The Washington herald., 1921-07-07
FEDERAL NEGLECT
CAUSES SUICIDE OF
400 WAR VETERANS
Col. Davis Criticises Care
Of the Disabled Under
Contract System.

Sensational revelations Of neglect
and inhuman treatment OF disabled
veterans by the government relief
agencies were made to the Senate
investigating committee yesterday
by Col Abel Davis. OF Chicago: Col.
Thomas w. Salmon, Of New York.
a noted medical authority, and
other witnesses
Some of the disclosures follow:
That 400 world war veterans
committed suicide in New York
State alone last year because of
dependency caused by the govern
ment's neglect.
That 5000 veterans suffering from
mental diseases and tuberculosis
are being treated IN 1.1oo hospitals,
owned and operated by private in
dividuals. under contracts which
ought to be abrogated tomorrow"
Thousands Uncared For.
That, in direct contradiction of
official government statements of
'over disqualification" only about
$4,000 disabled former service men
are being cared for while tuber-
culosis and mental cases alone ex-
ceed 100000.
That the Speedway Hospital. Chi
cago, is an abortion, both as to the
building and ss to the location,
That the administration of SOL
diers' relief measures by the gov
eminent has been "haphazard and
slipshod," by officials who know
little or nothing of the actual sit
uation.'
That large numbers of disabled
veterans are being treated for va
rious diseases in a strange assort-
ment of Fly by night" institutions,
ranging from asylums for the GRIM
inally insane to homes for feeble
minded children.
Charge Misleading Statements,
That government officials from
time to time issue misleading state
ments about an abundance of hos
pital facilities to hide from the
public their ineficiency and incom-
potency.
While the Sutherland inyestiea-
tion committee was hearing this
testimony, the Smoot subcomm mittee
approved the amendments 10 tba
sweet veterans bureau bill. which
were sent TO the committee by Col.
c. r. Forbes. director of the Ru-
ieau OF war Risk Insurance. Among
them Is an amendment providing
that the director of the new vet
erans bureau shall be she director
OF the war Risk Bureau. Senator
Smoot said he hoped to have the
bill reported favorably to the Sem
ate tomorrow and passed imme-
diately
The witnesses before the inyesti-
eating committee are all members
OF the American Legions hospitali-
zation committee and they based
their testim on an Investigation
of hundreds of hospitals for dis
abled veterans.
Facilities Wholly Inadeouate.
THE plight in which the disabled
former service man finds himself
IS one Of the great issues before IN.
country today said Col. Davis. "and
the most distressing feature Of the
situation is the frequently reiterat-
ed talk that a sufficient number a,
beds are available. The trutb "a
exactly the contrary. Vacant beds
on paper are not beds available.
Frequently beds may be available
for certain kinds of cases but the
facilities for tuberculosis and mem
ii patients are wholly inadequate.
Who Is responsible for the
breakdown" interrupted Senator
Fomerene, of Ohio.
The trouble is that there is not
a single administrative official who
knows the situation" replied Col.
Davis. There is no coordination
and no cooperation. What is
needed is consolidation of all gov
ernmental agencies which have any
thing to do with the former serv-
ice man and then have the Presi-
dent pick the biggest man he can
6ud TO handle the 3oh g.. xhol.n