The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-08-04

tnan all others to Drlng InlS ABOUT
was the late Commander Galbraith.
The new bureau was placed directly
under the supervision Of the prest-
dent. The president appointed
Charles +. Forbes 20 head the organ
ization. The legion pledged Nh.
Forbes every aid, and It has kept the
mechanism Of It's entire organization
at the Disposal of the bureau and the
veteran. Under Chairman A. A.
Sprague the legion's national reha-
bilitat:on committee has been reor-
gained especially for cooperation
vita The bureau.
The latest figures Of the veterans
bureau give 1855 men in hospitals
Suffering anliction resulting from
the'r 9erv.ce IN the World war. Of
these $3.50 are not in hospitals own
ed c. Iced by the government. In
Jaruary, 1921, the American Legion
published an expert opin on reporS
fixing the ultimate mead Of beds at
10000 more than the government
then had available. Thus warned
and urged, congress appropriated
s18,60O,O0O to build hospitals. The
money became available March 4,
1921. A hospital building program
designed to care for $500 men and
capable of expansion 2s additional
funds should be forth coming was
launched with a flying start. The
veterans bureau figure; Of May 18th
fifteen months later, show only 989
new beds in the hands Of the bureau.
These are all renodelled structures
or additions to previously existing
institutions.
So great has been the f@..lure CT
the treasury department which had
5een entrusted with the location and
building of these hospitals, that the
veterans bureau, backed by the le-
gion, after spirited legislation fight
recently put through congress an ad-
ditional appropriation Of $4,000
900. What is more important the
tenacious attempt Of the treasury de-
partment and of the federal board
of disqualification, headed by Briga-
der General Charles E. Sawyer, to
control this fund has been defeated.
1t IS written in the Langley b i "h:ch
carries the appropriation, that the
location and construction of the ad-
ditional hospitals shall rest solely
with the veterans bureau. The fail
ure of the first building program
may be traced in large measure to
the fact that the ALLEGATION OF funds
and specification for each ind!vidu-
al hospital project passed through
ceven hands before they reached the
builders, resulting in internin2,5le
and ineXcusablc delays Added to
this was the fact that the opinion of
General Sawyer was at variance with
the report of the White committee
which report embodied the consol;da-
ted efforts of the best brains and the
highest skill in all departments Of
medicine and surgery in America. 1t
Represented stupendous amount Of
laGor and patriotic sacrifice, for
members of the White committee
and their advisers served without
pay, and were not influenced by pol
itics. Truly may it be said "Sci-
ence may propose but at Washington
politics disposes.' -
On November l, 1921, the federal
board of disqualification was created.
The president appointed his p-rscn-
al physician, Br;g2d:er General Caas.
z. Sawyer, to be the "chief co-ordi-
nator" or chairman of this board.
Now there exists wide divergence
between the views of General Saw
yer and those of the legion and other
experts with reference to the lmDor-
tsnt details Of veteran hos2italiza-
ton.
1t appears that General Sawyer
entered the military service with GER
tain preconceived and well-thought
ideas on the subject of veteran hos
pitalization. In March, 1921, short
ly after he was commissioned, ne ap-
peared as member of the Dawes
Galbraith committee, which met at
President Hsrding's call to sift and
make recommendation covering the
whole scope of veteran relief. In the
course Of his remarks the general
mentioned that he saw the medical
side of the veteran problem as an ell
ement in a plan for department Of
,,b1;. yo1f,ra,' Ha furt re~ no;ntod