Evening star., 1921-09-03
VETERANS BENEFIT
BY NEW AID PLANS
"CIean-Up" Squads Ferret
ina Out Thousands Through
Whole Country.

Effective results of the efforts of the
Veterans Bureau cleanup" squad IN
helping veterans to obtain compensa-
ton and hospital treatment to which
they are entitled are being reported TO
the headquarters here. Every effort Is
being made to ferret out every veteran
entitled to government aid and assist
him to get it before December 81 next.
After that date no more original
claims will be considered.
In conducting the cleanup the
squads are employing the old wartime
method. First. the cities on the route
are flooded with advance publicity
calculated to strike the eye of every
disabled ex-service man. Then the CO.
operation of the local chapters of the
Red Cross, the American Legion, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars and other
veteran organizations. as we'll as al
community organizations, is enlisted.
and volunteer committees are formed
to canvass the district thoroughly. FER
ret out every applicant and insure his
appearance before the SQUAD on the
day of it's coming.
Personnel of Squad.
Each squad consists of the follow
ing officers: A medical examiner. a
compensation and insurance claim eX-
aminer, a vocational education officer.
and advance agent and representatives
of the Red Cross and of eX-seTvice
mems organiZat atoms. Coming into
community, it sets up fully equipped
temporary office, and sits for the
necessary number of days, examining
and enrolling all claimants. AT the
close of it's stay it transfers it's or
ganization and equipment to the next
city on it's itinerary.
The first returns from the squads
coming into the Washington office in
dicate an unprecedented number of
veterans turning out everywhere to
apply for relief. In the district in
Tennessee more than 1000 applicants
were handled in six days. In Green
vile. S. g.. 72S veterans came forward
in similar period of time.
Relief Scope Extended.
The scope of eligibility for relief
was greatly extended by the recently
enacted Sweet bill. and many of the
applicants are fling under these new
provisions. Formerly only veterans
suffering from 10 per cent disability
or over were eligible for hospitaliza-
ton. The Sweet bill changed this to
allow medical treatment to all who
can show one-half of 1 per cent dis
ability due to service. Also tubercu-
lar and neuropsychiatric patiehts.
two years from discharge. are now
relieved from the former necessity of
proving that their condition was con-
tracted in the military service. The
burden of proof is placed upon the
government. Other liberal provisions
were incorporated in the Sweet bill
governing the reinstatement of insur-
ance for disabled men.
In addition to the new cases which
arise under the Sweet bill, the squads
are being met by hundreds of men,
patiently eligible even under the old
applications until now. Many of these
men were intimidated by the red tape
which formerly surrounded all claim
awards. Others were employed until
the hard times set in and had re-
Trained from accepting government
aid.
Declared Winning System.
There is another large class of ap-
plicants who had previously filed
appealed to the squads for reopen
ing of their cases When 1t is re-
membered that there have been 665.-
900 applications for compensation filed
since the war. the magnitude of the
undertaking is appatent.
Officials in Washington believe the
cleanup" squad idea to be a win
ner. as it not only carries relief direct
to the veteran, but also supplies per-
sonal contact which humaniZes the
whole procedure. 1t has been found
that men are much more willing to
enroll for relief when enrolment can
be made personally. in preference to
the disheartening red tape of letter
writing.
The longer presentation of claims
is delayed. the more difficult will
be the determination of compens-
ability. Many disabled veterans. as
long as they are able to stand on their
feet and exc out an existance, delay
filing claims. and then when they
are no longer able to carry on it may
be impossible to grant them compen-
sation because of "laches." To pre-
vent this situation the "clean-up"
squads are in the field with orders to
reach every man entitled to compen-
sation. disqualification or vocational
training
To date 6.50s claims have been
filed as a direct result of this drive.
Some of the districts are not yet in
action. but will take the field in a
few days. fully prepared to handle all
these claims.