Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-07-02
Soldier Aid
First Act
OfPershing
Initial Order of Chief Of Staff
Is to Assist Former Service
Men in Every Possible
Way.
Officers Told To Help
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire

BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington, July l.-General
Pershing, assuming office today as
chief OF staff, issued as his first or
der, instructions to the army to aid
ex-service men in obtaining the care
and other relief to which they are en-
titled. The order follows:
Assistance for ex-service men in
their relation with the bureau of
war risk insurance.
IL. 1t is the purpose of the War
department, through its available
personnel, to assist ex-service men in
every possible way in securing con-
tact with the bureau of war risk in
surance, thus enabling them without
delay, to renew or convert their in
surance, to secure medical or dental
treatment, disqualification or voca-
tional training or to present their
|. claims for compensation.
NJ. The obligation is imposed
upon all personnel adjutants through
the army, recruiting officers and reg
ular officers on duty with the ma
tional guard and organized reserves
to id their less fortunate comrades.
Such officers will at once familiarize
themselves with the orders and cir
culars relating to the war risk insur-
ance bureau, insofar as these in
structions refer to renewal or con-
version of insurance, compensation,
medical or dental treatment, hospital
ization and vocational training so that
intelligent assistance and advice may
be afforded ex-servxice men in re-
gard to their relations with the bu-
reau.
To Furnish Forms.
"3. These officers will obtain
without delay, direct from the war
risk insurance bureau, a supply OF
all blank forms needed by ex-servicc
men in their contact with this bureau
"a. Upon application from ex-
soldiers, the officers mentioned in
paragraph will furnish blank forms,
will assist in the preparation of ap-
plications, will carefully examine all
papers or instructions on the forms
in question and will themselves,
promptly forward the completed ap-
plications or statements directly to
the bureau of war risk insurance,
Treasury department, Washington
D. c."
The Pershing order is expected to
go far toward relieving a situation
caused by the lack of an adequate
organization of soldier relief agen-
cies. The pending Sweet bill Great
ing veterans bureau is designed to
provide an adequate organization.
Congress adjourned today until
next Tuesday, however, without any
move by Senator Smoot to call a
meeting of the subcommittee before
which the Sweet bill is pending. He
said he would call the members of
the house committee together on
short notice next week, at which
time he "hopes to hold hearings" on
the measure as the first step toward
putting it through the senate.
Inadequacy Apparent.
The indequacy of the hospitaliza-
ton program authorized by congress
is already apparent. There are
nearly $4,000 ex-service men now un-
dergoing treatment and the applica-
tions for care are increasing at the rate
of 1000 month. In the army, navy
and public health service hospitals
there are nearly $4,000 discharged
soldiers receiving treatment, while
approximately 1900 more are scat
tered through 300 or 900 state, coun-
ty and private institutions on a con-
tract basis.
Surgeon General Cumming of the
public health service, says there are
10000 ex-service men in hospitals |
lacking facilities for proper care. 1t
will take from one to two years to |
complete all the government hos
pitals now under construction or
projected and these will furnish less
than 10000 additional beds, By that
time the demands will far exceed the
government facilities and it still will
Ibe necessary to farm out patients to
state, county and private institutions. |
Socialist TTrees Amnestv