New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-03-04
SINGING WORDS
FROM GALBRA|TH
AMERICAN LEGION COMMANDER
SAYS WE HAVE FORGOTTEN
OUR WORLD WAR HEROES.
NEGLECT OF THE DISABLED
Distressing Results Of the Scarcity Of
Hospitals for Veterans and Of the
Faulty System" That Is Being En-
pIoyed.
By EDWARD 8. CLARK.

BY EDWARD 8. CLARK.
Washington.-Was there eve a
worse indictment of n great people
than that found In the words of Le-
gion Commander +. W. Galbraith just
spoken at a meeting in this city at
which We're present high officers OF
government, of the army and navy IN
the representatives of our alliesf
The wish of the Legion is to re-
habilitate the wounded physically and
in the hearts of the American people"
These were the Legion commanders
words. He said that the masses of
the American people have forgotten
and forsaken the men whom they
cheered on departure for the battle
field. and on whom, when the day of
return came. they lavished ~"never-for-
get-you" promises. Is the indictment
a true one?
Members of the executive commit
tee of the American Legion In confer
ence session In Washington are try
ing TO find means by which the gov
eminent of the United States can be
induced properly to care for the sick
and wounded men who gave almost
their all for the flag on the fields Of
France.
II was not long ago that the condi-
tion of the men In the hospitals of the
country was set forth. 1t was a pic
ture of shame. Today II u be re-
drawn more shamefully. On the
strength of statements from the ex-
ecutive committee of the American
Legion, il can be said that there are
10000 American veterans of the World
war today who ought 10 be In hos
pitfalls and who are not there because
there are no hospitals for them to
enter. 1t can he said on the strength
Of the same authority that at least
1900 veterans out of a total of about
22,OOO now in the hospitals are suffer
ing, either bodily or mentally. from
the incompetence Of n government
which owes them everything.
Have the People Forgotten?
What do the American people care?
Commander Galbraith told the repre-
sentatives of the American govern
ment here in his public speech that
except for the few devoted men and
women who during the war, because
Of their activities In Y. NJ. c. A., Y. W.
G. A., X. of G. and Red Cross work,
acquired the heart habit of looking
after the soldiers, virtually no one to-
day is visiting them. mlnlstering to
them, or doing anything to ease their
condition.
Congress is going to do something.
Finally IL seems TO have been brought
to a realizing sense that II Is bad econ.
omy to save money at the expense OF
the lives OF American citizens who
were willing to offer those lives for
the defense Of their country.
Perhaps Commander Galbraith's ad-
dress, delivered as II was In the pres
of Secretary OF the Navy Daniels,
Generals Pershing. Lejeune and other
army officers. and of the representa-
tives of the Belgian and French gov
ernments, might have been in a way
more tactful, but Galbraith Is q sol
der, and. like a soldier, IL blunt. One
two of his criticisms of government
conduct were perhaps unjust, and II
not unjust were perhaps misplaced,
but the Indictment Of the American
people for forgetting the men of whom
only a short time ago they were max
ing heroes, is a singing thing.
The soldier critics of the govern
ment are careful to say that the inten-
tion Of the heads of the different bu-
reaus whose duty II Is to look after
the welfare of the sick and wounded
are good. but TINT they are prevented
from doing all that they can because
sick soldier In the United States
Is looked on as IL he were three or
four individuals.
May Change Transportation Act.
Congress at this session has tried
to pass a bill clarifying the trans
portation act so as to permit a partial
payment al once to the railroads If
the country under the guarantee
The house has been success
full in the effort. but at this writing
II Is uncertain whether the measure
will get through the senate and he
approved.
The railroad relief endeavor in CON
gress ~foretells further attempts 10
amend the transportation act ut the
extra session Of the Sixty-sev-
enth congress. When the new session
begins il Is expected that Senator
of Iowa will introduce an
amendment to the act forbidding
and probably another amend
ment, with a view to making il certain
consolidation In operating shall
be effected.
Coincident with the effort in the
house to compel the partial payment
ON the government guarantee to the
railroads comes tie Information thi
the interstate commerce commission
now has in its hands a plan for the
operative grouping Of the railroad
properties of the United States pre-
pared by Prof. William z. Ripley of
Yale university.