Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-09
SAYS j. S. WORKERS
ON LEGION BOARDS
H|NDERSOLD|ERA|D
Hospital Chairman Davis
Claims Committees Packed
by Bureau Employees.
DECLARES HOSPITALS
"INDESCRIBABLY FILTHY"
Asserts Bureau Chiefs Spend "Most
of Time on Alibis'-Postal
Probe Ordered.

1IOUc OIOcIcu.
Charges that government bureaus
having to do with soldier relief are
packing the committees of the Amer
lean Legion with bureau employees
who are members of the legion" were
made before the legion's executive
committee here today by Abel Davis
of Chicago. chairman of the hospitali-
cation committee.
"As result the work of the legion
in soldier relief matters is being
greatly handicapped" said Mr.. Davis.
VINO added that at the Cleveland con-
vention "the bureaus licked US to a
frazzle in all matters relating to
dered how it was done."
After hearing MIR. Davis the execu-
tive committee recommended to the
state divisions of the legion that they
refrain from appointing government
bureau employees on their committees.
Davis Scores Hospitals.
The report of Mr.. Davis charged
that former service men are being
kept in private hospitals that are
"indescribably filthy and in which
conditions are terrible" Mr.. Davis
said that after the men were placed
in such hospitals they were left with
out visits or inspections by repre-
sentatives of the public health serv-
ice. de read a report of a survey Of
a hospital in Illinois made by repre-
sentatives of the legion. This said
that white and negro patients slept
in the same room. that the pharmacy
containing narcotics and drugs of all
sorts was left unlocked and that
when asked II female patients used
the same bathroom as the males the
doctor in charge stated that "the
women only remained about two
weeks at time and didn't take any
baths"
Service men are now being removed
from this hospital. Mr.. Davis said,
as a result of pressure brought to
bear on public health service oficials.
Finds Luck Of Co-Operation.
Speaking on the proposed console.
dation, OF the bureaus of vocational
education, war risk insurance and 4
part of the public health service. Mr..
Davis declared:
Heads of the bureaus do not get
along together. nor do they cooperate
for the best interests Of the service
have made to US repeatedly, have no
truth In them. They spend the
greater part of their time getting up
records: in other words preparing
Cne1r dDDlS DeIOfenr nQ.
A committee was appointed to take
up with the incoming Postmaster
General. as soon as he has been named
by Mr.. Harding, alleged .discrimina-
tions against eX-service men.
Joseph F. Buchanan. an employe
Of the postal service in New York
city. testified before the executive
committee that upon his return from
military service during the war he .
had been told that the position he had
held was abolished ard he was put
at work that usually was given men
who were being disciplined. He said
he was fifty-seren years old and had
been in the civil service thirty-two
years without ever having been charg-
ed whit breaches of regulations.
Claims Unfair Treatment.
James Flanagan of New York city
said he had been reduced in the civil
service after taking a four-month
cruise as part Of his duties as
naval reserviSt.
Members of the committee were
given two hours and n half by the
chair to "go to the Hill and work for
veterans relief measures and to re-
frain from wasting time talking with
folks were at home" >.
The executive committee voted TO
stand solidly back of DR.. S. C.. Smith.
who is in charge of the tubercular
patients Oh the PUBIC HedIln service,
and who, 1t was reported, had in .
Cured the enmity of certain members
of Congress because he ordered SOL
dier patients evacuated from the hos
pital at Markelton, Pa. At one time
there were ninety such patients there.
and an investigation by the legion
showed they were not receiving ade-
Quate care.
The case was taken up with the
public health service, and they were
When the committee was
:cld today that members of Congress
were after his job" it instructed its
committee to block such
action, IL possible.
The legislative committee also was
ordered to look into the case Of GER
tain naval reservists in the New York
post office. who were unable to go on
a practice cruise with the Navy unless
they resigned their positions. They
we're told they would be reinstated on
their return. but this was not done
and the committee will ask the in
Postmaster General to see
that they are taken back.
A resolution asking the Senate to
confirm all Of the former service men
who have been appointed to postmas-
terships. list of several hundred.
was tabled after some discussion.