Evening star., 1921-12-04

There is a general misunderstand-
Ing as to what the decentralization OF
the Veterans Bureau really means.
The public seems to be misinformed
as to what the author of the sweet
bill really intended this administrative
change to accomplish.
The decentralization of the Vet
Grams Bureau was provided for in the
Sweet bill august 9, 1s2D. This fea-
ture of the bill was strongly urged by
the American Legion and Veterans OF
Foreign Wars in their annual conven-
tions. All veteran organizations and
their spokesmen had warmly COM
mended the incorporation of the de-
Capitalization feature in the bill.
The measure provided that fourteen
regional offices and number OF SUD-
offices. not TO exceed 40. should be
established. In accordance with this
provision of the act regional ofhces
were esta blished in Boston. New York,
Philadelphia, Washington. Atlanta
New Orl. ans. Cincinnati. Chicago. ST.
Louis. Minneapolis. Denver San Fran
cisco, Seattle and Dallas. On account
of the magnitude of the task of con-
solidating the Federal Board tor No-
cational Training, the war risk lnsur-
ance and the public health service the
plan could not be inaugurated lmme-
diately.
Activities of Regional Omces.
1t is not generally known that the
Veterans Bureau has been decentral. l..
lied in measure since the passage OF
the act. inasmuch as all new claims
have been acted upon in The reglonai
Offices since August Is. which pre-,
viously were acted upon in the central
hi
was not noticeable in this district. be-
cause the fourth regional office of the
United States Veterans Bureau. tor-
merly the district Office of the Noca-
ional Board in Baltimore. was trans
ferred to Washington. and as result
all new cases were settled here as had
been done previously, only by differ
ent office.
The Sweet bill clothes the fourteen
regional offices with authority to ad-
judicate all cases, old and new. and
the present decentralization plan Is
carrying this into effect. Several hun
dred thousand folders. containing the
claims of old and pending disability
cases now in the central office, must
necessarily be distributed among the
fourteen regional offices. A number
of compensation and insurance claims
and vocational experts will be trans
ferred to these offices to install the
procedure and system of handling the
disa bility cases.
This transfer of power to the re-
Sional and suboffices will eliminate
long-distance correspondence with the
bureau by the claimant. Dealing di-
rectly with the local Office will per-
init closer personal contact between
the claimant and the representative of
the Veterans Bureau. The case will
be decided by an examiner and ply
sician who are able to see the claim
ant in person, rather than by an eX-
aminer in Washington. who has only
the papers in the case on which to
base a decision. 1t will eliminate the
continual correspondence by the bu-
reau requesting additional informa-
tion and evidence.
The disabled veteran can talk over
the case with a representative in his
home town or within a. short distance
of II. In other words, the govern
ment Is being taken to the veterans
throughout the country, and they will
not have to wait for the magic words
from Washington before they can be
sent to the hospital for emergency
treatment or before they can receive
compensation or vocational training.
Cases Are Speeded Up.
The decentralization of new cases
since August Is has provided an op-
portunity to observe this administra-
tive change in operation. The prep