The Washington times., 1921-02-07

The Federal machinery designed
To produce compensation, provide
hospital care and rehabilitation for
disabled veterans O fthe world war
is not functioning satisfactorily.
TESTIMONY OF LEGION.
Nor is the War Departments n
nance system. through which all
nav and allotments of the sound
rs well as the disabled men are
cleared, working to advantage, says
]. Fred Essary In a Washington
dispatch to the Baltimore sun.
This is the burden of what seems
10 be unanswerable testimony which
has been submitted to committees
of Congress by former service men,
represented by the American Legion
and supported by mass or evil
dence and by innumerable concrete
examples Of Ill fortune on the part
of the officers and men.
This testimky has convinced
many legislator moreover. that the
only remedy which may be devised
must come through a reorganiza-
tion that will coordinate the Gov
ernmental agencies, now separate
and independent, which are working
to the same end and which in many
conspicuous respects overlap.
There are former soldiers, the
testimony before Congressional COM
mittees shows, disabled as result
of field service, many in hospitals.
many with dependent families, who
have not yet received a dollar OF
Government compensation to which
thy are entitled under the law.
There are other ex-service mon
some in the same hospitals. some
hA
ing regularly more compensation than
.s due them.
Applicants for compensation are
known in some Instances to have
waited months for awards. Individ-
uals, 1t is said, have become objects
Of private charity while they waited.
Congressman have alleged that
neither they nor their constituents
are able to get replies to inquiries
submitted to these agencies after
weeks of waiting.
TWO YEARS BEHIND.
1t is known from varied experience
that the finance division of the War
Department is more than two years
behind in much of it's accounting and
that in some cases discrepancies in
pay and allotments have not been dis
covered for two years.
Inc war RISK bureau mas dSktu
for more than $12, 100000 for it's op-
crations next year. 1t employs more
than 5000 persons. According to as
sertions before Congressional COM
mittees within the past month, it has
on file $1,000 applications for compen-
sation not yet acted on, and an accu-
mutation of 10000 unanswered letters.
The existing system which deals
with the compensation. care and wei
fare of disabled ex-service men, fab
"icated under war pressure, is three
aeaded. There are the Bureau Of War
Risk Insurance, under the Treasury
Department; the United States Pub
lie Health Service. with supervision
OF disqualification, and also under the
Treasury; the Federal Board for. Vo-
cational Education, which teaches
men how to make a living for them
selves, an Independent institution.
The War Risk Bureau supervises
marine and seamen's insurance, pay
allotments and family allowances, mil
itary and naval insurance and pay
plent of compensation on account of
death or disability incurred in the
service. The Public Health Service
has broad and general duties. OF
which treating sick soldiers is only a
part The Board for Vocational
j
WELL but it's main function at the
present time is the rehabilitation of
disabled soldiers. This board has
fourteen regional offices and 4 that
many points of actual contact with
the men scattered throughout the
country.
FIX RESPONSIBILITY.
1t has been emphasized before Con-
gress than none of these three estab-
lishments is responsible to any of the
others, and the responsibility for the
delays that occur in handling soldier
cases cannot always be fixed. More
over, 1T is asserted that their respec-
tive jurisdictions often overlap and
their duties with regard to the treat
ment of former service men interlock.
The argument for reorganization, it
might be stated in fairness to all in
terests concerned, is directed against
the system rather than against its
administration, although the admins
tration of the War Risk Bureau has
been under heavy fire for some time.
Charges of inefficiency and of inter
bureau jealousies have been voiced
more than once before Congressional
committees.
What the eX-service men contend
for most vigorously is some reorgan-