The Washington herald., 1921-10-31
Senator's Call Treatment
OF Soldiers Shabby
And Abominable.
MEN DIE WHILE
OFFICIALS ARGUE
Committee Complains of
Failure of War Risk
Bureau.

OAoA 80 mat NhC r SdSANl
ment has shamefuIly neglected dis
abled veterans of the world war
were sustained yesterday by the re-
port OF the special Senate commit
tee which has been investigating
complaints OF the inadequacy of
soldiers relief for the past four
Etonths.
Failure to provide sufficient hos
pitalization facilities received the
committees; most scathing con-
demna tion.
There is no doubt" the commit
tee declared. that there has been
a lamentable failure on the part
of the government to provide ade-
quate hospital facilities for the
wounded. sick and disabled vet
Grams Of the world war. The sad
truth is that, instead OF receiving
that tender and eficient care to
which they were ertitled. many
unfortunate disabled veterans have
been treated shabbIly and abom-
inlbly."
Vocational Training Fails.
The committee, scored the voca-
tionaI training of disabled veterans
in almost equally vigorous Ian
guage. 1t reported that 1885,
former service men have applied
for training. but only $3.50 have
been rehabilitated although We
are now approaching the third an
niversary Of the armistice." The
committee added:
TT is with deep regret that we
state this melancholy fact"
Complaints of delays ir the ad-
justment of compensation and in
surance claims were found to be
justified. The committee declared
that the highly centralized organ
ization of the War Rick Bureau.
prior to the passage of the Sweet
bill, gave rise TO untoward delays
in payment of compensation as well
as in other features OF the work"
The testimony showed that men
died while officflis of the govern
ment disputed the question of the
rate of compensation to which they
were entitled" the committee
stated.
Urges More Hospitals
The committee submitted a list
of recomme ndations to remedy the
conditions disclosed by its report
and within a days it will pre-
sent legislation to carry these rec
concentrations into effect The rec
concentrations follow:
That the director of Veterans Bu-
reau be authorized to provide ad-
ditional hospitals, according to the
recommendations of the board Of
consultants, at cost of S16, 400, 900,
and that an appropriation Of that
amount be made available without
delay.
That the President be authorized
to transfer to the Veterans Bureau
the Operation, management and con-
troll Of any government hospitals,
or hospital facilities. including the
Soldiers Home. together with their
equipment and personnel (not
needed for the army or navy, or the
housing of veterans of former
wars), for the use of disabled for
mer service men of the world war.
That a chaplain's crops be or
ganized in the Veterans Bureau
sufficient for the assignment Of at
least one chaplain to every govern
ment hospital where disabled vet
Grams of the war are receiving hos
pitaIization and to every govern
ment training center where trainees
are in training, as well as to the
central and each regional office Of
the Veterans Bureau.
wouId Establish Cemeteries.
That at all government hospitals
where there is ground not in actual
use for other purposes, a sufficient
cemetery be established for the bur-
ial of deceased disabled veterans OF
the war.
The Veterans Bureau, having due
regard for the best interests of the
trainee and for the prevention OF
possible waste of public funds with
out proper results, should at once
adopt definite limits and standards
for training, including (a) definite
limitations relative to the total pc
riod and kind of training for in
dividual frances, (b) tuition fees,
(c) class hours per day, (d) contents
.and total length of courses.
That Congress should encourage
holders of insurance policies to con-
tinue them and not by its attitude
discourage them as heretofore. that
the director of the Veterans" Bureau
be authorized to encourage the
same. and that an adequate appro-
priation be made for this purpose.
Would Extend Beneats. a
That the war risk insurance act
be amended So as to permit any
former service men now holding
term insurance TO an amount of less
than $4,000 to increase same at
any time to $4,000 before conyer-
sion into United States government
life insurance, with a similar privi-
1ege to a holder of converted in
surance. "a
That the benefits Of the war risk
insurance act as amended, the vet
erans' bureau act, and otheR legis-
lation for the benefit of the dis
abled veterans of the war. be ex-
tended to include. in addition to
the beneficiaries thereof as now
provided by law, all persons who
served In the army or navy of any
of the powers allied or associated
with the United States as belligs
erents during the world war and
who were citizens of the Emitted
States at the time of entry into
such service and were honorably
discharged therefrom, the amounts
received from any other govern
ment to be deducted from compen-
sation, IL any; provided, that this
shall not apply to any injury in.