Evening star., 1921-04-07
WARR|SKAT WORK
ON 91,477 CLAIMS
Director HaIIett Says 1000
New Ones Arrive Daily.
/! None Neglected.

settlement of claims of eX-SerVlce
men resultant from the war is pre-
dicated on their showing that the
disability on which the claim IS
based was incurred in line of duty
or was a result of service in the
Army or Navy, it is pointed out by
r H. Hallett. acting director of the
bureau of war risk insurance, in
statement on the bureaus work
This requirement is entirely dlner-
ent from the practice of providing
pensions in previous wars. when all
a soldier had to show was that he
was in the service and that he was
ill., there being no requirement to
show that the illness was a result
of his service.
The number of claims for COM
pensation filed in the bureau of war
risk insurance have far surpassed
any number estimated or expected,
said Director Hallett.
91,477 Claims Pending.
'In fact" he said, "a board of ex-
perts estimated that the maximum
100000. On March "a, 1921. 594.242
claims for compensation had been
filed. During February. 1921. more
claims were fled than were filed
when the demobilization of the
armed forces was at it's height. OF
have been finally acted upon, leaving
91,477 claims pending. This does not
mean, however, that the claims pend
ing have not been given attention
The reverse is true, and pending
cases are given preference over other
work. in trying to help the man Sc
cure the evidence necessary to snow
the service connection.
There has been no disposition in
the bureau to make a disallowance
nf claim for statistical
showing, but, on the other hand, to
allow a claim to remain pending just
as long as there is possibility of
a valid claim being established
Task Grows More Difficult.
"It should be borne in mind that
the character of the claims now being
filed differs greatly from those filed
of time a person now applying for
compensation has been discharged
from the active military or naval
service is eighteen months. 1t be-
comes, therefore, more dimcuit 10
say that the disease or disability is
due to active war service. The ma
jority of cases are those which have
no record of ever having been treat
ed for a disease or disability while
in the service.
liberal policy as concerns such cases,
and seeks by means of afddavits,
or other acceptable evidence. to trace
the disease of disability claims back
to war service.
Getting Facts Takes Time.
The task can. therefore, be appre-
ciated, with 1000 claims being filed
daily. where in the vast majority of
cases this difficult problem arises Of
connecting the disability with war
service. When it is appreciated that
during the last three months ap-
proximately $1,000 APPLICATIONS for
compensation have been filed in the
bureau, and the further fact is ap-
preciated Of the difficulty of estab-
fishing the service connection of the
disability claimed. it will be seen
that the number of pending claims in
the bureau does not represent such
melancholy situation as might be in
ferred.
"AlI facilities Of the United States
public health service and the govern
ment, as well as private institutions
are being utilized to give medical care
and treatment to those persons claim
ing compensation, and to give such
treatment while the compensability
OF such persons are being established.
There were on March "a, 1921. 25,032
persons undergoing hospital treat
ment and III, ,511 have been given med
ical care and treatment by the bureau
Of war risk insurance
Calls Work Wen Performed.
1T is believed when the task Of the
bureau Of war risk insurance is ap-
pfecated and its accomplishments
considered it will be seen that this
particular machinery for disabled
service men and women has not brok-
en- down. but has kept the faith and
justified the wisdom Of the Congress
in creating by legislation such an
agency of the government"