The Washington times., 1921-06-26
Courageous Band of Crippled Soldiers
Leads Fight For Plain Justice From, q. s..
Senators Hear Tale Of Abuses
and Neglect Accorded to
War Heroes.

world In the 1s1s-1s.<truggle In Eu-
rope 10 now In progr>s in Washing
ton In the northeast corner OF the
United States Capitol.
II IL the nght for existence being
waged by q little band OF crippled
soldiers who are here representing
the 15,0oos men disabled by service In
France, but yet unprovidsd for by
Uncle Sam. 7
Senator Sutherland as chairman.
spent Ave afternoons last week hear
Ing stories. from the mouths OF sick
and wounded ex-seryice men that
rivalsd the most brutal crimes of the
German horde In Belgium.
OFFICERS DISPUTE CHARGEs.
Military officers with maple leaves
and silver bars on their shoulders
were on hand to try and give the lie
to the pitiful tales Of the soldier
boys. some OF them almost too weak
to- sit UP and relate the stories.
When an army major from one of
the Government hospitals finished his
testimony. the offcial stenographer,
who had been taking notes. stormed
from the committee room. sxciaim-
ing:
my God. what's the world coming
to? ! have been covering hearings
for thirty-seven years and ! have
never heard of such outrages. Had
the committee given me permission.
notes and flattsned that officers nos.
with my fist."
Testimony given during the week
is likely to result in a personal in
spection Of such institutions by the
committee, 1t was learned today.
The alleged treatment of the vet
crane by agencies of the Go~~en-
ment dealing with the care and treat
ment of the men was the subject of
vigorous protest by representa- tives
OF tn, American Legion and the Vet
erans of Foreign Wars. and num-
ber of the patients from some of the
hospitals appearing before the COM
mittee.
LEGION OFFICER CALLED.
John T. Taylor. vice chairman OF
the Legislative committee of the
American Legion. was one of the first
Witnesses called. He told the COM
mirtee of the failure OF the Govern
ment to provide adequate hospital
facilities. stating that there are now
$4,000 ex-service men who are un-
able to get needed medical treat
ment
Mr.. Taylor asserted that the Bu-
reau of War Risk Insurance had
failed 90 assist those entitled to Gov
ernment aid. and he appealed for
more sympathetic treatment of the
veterans. many OF whom, he said.
now suffer because they do not know
their rights. or how TO obtain them.
Edwin s. Bethlehem. chairman OF
the legislative committee of the
Veterans OF Foreign Wars urged that
Congress compel the Bureau of War
Risk Insurance to help the veterans
He cited q number OF cases In SUP
port OF the charge. that tho bureau
had been negligent I'm the settlement
Of disability claims.
There are people in the Bureau of
War Risk Insurance who should not
have been permitted to enter Wash
ington." Senator Pomerene, a member
of the committee, declared. People
are employed there" he continued,
who could not get . Job anywhere
else"
Criticism or the board Of appeals
Of the War Risk Insurance Bureau
was voiced by Mr.. Bethlehem. who
demanded that IL be reorganized and
that former service men be placed
on IL.
WAR RISK CRITICIzED.
I'VE feel that this Is a board that
should know the conditions under |
which the service man goes" he
4 assereed. I'VE feel that II should be |
to the director of the
bureau that he place former service |
men on that board. We do not mean |
that they should all be former serv- |
Zee men," he continued, but there |
should be some one on the board who |
knows the conditions, who knows the |
overseas conditions Of the men who |
vent over there" he stated.
Has there been complaint of lack |
Il sympathy on the part of em-
ployes OF the Bureau of War Risk |
with the men that come |
there with their troubies7'' asked
senator Calder.
Il am afraid there has been" an
swered Mr.. Bettleheim, but -un-
ierstand II Is being corrected now.
The present director seems to be
pretty fair In the matter" al
Senato2 Calder then stated that a |
veteran had appealed to him for |
ssjstsnce in a disability claim which |
had been pending for many months, |
but that the man died before the |
settlement -reached him. Il
Testimony of sensational char
acter was given to the committee by |
a former Keith vaudeville star. who
developed tuberculosis while in the |
army. The name of the witness was
I He described conditions in the hos
pitfalls at Greenviile. 9. c.; Liberty. |
N. Y; Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; |
Prescott. Ariz.. and Monrovis. calif-
charging that facilities for the |
treatment of tubercuiar patients |
were inadequate. the physicians and |
nurses unsympathetic and in many |
instances inefficient, the food poor
and the conditions unsanitary.
PRAISE FOR CASUALTY.
The Casualty Hospital, Of Washing
.on, he told the committee. was the
,nly hospital he was In that he con-
'idered properly equipped and man
,ged.
"wili you tell us the conditions at
HospitalT' asked Senator
Walsh.
Casualty Hospital Is one Of the An
st Institutions that any man can go