Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-13
ROUNDING UP THE VETERANS.
BY Frederic J. Haskin

placed, but innsmuch as Il was stolen
the Government could assume no re-
sponsibility IN the matter. The vet
tran asked the cleanup squad 70
make an effort 20 obtain a reversal
Of the decision. which IL now being
done.
Veterans Ignorant ~ Rights.
There are many instances of vet
ersns having been found and COM
pensated by clean-up squads, who dif
not know that they we're entitled TO
Government aid. At stockton. Cali
fornla. battle scarred ex- service fnsn
desiring compensation came before
the cleanup squad lie said he had
heart trouble. 50 slight was his heart
silment. however, that the examin-
/ ing physician found that it would not
entitie him TO compensation. But 20
/ his great surprise he discoyerod that
the vet had scar about 10 inches
long and inches wide on his nip
where muscle had been shot or.
His Chief complaint seemed 20 bs
that he had heart trouble. but he
casually mentioned the fact that he
had this ugly shrapnel wound in no
hip and besides = bullet wound In one
arm. lie almost forgot 10 mention ths
latter disability, the doctor said.
II was also found that he had not
fully recovered from a sort of paraiy-
sis of the throat. arms and legs The
vet said that ne had always been too
busy to nie a claim fof compensation.
. before. but that while working in tne
{ f1f fFto ttr
ing that the cleanup squad was COM
ing To stockton 50 he decided 70 20
there for an interview. RE was rated
. ss 90 per cent disabled and therefore
entitled TO $40 a month compensa tior.
When the cleanup squad sst IN
Hartford, Connecticut a veteran came
, before it. He showed the doctors %
The squad a wound IN his left side
that made them stand aghagt. Ths
! head Of the cleanup squad was called
4 into the room and ne. too. admitted
. that in his crowded experience IN the
department with disabled er-servics
. men. he had never seen such zhas'iv
= wound This soldier had not received
n a penny of allowance since his dis
q charge over two years ago.
n An explosive bullet had opened a
o wound across his left side. jus, above
- the nip, over "a inches long and had
x forced the hip out 30 that the cavity
Il was from to inches deep. u had
not yet fully healed and the veteran
- applied for compensation inssrnuch ~
d he was unable 20 work
n Humorous incidents come n light In
ic connection with this work as the IN.
r ,empioyment situation leads some Of
a the ex~service men TO strain a point
r in order 10 obtain compensation. Ir
a Knoxville, Tennessee. a young mar
, presented himself and told Of hlg A.
'e Fiction. which he was informed VA
AZ not compensate. The young man vat
taken aback by this prompt dismissa
a. Of his argument and paused moment
"a Suddenly his hand began 70 trenabl
ie while resting on his knee as he said
r. 4 am also very nervous"
IS In some parts Of the hill country n
W Tennessee and West Virginia the Gov
u ernmeut representatives with N
- cleanup squads were mistaken 70
- "Revenooers" In other remot. dis
> tricts they were mistaken 10 drsf
q" officials who the less literate portio
OF the population believed were search
Ing for draft evaders. one agent O
- the Veterans Bureau who had pre-
ceded the squads for the purpose z
!, making the advance arrangement
"a was picked up by a group Of men
an automobile who offered TO take hlT
III, to his destination. He accepted m
~. offer and got in the car but ne ha
hy TO rest his heels on several dem
or johns Of corn Iikker" The trip wa
n interrupted in several places wni
a deliveries were being made.
,Is In Buchanan, Virginia, a man VII
m had his face almost blown away by
,g gasoline explosion in France told n
ew cleanup officers that he did not kno
as that he was entitled 10 compensate
because he wasn't any hero soldi.
III and didn't get shot. but Just got bic
-e- up trying to put a fire out in camp"