The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-11-02
War Veterans
Are in Bad Plight
Sweeping Recommendations
Looking to the Relief of
Former Service Men
Made by Committee
Many Changes
Favored

Washington Oct. 30.-Sweeping
recommendations designed to in
crease the efficiency of the veterans
bureau were made in a report pub
lished today by the SPECIAL senate
committee which IS investigating
government activities for the relief
of former service men. The re-
port was the second compiled by
the committee, which has not Yet
completed its task.
The bureau should broaden it's
interpretation and widen the
scope Of application of existing
laws" report said, adding that ad-
ditional legislation would be sought
to meet deficiencies shown by it's
hearings.
Among specific recommendations
were:
Appropriation of $16.4O0,00O for
hospitals; transfer Of all govern
ment hospitals, including soldier
homes not needed by the army or
navy, to the bureau; creation Of q
chaplain corps for service in hos
pitals and training centers: provis-
ion Of cemeteries at soldier hos
pitals for interment OF veteran
dead; standardization Of training,
permitting the applicant to select
as far as possible his own vocation;
extension of existing insurance to
$4,000 for each policyholder if he
wants it, and extension Of insur-
ance and compensation privilege to
Americans who served in allied
forces.
Cancellation of contracts with
state, municipal and private hos
pitals which were not in existence
April /, 1917, and with all similar
institutions, which, after inspection
are found unsuitable, was recon-
mended as one administrative re-
form, others under this head in
cluding: Issuance of rules and
regulations for the maintenance
of order and discipline, frequent
and thorough inspection Of hos
pitals and training centres, elim;-
nation Of politics from appoint
ments, establishment of additional
vocational centers at institutions
where mental and rubercular pa
tients are under treatment.
To July 1, 1921, there had been
3SS,000 applications for vocational
training but only 100000 had en-
tered training at that time, the
committee found, adding that al
though we are approaching the
third anniversary of the armis-
tice," only $3.50 have been rehabili-
tated.
ct is with deep regret" the
committee said. that we report this
melancholy fact"
Only 10000 men have accepted
training without pay out of to-
tai of 96,913 eligibles, and only &c.
900 with pay out Of 159,309 eligi-
bles, the report said, the commit
tee finding that "a vast majority
of those eligibles "are unable or
unwilling to train because Of their
inability to support themselves
without pay" About one-half of
those training are in schools, col
leges or universities, many re-
ceivirg better educational oppor-
tunities than they otherwise could
have obtained" it was declared.
Many veterans, the committee
charged, delay rehabilitation "be-
cause usually the sum of the main
tenance pay and the wage consid-
erably exceeds the wage they could
earn upon rehabilitation
Pointing out that only 1900 of
the 5000 employees in the bureau in
July last were former service men,
the committee declared it was "un-
able to understand why the board
thus discriainates against former
service men," and suggested the
Immediate cutting down of the
large force of employees in Wash
ington."
The committee said the govern
ment had failed to obtain results
commensurate with the large eX-
penditures" in rehabilitation work.
and expressed belief that knowledge
Of the governments failure pre-
vented men from seeking hospital
treatment until too late, and a
stream Of dying patients beyond
the possibility Of cure is in part the
result"
The time has come, the commit
tee declared, to decrease the num-
Der of contract hospitals; which it
finds were the cause of Gust COM
plaints'' In many cases, the re-
port said contracts We're sought by
private agcnclee inspired by
the hope Of large profits The
peak Of the load" in hospital
needs will Lot BE reached until
1927, the Investigators believed.
The committee criticized the pol
icy which dealt with compensation
claims as a purely medical problem,
and declared nlany applicants have
been unfairly and unjpstly rated;
others have had their compensation
reduced without cause, and some
are receiving compensation that
they should not A careful reeXam-
ination of all disallowed claims was
recommended
The report showed about $685.
425 policies of term insurance and
257,S10 life insurance policies in
effect August !. 1921.
In discussing the question of
maintaining proper discipline
among trainers and patients the
Il IA