The spectator., 1921-01-04
NEGLECT OF DISABLED M?.N
Legion's Investigation Shows la' * ot Attention to Men Who Suffs red
 Terrors of War.

investigations Oy the Amf ,rican Ie- zion reveal shoci ing condit ons of mjs. management and neglect in the gov. ernments treatment of disabled vet. erans, according to rep ,rts of the Le- gion's findings made 'lublic by F. w. Galbraith. Jr., natiG nal commander. The Legion has laun ched a nation wide fight for the correc ton of these cond- tions, which Mir. Galbraith has de- scribed as "a bf ot and a disgrace on the name of oW country"
 More than ? 0,OOO veterans arc still in hospitals ST lffering from wounds and intrmities s' ffered in their country's service. MU ny of them have been there since they were brought back from France Q n the hospital ships. Their number is increasing at the rate of 2, 300 IT .onth. due mostly to the develop ment of tuberculosis among men who were gassed. Statistics show that nor than 5O0oOO men were dis cfl' lrged with disability rated higher tf an 10 per cent. Experts agree that he peak in disqualification will not come for five or ten years. Yet, gov ernment hospitals at present are filled to Overfowing and even contract ar engagements are not being made rap idly enough to care for the ever rising tide of disabled men whose conditions demand disqualification.
 Certainly, there is no lack of will lingness on the part of the American public to do all in human power to aid those who paid the price for the vic- tory. The same experts who estimate that the peak of the problem will not come for five or ten years say in the meantime $5.00O 100000 must be spent in it's solution The government has not been niggardly. More than S500.- 00O000 already has been spent. Mis- management is the gist of the Legion's charge. Lack of vision and foresight and the ever-present governmental red tape is blamed as responsible for the death of disabled men before aid could reach them, for the incarceration of disabled in jails and insane asylums, and the charity wards of public hos pitals where they received the same treatment as pauperS.
 In addition to it's activities in advo- eating reform in the conduct of the government bureaus, the American Le- zion has dedicated itself to the tre mendous task of "humaniZing" the dreary lives of 10000 disabled buddes who are patients in the hospitals all over the country.
 Every Legion post in this country has been assigned to the definite job of taking care of certain hospital where former service men are patients.
 The Women's auxiliary also will be mobilized to share in the work and civic and philanthropic organizations in the hospital towns will be enlisted.
 There is also the dangerous possi- bility that the hospital patients. re- maining day after day with no interest other than their physical condition, will become bitter against the country which once honored them and which apparently has cast them aside. In several hospitals, Bolshevist agents have distributed infammatory ltera- ture by ingenious methods, of which an example IS the inclosure of the printed matter in bouquets of flowers. In one case discovered by Legion in- vestigators the propaganda was en- titled: You fought for America and what did you get out of it?" And in deed, il does seem that the sick vet eran got little out of it except a short period of popularity, the consciousness of having done his duty and a mamed and diseased body.
 The 9,000,000 who are their bud dies said the Legion's national com mander, and are banded together in the American Legion. are determined that the hundred million shall not for get. In this work of giving the dis abled man fair deal and making him content we shall ask the cooperation of every loyal American. We fought together and We will stick together"