The copper era and Morenci leader., 1921-03-04


 suffering, the shameful neglect and the injustice to the disabled that 1t entails, would not exist if reasonable fore sight had been exercised or if the recommendations of those who did foresee, had been needed. A tardy start, with no clear conception of the magnitude of the problem be- fore us, imposed an initial handicap.
 The handicap is continued by an astonishing state of divided respon- sibility and wasted effort among the government agencies with which the problem rests. In the rehabilitation of disabled man there are three needs-medical treatment, vocational training and financial support. The government has recognized the three needs but overlooks the fact that they are the simultaneous needs of one man, and not of three different men or of Die man at three diitrent times. It makes three problems ou. ef what is really one three part problem. Continuing this faulty conception, 1t has given the problem over to three agencies-the Public Health Service, for treatment, the Federal Board for Vocational Training for training. and 
 for financial support. Each admins tratively independent of the other two. All by force of circumstances are exercising functions they were not | intended to exercise. This presents an amazing spectacle of adminstra- l tive chaos, duplication, wasted ener- i gy and conflict which is the key to the present condition.
 The result is the suffering of the | disabled veterans. Thousands are wait ing and have waited for months for compensation for their injuries. l Thousands have waited for months 1 for an opportunity to re-establish l themselves as self-sustaining members of society by vocational training. | Thousands are in need of hospital;za- | tion and the government has no hos | pital facilities available for them. Of the 10000 now in hospital, 4509 are quarted in institutions unsuited to 1 the needs of the men quartered there. i New hospital cases are developing 1 at the rate of 1,500 per month fn ex- cess of the number discharged. Six i teen thousand beds are needed now. 1 Hundreds of veterans are objects of public or private charity. afflicted and l penniless veterans have been driven l to refuge in aimshouses and jails. Many have died and if immediate re- i lief is not forthcoming more will die , destituted without proper medical l care, without compensation with l which to obtain it, abandoned by the l country which they served. This is all attributable directly to the manner 1 in which the government has admin | iStered the affairs of the disabled l Immediate relief and ultimate re- medy of this condition is possible and imperative. To that end The !; American Legion feels it is their duty respectfully to present to the Ameri- can People a review of the situation 1 in such detail as to convey clear un- i der-standing, and to suggest measures of relief and remedy. In this pre- : seutation The American Legion draws 1 from it's experiences with the govern, ment agencies now dealing with the i problem. from careful investigation, | study and research and from consul ! taticn with experts and authorities i in and out of the government service.
 The Present Situation I. The Governments obligation.
 First. it's duty to furnish adequate 1 medical. surgical and hospital treat rent to those who need it.
 Second it's duty to train the dis abled men and as far as possible ' overcome the vocational handicap that theif disability imposes upon them
 Third. it's duty to comnensate the disabled in so far as possible by casl / nayraents, for the financial loss theil disability occasions them and theil denendants.
 2. The law.
 The law governing the settlemen
 of this obligation is contained in tho
 War Risk Insurance act and thu
 vo1dtional Rehabilitation act, witt
 their amendments and the act o
 March 3, 1919, which authorized th'
 Public Health Service to provide car,
 and treatment for disabled veterans 1 md l'nnefic'aries of the Bureau o ! War Risk Insurance. The War Risl
 act provides that a man and his de i ~nudents shall be paid "Compensa
 -i"n" in pronortion to the degree o
 bis "hvsiral hadicap and further tha
 ha """1l he f1rniShni w'th such ire,
 medical surgical and hcsn'tal traat
 roen+ "9 may he necessary. Tht
 Vo"atioral Reha Utilization act provide 1 that a ->1n-, who r. v0co tiona1Iv ha6' oapped shall receive training and main
 -0nan~o n enable him to overcom'
 that foodirap and further that an
 ''1"n who iG disabled to 2 degree o { 10 percent or more shall be entitlet
 to tT'7iT~ing. tho"rIr without trainin,
 ~av. if rie q d'sability is not a vocation
 a1 handicap.
 9 The administration of the law 1 T., In o1p 1c,tr of 4hac
 laws is snlelv.. in the han ;s of th
 Rrreau of. War Risk Insurance. ant
 the Federal Board for Vocationa
 Education. The Bureau ;s under an,
 responsible only to Consress and i