The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-10
>STS OFFICIALS
-I:(j.S:PACKLEC|ON
,,e'Iet Work Handicapped by
GOV.Iam.nt Methods.
SCORES PATIENTS PLIGHT
disqualification Chairman Of Legion
Says Disabled Soldiers Are Kept in
Filthy Institutions.

disqualification Chairman Of Legion
Says Disabled Soldiers Are Kept in
Filthy Institutions.
Washington, Feb. l0.--ChargeS gov
ernment bureaus having to do with sol
der relief are packing the commit
tees OF the American Legion with bu-
reau employees who are members of the
legion" were made before the legion's
executive committee Iera by Abel. Da-
Wis, Chicago, chairman Of the hospital
izatiOn committee.
'As a result the work of the legion
in soldier relief matters Is being great
~ Handicapped" said Mr.. Davis. He
added at the Cleveland convention the
bureaus licked us to Il frazZle in all
matters relating to veterans relief and
the legion wondered how it was done"
After hearing Mr.. Davis the execu-
tive committee recommended to the
state divisions Of the Legion they re-
frain from appointing government bu-
Ieau employees on their committees.
Former service men are being kept
in private hospitals that are ''indes-
cribably filthy and in which conditions
are terrible" Mr.. Davis declared
He charged after the men were plac-
ed in such hospitals they were left
without visits or inspections by repre-
sentatives of the public health service
He read a report of a survey of a hos
pital in Illinois made by representa-
live, of the legion. This said white
and negro patients slept in the same
room; the pharmacy containing mar
cotics and drugs of all sorts was lef1
unlocked and that when asked if fe
male patients used the same bathroom
as the males the doctor in charge stat
ed the women only remained abou
two weeks at time and didn't take
any baths
Service men are now being removed
from this hospital, Mr.. Davis said as
a result of pressure brought to bear
ON public health service officials.
Speaking of the proposed consolida-
ton OF the bureaus of vocational edu-
cation, war risk insurance and a part
of the public health service, Mr. Davis
declared:
Heads of the bureaus do not get
along together, nor do they cooperate
for the best interests of the service
men Statements by them, which they
have made to US repeatedly, have no
truth In them. They spend the greater
part of their time getting up records,
in other words preparing their alibis
beforehand"
P1esident-elect Harding has assured
the American. Legion one Of the first
acts Of his. administration will be to
remedy conditions affecting the gov
ernment's care of the nations disabled
war veterans"
So said F. w. Gailbraith, national
commander of the legion, IN an address
at a meeting arranged 10y the Legion
Post of the National Press Club.
Mr.. Harding informed him in re-
cent conference of his intention to see
the "couEtry's obligation to IT'S dig
ableu war heroes" was fully discharg-
ed, Mr.. Gailbraith announced
General .Pershing, who spoke at the
meeting, urged an adequate program
of legislation to insure proper treat
ment and disqualification Tor the 10000
disabled veterans now In government
or private hospitals and for the 90
600 others who, he said, ere asking for
hospital attention they cannot get