The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-09-30
Permanent DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS
IS URGED BY DEPARTMENT COMMANDER
IN REPORT TO LEGION STATE MEETING

.,h,,.h upI,. ~ The Service Star
Icrion in lieu of auXiliarics. While IL
&c trur tina, tho auxiliaries are the Only
! female ORGANIZATIONS recognized ny the
National organization. ii has hetn my
rnlicy 20 permit each post 10 toI"" us
! oyrn wishes in connection with this mat
fer. Prior To the recognition OF the
auXllIarieS by the Nail"n0I "rCani|;'lon'
! y number of posts In th's department.
had been built up and assisted IN ever!
nossihls way Ivy Service Star units.
de- no, feel justified In telling tho good
women who rnmroSe those units 10 diS-
! hand their organization. Ii is my Judg-
mcnt that a little time AMI patience
will hiring about a solution or THIS em-
barrassIng situation. and | am '"n'lhC-
ed that, before long. all the mothers
wives and sisters OF the eX-SerVlce men
will ioin together In one great "rGani-
zatlOn.
Finances,
II might hc of INTEREST for you 10
know that the department has so rar
this yea: reduced the debt of last year
from npproxIma four thousand TWO
hundred (SI.2OOD dollars I" fifteen nun
dreI (sl500) dollars. am hop"fuf
that before tho year ends. | can report
to you that all our debts hAv" been paid
off. and that We have surplus IN tho
treasury TO turn over TO the ne" admin
Istration. Your department h"adquar-
tors Is now equipped With morn Than one
thousand (sl.hoo) dollars worth Of Of
flee furniture and supplle'-Su sufficient
for some years to come.
In this connection. | want tho MEM
hers Of our organization TO know that
The Wheeling Chamber Of Commerce
donated 10 us six-hundred f6nn) dol
lars worth OF this office equipment.
We ara also indebted to The wheeling
Automobile dealers association apd Tire
Wheeling Automobile club which or
Kanixatlons have provided quarters for
your department headquarters rent free.
Relief for Disabled Soldiers.
You are no doubt familiar IN general
way with the deplorahle conditions that
faced the sick and disabled soldiers
wear aEo. The Government had rrac-
tically no hospitals in which treat ment
could be administered TO these men.
Thousands of men throughout III" roun-
try were suffering from disabilities re-
ceived during tho war. Many or these
men did not know that Federal leEisla-
ton had provided relief for them. The
islation werc NOT familiar with the
methods Of procedure IN presenting their
claims The Bureau OF War Risk In
surance at that time was top-heaVy.
over-centraliZed organization. whose
operation was constantly hindered by a
mass Of rules and regulations common
" known as red tape" The Board for
Vocational Education. the Bureau OF
War Risk Insurance. and branch OF the
Public Health Service all dealt with the
dlsa bled man. yet there was no single
directing head for these three agencies.
Oftentimes eacn Of these impeded the
propsr functioning Of tho order. To
; remelS these general conditions the
Legion proposed 70 Congress the follow
ing bills:
/. The Langley France bill. appropri-
ating approximately $40 100000 for tho
erection Of government hospitals.
2. The Wa sson bill decentraiizing the
Bureau Of War Risk Insurance and es-
tablishing branch offices Of this bureau
, throughout the country with fun power
TO act on all claims.
g. The Rorers-Coprer bill. n consoli-
date the Bureau Of War Risk Insurance.
the Federal BOARD for Vocational Edu-
cation. and the Public Health Service.
under one directing head.
thrown behind these measures. Sena-
tors and congressman HAY" hfcn bonn
barded with letters and kilograms from
thousands Of legionaircs throughout the
country urging their support The M
! t!onal legislative committee NJ tho
Legion during this Year transferred Its
headquarters FROM Indianapolis to
, Washington so that il might remain In
constant touch with tho situation. Their
work, directed by Gilbert Rrttman and
/ John Thomas Taylor. has been most et-
fcicnt and effective In the carly part
Of February. 1921, tho national cxecu-
/ tive committee Of the Legion was Rum-
moned 70 Wa shington TO concentrate It's
efforts on the passage Of the bills above
enumerated Your department comman-
Ger was assured by practically every
+ member Of the West Virginia drIcSaI lion
in Congress that the entire Legion pro
gram above outlined for the disabled
: mon would receive thoir support. While
: the national executive committee was
! in session in Washington. the Langley
; France Hospital lization bill became n
law. $4,000. 900 Is now At the dispose
Of the Government for the erection OF
permanent hospitals. Some OF these
. hospitals arc now under construction.
The Wasson hill passed both houses OF
: Congress- but failed to become law be-
. cause tho President failed 10 sian II in
the closing hours OF Congress. Whom
the new adm nistration cam" into power
on March tth, last. Pres'd mt Harding
appointed a committee fr"m the Legion.
Of which Gen. Dawes WAS chairman. I"
! thoroughly canvass ~" SITUATION rosard-
ing the disabled. Their report was d.
rertly in lire with the l.egtons former
! recommends lions.
/ Due TO an empty treasury and a large
! deficit, when your present officials as
sumed office last January. we found II
necessary 10 Cnnfir" orr activities this
Year 20 the huIdiur up -; our finances
and the relief Of disabled ex-sarvice
, men. believe "" hav"' accomplished
the first OF these objects.
Added over 1000 Mon.
During tn. year. your organization
has aided NOR" than ono Thousand ex-
service men. who vera disabled and in
nccd of assistance. We we're tnrtu-
3 nate enough. a, the last session "f our
state Legislature 20 secure an approrr:-
! alton Of on" hundred thousand E1on.-
nnh) dollars for tho relief az needy OK
| service men and w"mrI This fund
has proven IT great a.>iaranrr :" It
number of the h"vs, and | know IT WI
tide over Il great uanN MOI" in in" i'i-
D. ture. want 10 arpuHini Nnu with IN"
facts regarding this appropriation. N
order that l"u may appreciate In what
manner II can H.. made Ia serve It's l'tr-
f; pose. If YOU know II amy "A- surNce
man or woman, residents OF this state.