The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-07-21
TREATMENT GIVEN
SOLDIERS SCORED
IN SENATE REPORT
Hospital Conditions, Red Tape
and laundering System "Un-
pardonable, Walsh Finds.


Charges that capitalization ar.
rangements have been utterly made
quate, sometimes unsanitary and un-
wholesome, and always laden with red
tape and numbering methods are con.
tained in the preliminary report or
the Walsh committee investigating In
capacitated soldiers relief bureaus.
made public by Senator Sutherland TO-
day.
"Extrnvagantly Profligate"
Conditions surrounding this RELIEF
work have reached the point where II
would be objectionable for Congress
to tolerate further continuation OF
the cumbersome. overlapping, nap
hazard methods under which this prop
lem is being handled with the conse-
auent neglect and vacillation which
has and will inevitably follow from
such unwieldly and unscientific or
Plantations as were set up TO Jake
care Of this work." the report states.
Considering the amount OF good
that has been accomplished, the COM
mittee believes it has been extraya-
gantiy profligate."
The committee, composed OF Sen
ators Sutherland. Calder. Weller.
Walsh, and Pomerene. is "further
convinced that unexplainable delays
confusion, red tape, complications,
and intricate slow moving machinery
have combined to increase the diff
culties Of the incapacitated ex'service
men to the highest possible point In
securing compensation or AID TO
which they are entitled.
There have been many instances
before us Of soldiers who have legit-
mate claims waiting for judgment.
Men have testified to waiting weeks
and months without settlement or
decision, some OF them MANNED be-
yond hope Of supporting themselves
or their families, others sick or badly
disabled. unfit for resuming their old
occupations, have been forced TO wait
indefinitely while their claims were
pending.
Hospitals insufficient.
There are not sufficient hospital
facilities for attending to the two spe-
cial classes of disease resulting from
this war. neuro psychiatric and pull
monary tuberculosis, and where cared
for they are overcroWded.
THE bureaus examining, rating and
hospitalizing the men, we find, have
not been working in conjunction with
the bureaus compromising ana Train
ing them. For example: The Bureau
Of War Risk Insurance and the Fed
eral Board for Vocational Education
both are calling upon the adtutant
general for the military history OF
the same man and are conducting
separate physical examinations In
each case.
Neither Of them accepts the medi-
cal findings Of the other. The Noca-
tionaI Board has often ruled a mans
disease to be connected with the serv-
ice, whereas the War Risk depart
ment has taken the opposite view AND
denied compensation, and vice versa
Oftentimes a man has been granted
vocational training, which implies at
least 10 per cent disability by the
Federal board and denied similar
rating by the War Risk Bureau.
Neither OF the two bureaus has AIDE
ouate control over the details OF the
disqualification program.
I'm administration outside the field
this duplication also exists. As An
illustrations: The district offices OF
the Federal Board in Cincinnati,
Ohio, is in the Dayton Building;
the district office OF the War Risk
Insurance is in another building
some six or seven blocks away.
The local office Of the Federal
Board is in the Lyric Building, three
blocks away and the treatment OF
the Public Health Service Is five
blocks away, whereas the office
Of the War Risk Bureau Is In the
United States Government building
ipostoffice), also removed from the
other offices. This condition Is
quite typical of the general admin
istration OF these bureaus through
out the country.
Moreover, the number OF bureaus
through which the incapacitated
veteran has had to deal. We found,
have tended to confuse him. Eot
infrequently he has been ob.'goi
to undergoc several operations in
the same community by doctors con-
nected with the separate bureaus.
Thus, the maintenance of numerous
bureaus has served to bewilder the
beneficiary and at the same time
ided tremendously to the cost CT
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