The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-01-12
LEGION CHARGES
SOLDIERS NEGLECT
insists Thousands Are Suffering
Through Failure Of Government
70 Act.

WNhSH afhfO " government
TO Act.
Washington, Jan. 12.--The present
system OF rehabilitating disabled veter
ans OF the war Is denounced by the
American Legion as failure" which
should be remedled by consolidating
under single head the three govern.
ment agencies now engaged in that
work. This charge and the remedial
suggestion have been presented by the
legion to President Wilson, President
elect Harding and to every member OF
both houses OF congress, in a memoir.
al directing attent on to the "suffer.
ing, shameful neglect and injustice"
which the legion asserts marks the ad.
ministration of the affairs OF the war
veterans.
Ccl. F. w. Galbritah, jr., national
commander OF the legion, personally
delivered copy OF the memorial to
senator Hard ng at Marion, where Col
Galbraith has an appointment to dis
cuss with the President elect the leg
ions program for the disabled men.
The legion asserts In the memorial
that the function of the three agencies
which now deal with the soldiers who
require Their country's care-the bur.
eau OF War Risk insurance, the Fed.
eral Board OF Vocational Education
and the United States Public Health
Service-'must be coordinated. their
machinery decentralized and all three
placed under the common control"
ITO do this" the memorial says,
there must be a new law which shall
place the unified organ zation under a
single administrative head For this
new organization the legion asks an
appropriation sufficient to buy. build,
equip and enlarge hospitals. sufficient
to prov de facilities for all the men
now under hospital treatment. Bills
providing fer this have been intro
duced in both houses OF congress at
the request Of the legion.
II is announced that the legion has
sent copies OF the memorial to 5000
legion speakers in all states who have
volunteered to endeavor to focus the
attention OF the nation on the tua-
ton OF the disabled men.
The memorial asserts that the Unit
ed States has been more liberal than
any other nation in It's provision for
the disabled soldiers, but that 1t has
failed In q large measure TO make
these provisions available This Is
attributed 10 IAN astonishing state Of
divided responsibility and wasted eff
fort among the government agencies
with VIII ch the problem rests
In the rehabilitation OF disabled
man there are three needs-medical
treatment, vocational training and
financial support" the memorial pro-
ceeds. THE government has recog.
nized the three needs, but oyer'coks
the fact that they are the simultane-
Gus needs OF one man, not OF three diff.
ferent men or OF one man at three dit
ferent times. II makes three prob
lens out OF what really IS one prob
lem
Continuing the family conception,
it has given the problem ever TO three
agencies. All, by force OF cir
cumstances. are exercising functions
they we're not intended to exercise.
This presents an amazing spectacle
itf administrative chaos, duplication,
wasted energy and conflict, which Is
the key to the present condition.
The result Is the suffering of the
disabled veteran. Thousands are wait
ing and have waited for months for
compensation for their injuries. Thous
ands have wa ted for months for an
opportunity to reestablish themselves
as self.sustaining members OF society
by vocational training, Thousands
are n need OF disqualification, and
the government has no hospita! factli'
ties ava liable fcr them.
sixteen thousand beds are needed
now Hundreds Of veterans are the
objects of public and private charity
afflicted aud penniless veterans having
been driven to refuge In almshouses
and jails. Many have died, and II i'm
mediate relief is not forthcoming more
will die destitute, without proper
medical care, without compensation
with which to obtain It abandoned by
the country they served
''All this is attributed directly tc
the manner in which the government
has administered the affairs of tho dis
ahled. Immediate relief and ultimate
remedy OF this condition is possible
and imperative.
"On Nov, 26 last $4,000 cases wore
pending in the bureau awaiting ad
iustment OF compensation Thousands
are suffering and many have died as
result of this neglect
In an appendix to the memorial th'
leg cn has this comment on the Pub
lie Health Service hospital at Eas
Norfolk Mass:
Location not suitable for neuro-psy
chiatric patients. Patients and hospi
tails personnel Dissatisfied New per
sonnel difficult to obtain"