The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-16
BUREAU SEEKS
TO LIST EVERY
DISABLED MAN
Country Being Secured to Find
Every Veteran Of War Who Has
Claim fer Compensation.
nv TREDHRTCK J. HAsKTN.

Washington, d. c., Dec. ia
veteran of Ihe world war who 10
petitioning the government to give
him new glass eye, because the
first one they gave him was stolen
while he was in swimming, and
another man who had most OF his
face blown away while in the serv-
ice, but does not ask compensation
because he does not consider him
self a hero, are a couple OF the
curiosities revealed by the round
up of world war veterans which has
just been conducted by the veterans
bureau here.
Like many other varieties Of gov
eminent officials working in the
field, the Representatives of the
bureau found themselves frequent
" handicapped by the fact that
people believed they were revenue
officers looking for stills The
bureau sent its representatives into
all parts Of the country, resolved to
find every veteran of the war who
had a claim for compensation and
give him his due.
Over $4,000 disabled ex-service
men have been interviewed since
August Evidence in the cases OF
56,334 of these veterans indicated
that claims should be filed, and
government representatives assist
ed these claimants to compile and
~PTepare the necessary evidence.
These thousands of, claims have
been speedily acted upon, for out
of these Sc ,334 claims filed only
1893 are pending, the remainder
having been adjudicated and notices
of settlement forwarded to the
claimants. AS a result of this
unique program of taking official
Washington to the veteran, unus-
uaI cases from all ports of the
country, many of which the govern
ment is meeting with difficulty. are
coming to light of day for the first
time.
An Unattached Fighter.
There is, for example, the case
OF c. Fl. Pearl, a Grand Rapids,
Michigan, veteran who lost his
left hand and arm as a result of a
shrapnel wound incurred in the
trenches. Pearl Is apparently "a
= soldier without a country"
1t appears that this unproven vet
eran enlisted in the American am
bulance service OF the French army
In 1917. After serving his enlist
ment he applied for transfer to the
American Evolutionary Forces.
but on advice of the attache. he re-
entered the French service for
three months. Six months later he
was wounded and sent to a hos
pital.
Four weeks afterward his organ
TO-
ed States army, but Pearl was not
sworn into, the United States serv-
ice because he was in the hospital
and was overlooked. CONSEQUENT
~, when released, he was a free
agent and not A member of any
army. The soldier obtained a DO
s1tion with the quartermaster' de-
partment, but his condition became
worse and he reentered the hos
pital. Upon his release he worked
In France and last July came back
to America.
When the Michigan cIean-un
squad arrived in Grand RAPIDS to
handle local claims for compeusa-
ton, Pearl applied to it for an
award due to his injuries, but he
was unable to show by official rec-
"a AASN0 TCA Tue OD1IGO
states during the war. Neither
could he prove that he was actually
In the service Of any country when
he was released from French hos
pital.
Nevertheless. Pearl is getting
square deal regardless of his in
ABILITY technically to prove that he
was ever in service. His case is
deem al ha of
certain technicaIities must be
temporarily removed in favor of
simple justice.
FROM Michigan also comes an
unique demand of another veteran
ior new glass eye to be purchased
by the government The former
soldier lost his eye in service and
among other compensaAioI,s was
months ago his glass eve was
stolen together with his clothes
while he was in swimming. He
asked the government for a new
one Immediately, but the claim was
disallowed.
Had the eye been broken. the
Tuling read, 1t would have been re-
placed, but inasmuch as it was
stolen the. government could as
sumo no responsibility in the mat
ter The veteran asked the clean
up squad to make an effort to OBJ
tam a reversal of the decision.
which is now being done.
There are many instances of vet
Grams having been found and COM
Pensated by cleanup squads, who
did not know that they were en-
titled TO government aid. At Stock
ton, Calf, a battle SCARED ex-