The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-07-07
VET SU|C|DESLEAP
AS congressman
!. FIGHT FOR PORK"
Doctor Tells OF Pathetic Sell
Killings Due to
Neglect.
BY J. BART CAMPBELL
Interna tfonri News Service.

Internation News Service
While the Senate wrangled again
today over whether the country can
AFFORD to financially compensate its
world war veterans. bitter complaints
continued to pour in upon a special
Senate committee from manned ana
sick ex-service men regarding the III
treatment they claim TO have re-
ceived In hospitals, sanitaariums' anu
voca tional education centers.
The Senate faced the stark, I'M
pleasant testimony before it's COM
mittee that the number of suicides by
ex-service men unable to procure
proper assistance or treatment 10 IN
creasing at an alarming rate.
DOCTOR TELLS OF SUICIDES.
The testimony was given by DIR.
Salmon, a member of the hospitali-
zation committee of the American
Legion, who was in charge OF the
she'll shocked soldiers OF the A. u +.
He declared that there were 400 sui
ctdes by ex-service men In New YORK
State alone last year.
Inquiry Is being made by Judge
Robert 8. Marx, of the Cincinnati,
Ohio, superior court, who Is national
commander of the Disabled Veterans
of the World War. why but $4,000 900
Congress for new ex-service mems
hospitals has been thus far author
lied by the Public Health Service
1t Is being charged that construc-
ton of the proposed hospitals has
been delayed by members Of Con-
gress rolling the pork barrel in
opposite directions In efforts to have
them established on sites in which
they or their constituents are inter
ested locally.
URGE HELP roR DISABLED.
As the fight ragged in the Senate to-
day over the hcCumber bill for "ad-
justed compensation for eI-service
men, Democratic Senators twitted the
Republican side with the suggestion
Of Secretary of tho Treasury Mellon.
In his letter to Senator FrsIinshuysen
Of New Jersey, that Congress had bet
ter direct its attention to aiding i'm
mediately dependent and disabled
rather than physically At ex-soldiers
and eI-sailors.
The bills supporters cited former
Secretary Of the Treasury Houston's
| avowed opposition to II toward the
close of the Wilson Administration to
show that there In nothing new In
Secretary of the Treasury Melons
declaration that II could only be
financed by adding to the burden of
debt and taxes under which the coun-
try Is staggering They declare Mel
Ions position and that of his Demo
cratic predecessor to be identical.
The movement for a cash bonus was
In full swing today in the House.
1t was revived by a petition signed
by twenty-five former service men
now members of the House. addressed
to Chairman Fordney and the House
Ways and Means Committee. urging
that the committee report out a bonus
bill at the earliest practical date.
Ardor of these advocates of the
bonus WAS famed to a white heat by
the letter to Congress from Secretary
OF the Treasury Mellon opposing the
legislation at this time because of
the Treasury condition and the I'M
willingness of the administration to
add to the burdens of taxation now
on the people.
The opposition TO the bonus bin in
the Senate CONNIE ced when Senator
Frelinghuysen OF New Jersey read a
letter received from Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon, protesting against
the passage of the compensation leg
islation at this session When he
concluded, Senator Underwood of Ala
bama, Democratic floor leader.
launched a long speech assailing the
bill. The only comfort service men
obtained from the situation was that
the test vote taken yesterday on the
measure absolutely assures it's pas
sage despite the movement against
II, unless there is a complete revolu-
tion in sentiment.
Criticism of the Governments use
OF State and county institutions for
the insane to house ex-soldiers suf-
fering with mental and nervous dis
eases was voiced by DR.. Salmon.
These men, he testified, are quartered
with paupers and public charges and
their treatment makes them feel like
objects of charity.
INSANE THROWN TOGETHER
Many of the soldiers who are only
mildly affected. the doctor also said.
are confined with civilian patients
who are violently demented, which,
he asserted, aggravates instead of im-
proves their condition. The state
mon that some OF them are quartered
with the criminally insane, which is
having a degrading effect on them.
To. correct the situation. DR.. Sal
mon urged the establishment OF Gov
eminent hospitals for the treatment
OF mental and nervous cases espe-
cially and the end OF the practice of
farming out" soldiers afflicted with
these ailments to private and State
Institutions.
The soldier capitalization system