The spectator., 1921-02-11

of the number discharged. Sixteen | thousand beds are needed now. Hun | dreds of veterans are the object of | public and private charity. Afflicted | and penniless veterans have been driv l en to refuge in almshouses and jails. Many have died, and if immediate re- lief is not forthcoming, more will die destitute, without proper medi- cal care, without compensation with which to obtain it, abandoned by the country they served. All this is at- tributable directly to the manner in which the government has admins tered the affairs of the disabled.
 "The bureau of war risk insurance is responsible for the payment of com pensation and for medical and hos pital care of the man. Logically, this would involve establishing contact with the men at the time of their discharge from the military or naval service. It should then determine the existence and degree of disability and compensation on this basis.
 Due to the standardization of the bureaus forces in Washington, it is practically impossible under the pres ent law to establish contact with the man entitled to these benefits. The disabled man is placed in the position of a man injured in industry who must sue the company. He must car ry on an involved and technical corre- Spondence. It is usually months af- ter he Is dropped from the pay rolls of the army or navy before he is talk en upon the pay roll of the bureau, even though his service discharge shows a definite degree of disability. On November 26, 1920, S3,O0O cases were pending in the bureau awaiting definite adjustment of compensation Thousands are suffering and many have died as a result of this neglect
 "The federal board for vocational training will accept the evidence of the bureaus medical files granting compensation as proof that q man is entitled to vocational training. The bureau, however, will not accept the evidence that the board has awarded training as proof that man is en- JUtu tO compensation.
 If the veteran is receiving cam pensation and wants training usually he must take another physical exam | ination, administered by the board to determine whether the claimant has a vocational handicap emitting him to training pay. or merely a compens- able disability granting him training only. If the veteran is not receiving compensation, due to delay by the bureau, he must be examined by the board. to determine his eligibility for training, as we'll
 When a man enters training with training pay, his compensation stops and he is shifted from the pay roll .of the bureau to the pay roll of the 1 board. The board, which was created as training agency only, has be- | come compensating agency as well. Many men have been kept on the pay 1 roll of the board. not aS a training financial relief which they were en- titled to, but unable to obtain from the bureau.
 When man is dropped from train l iug he is supposed to he dropped from l the pay roll of the board and taken up by the bureau On both shifts there is delay. The average length of time for a man to be dropped from 1 the bureau pay roll and taken up on the board pay roll is about three weeks. The average time required l for the second shift back to the bu- reau pay roll is two months. No pro vision is made for the mans main- tenance during these ihteriins. In the majority of cases a man must under | go Il new physical examination before the bureau will again pay him con- | pensaton, In other words, he must again prove his claim.
 "The position of the United States | public health service is peculiar It took its place in the rehabilitation scheme poorly equipped for the work it was to perform, but was apparent ly the best medical governmental agency then available. It acts as an agent both of the bureau and the board. but is responsible to no au-
 
 thority common to both board and bureau, because there is no such au- thority.
 In view of this condition the re- markable thing about the present re- mobilization program is that it has accomplished what little 1t has Such progress as has been made is tribute to the sincerity of the men in the bu- reau, the board and the public health service who generally have made the best of an impossible situation. The best of this impossible sltua- tion, however, has been insufficient always. This is particularly true re- l garding disqualification.
 "Of the 10000 men now in hospitals, | 4,50O are in institutions which are un- fit because suitable hospital facilities are not available"
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