Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-23
STATEMENT BY
BEAUVA|S POST
Tells About Controversy That
Has Arisen Regarding
Memorial Hospital
EDITOR EVENING NEWS:

mond Memorial hospital, in which
they complain of being criticised in
your paper of August 4th.
We fail to see where the article
in your paper IS a criticism of the
Memorial hospital. A committee
was appointed by Beauvais post to
ascertain if there raj any truth in
the rumors which were coming in
to the post from time to time. No
claim was made that these rumors
were true.
The Staten Islander also prints a
letter which they claim was sent to
your paper and which is signed with
the names of three of the members
of Beauvais Post. This letter was
drawn up at the hospital at the re-
quest of the trustees, but was not
signed by the legion committee, be-
cause they wished to refer it to the
post for action. The hospital COM
mittee was given no authority to
send this letter to the Staten Is
lander or to any other paper for
publication, or to use it in any way
The articles about the activities
of Beauvais post which have ap-
peared in the Perth Amboy Even
ing News from time to time nave
been satisfactory to the members
CT the post and we are enclosing
an article which we would like to
have published in your paper and
which we hope will end all newspa-
per discussion on this subject.
Yours very truly,
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
Beauvais Post, No. 126, American
Legion.
T~ottenville, N. Y. Aug. 10. 1927.
A meeting of the Executive Board
of Beauvais Post was held on
Thursday evening, August 18th, at
which the following report from the
legion committee on treatment OF
e~X-service men at the Memorial hos
pital was rendered. This report APP
peared in the Staten Islander with
out sanction of Beauvais Post:
"a committee of the post called
on the trustees of the hospital and
submitted to them the following
questions:
What, if anything. In the way of
payment is asked of a veteran of the
World War on and after entering
the hospital?
I'm reply the trustees state that no
payment of any kind has ever been
asked from those of the above class
admitted and receiving the regular
hospital service.
THAT while the hospital feels that
il is under strict obligation to treat
and care for only the veterans who
enlisted from or were residents of
Staten Island, still we ave up to
this time made no distinction what
ever in the treatment of any veteran
even treating service men from the
Canadian army the same as our own
men.
1T must be distinctly understood
however, that if any veteran de-
mands and receives service outside
Of the regular hospital service. he
is expected to pay for same"
The article which the hospital au-
thorities SEN to the Staten Islander
6oes on to say that in an article in
the Perth Amboy Evening News
under date of August 4th, there were
the following untruths and half
truths.
"1st. 1t was decided upon general
investigation of the condition at the
Richmond Memorial Hospital as
they affect members of the Amerl-
can Legion should be made.
END. That complaints have been
received by the legion that boys VINO
had found it necessary to attend the
hospital for illness or operation had
been forced to pay their entire x
penses.'
"3rd. That according to the IN
derstanding of the post there is an
American Legion room at the hos
pital but as yet this room has never
been used by a member of the
American Legion.
In reply to article one-we, the
committee of the American Legion,
would say that there was never any
idea of Beauvais Post conducting
an Investigation of Richmond Me-
was appointed to find out what the
hospital was supposed to do for its
members.
article .. No veteran who has
applied has ever been refused ad-
mission or free treatment and no
veteran has been forced to pay any
expense.
ARTICLE 8. There is a bed set
aside for any veteran of the World
War from Staten Island and this bed
has been occupied by members of
Beauvais post.
AS a matter of fact the true find
ings of the executive committee OF
Beauvais Post in reference to the
above report is as follows:
Article 1. That there is no "un-
truth" or "half-truth" in this state
ment, although it should read ex-
service men instead of American
Legion. The report of the meeting
of the post was given over the tele-
phone to a Perth Amboy News re-
porter who worded and arranged the
article for publication, with a few
added facts that must have been re-
ceived from sources other than the
telephone conversation. However,
the article in question is satisfac-
tory to the executive committee.
Article 2. 1t is true that reports
have been received by the post that
ex-service men have had to pay ex-
penses at the hospital, but we find
that these charges have only been
made for special treatment.
Article 8. 1t is a fact that it was
the understanding of the post that
there was an ex~-service mems room
at the hospital as Beauvais Post
was asked some time ago to equip
same and have it named after the
post.
The executive committee does not
appreciate the stand which the hos-
pital took in publishing the article
in the Perth Amboy Evening News
of Saturday, August 18th, which re-
fleets upon our commander, John
Benning.
The executive committee fails to
see where the hospital committee
received the authority to publish in
the Staten Islander or n other
paper, the signed statement of the
Legion committee, as this committee
refused to sign or publish any state