Evening star., 1921-04-28
SOLDIER ILLS LAID
| TO BUREAUCRACY"
Senator Walsh AssaiIs Gen.
eraI Treatment of Former
American Fighters.

Treatment of former soldiers in the
matters of hospital care. compensa-
! ton, vocational training and insur-
ance was criticised severely yesterday
by Senator Walsh. democrat, Massa-
chusetts, who introduced a sheaf of bills
, to remedy conditions about which the
war veterans have complained.
Senator Walsh pronounced "incred-
ible" some of the conditions in admin
istering soldie~ relief laws. In many
! soldier hospitals, he declared, there
| is lack of Sanit1ry accommodations,
uncleanliness, disorder and filth" as
well as inadequate medical care. In
F., surance benefits are curtailed, the
Massachusetts senator said, and vo-
, cational training denied.
Government bureaucracy" and red
| tape" were ascribed as reasons for
conditions which, the senator said.
| reproach the government for which,
| the soldiers had done so much. Net-'
| Grams. he said, were ''discourag ged and
! Respondent at the governments treat.
/ ment."
That the three principal agencies
of soldier rehabilitation-the war risk.
| insurance bureau, the federal board,
for vocational education and the pub
| lie health service-had failed miser-
ably" in co-ordinated effort was as.
senator Nalsh's Bills.
! To aid the veterans, Senator Walsh's.
| bills would provide constructive
/ program of legislation. including:
/ Repeal of the law forbiddng pay
ment of compensation to incapacitat-~
| ed eX-service men unless their dis
ability occurred within one year after
1 discharge.
| Repeal Of the law limiting filing of
| ola inns N five after he
| Repeal of the law requiring veter--
| ans to prove that tuberculosis or cer-
| tain other ailments were caused by.
| their service.
Payment of all war risk insurance.
| policies in three installments to bene-s
iciaries. instead of in 24O monthly
payments.
| Permitting reinstatement without
| physical denomination of all lapsed.
policies. upon payment Of two months
| premiums.
| A law for payment of lapsed polls
| cies of men dying since the armisticeS
after deduction of premiums due ats
| time of death.
! Decentralization of the bureau of
| war risk insurance, giving regionaln
officials direct authority to accept ors
| reject compensation claims withoutS
| reference to Washington. =
Urges Senate Inquiry.
An inquiry by the Senate into hos--
pital conditions where service mens
are receiving treatment.
Adjustment of the practice ofg
boarding service men in hospitals ons
| a per capita payment plan. :
Utilization of Army cantonment :
| hospitals and increase in medical and
/ nursing corps, or Communicating of >
| seashore and summer hotels for tenn |.
| porary hospital use. while new gov :
ernment hospitals are being COM :
/ pleted. 4
This program, Senator Walsh said. :
would afford immediate relief in many Z
of the conditions affecting the war
veterans. {
Let us cut this red tape" said Sen
! ator Walsh Let us act. l urge such !
| a change in the present law as will :
| remove the present widespread feel
| ing among applicants for compensa-
/ ton that this government presumes
/, that incapacitated eX-service men are
crooked, dishonest or impostors, with
out affirmative evidence from them
| to the contrary. =