inyalided in Wash ington. Days and weeks and months passed. The case of the lieutenant was never settled. The war risk department was indulging in what appeared it's cus- tomar delay. And then Colonel Thomas came to Washington and put the ease in the hands of Representative McDuffIe of the First Alabama district. Tile repre- sentative instructed his secretary to es- cort the lieutenant to the war risk and stay there until the case was settled
 The secretary, Lieut.. Charles Mccall did as instructed. He would not suffer postponement. He smiled when red tape" handicaps were proposed. He pa- tiently waited while lawyers went deep into musty tonnes. He paid no attention to the complaints of several thousand stenographers and file clerks that his insistence had held up' four depart ments and prevented all hands going home at the customary hour.
 From the lawyers, who had held that a map may lose both legs without their amputaton, he went to the doctors. For it was then necessary for the doctors to pass on the pefmanent disability of the man. The doctors hummed and hawed. They spoke of the necessity of delay of investigation, of X-ray worK-all of which Aa1- for the lieutenant to remain another month or two at the hospital But the secretary was still insstent He demand ed an examinations Finally the doctors, applying their spectacies to their noses, went to work. The point was settled in 10 minutes. It was stated officially that the lieutenant was permanently injured.
 Then why not give him his money?'' MT. Mccall asked
 It was an unheard of proposition, the pay clerks contended. This and/ that had to be done. More .red tape objec- tiCns were proposed Mccall then spoke of the legal and medical decisions. We had the papers. He protested against de- lay. Very eloquently he spoke of the fighting of the soldiers of Uncle Sam, and how it was the duty of Uncle Sam to care for the permanently distressed. And finally, the department decided to brea kall records, and there is no other such example on record. A check for the lieutenants first months pay. $50 up- ward, was written. And the lieutenant in that very minute, went on the perma- nent roll for similar amount each month.
 Lieutenant Marshall returned to Mir MtDuffie with. fervent expressions of gratitude. He had suffered mentally and physically, the tortires of the damned, and thought that in all probability he would be compelled longer to Syffer And in one day his case had been stoAed
 The war risk insurance department has been taught that it can settle cases without inordinate delay. Itesnodp't H without inordinate delay. It doesn't promise, however, to permit the matter of Marshall to be regarded is a precedent from which it cannot vary