New-York tribune., 1922-03-12
Plan to Give
Veterans Here
Quick Service
Liaison Officer of Legion
Makes Suggestion for Co.
operation Between Bureau
and Main Organization

Director Charles R. Forbes, of the
United States Veterans Bureau. for
several weeks past has had a board of
inquiry going over the work of the
departments IN ths 1st and I'd districts
The 1st district comprises the New
England states with the exception of
Connecticut The I'd consists Of New
York. New Jersey and Connecticut The
board finished its work in the 1st dis
trict within a week. The Investigators
have spent three weeks going over the
work of the local Office. Official re-
ports will be made when the board re-
turns to Washington.
Francis P. Welsh. the liaison officer
between the Veterans Bureau and the
national headquarters of the Legion. in
discussing the local office yesterday
ssaid that, in his opinion, the Veterans
Bureau would become most efficient
only wheA decentralizatop is completed
and the United States Public Health
Service. the Federal Board for Voca-
tional Education and the bureau are
consolidated, with but one purpose to
ccomplish- Of caring for the dis
abled men.
"The American Legion, as a national
organization" said Mr.. Welsh. "does
not conflict with the Veterans Bureau.
1t means only to cooperate. Some =
times the bureau feels that co-opcra-
ticn and acquiescence are synonymous.
When the Legion criticizcs it does so
constructively and in the interest of
closer cooperation.
There is a peculiar situation in the
bureau. For instance. there is the
cssc OF physician whose wife is en-
ployed in the same Office. This couple
III addition to being employed by the
bureau conduct aboarding house for
veterans undergoing rehabilitation
This is one condition that should not
exist, especially when there are num-
Der of former service men who are at
present unemployed. One hundred per
cent OF the employees should be vet
erans. Director Forbes in addressing
the State Department heads at meet
ing in Indianapolis on January 20, last
admitted that the veteran male en-
ployees of the bureau mum bered but
60 per cent.
time that the bureau would bc com
pletoly decentralized within three
months. This means that the
records of the bureau in Washington
regarding the men of this district will
be in the local office by March 20.
When this is accomplished the work
| of the bureau will be greatly expedi-
ted. At present it takes considerable
time for official action to be taken on
the application for com pensation Of a
veteran. Some Of the old records Of
the bureau are here now on request.
when the old files arrive here there
will be considerable time taken in con-
sohdating them with the files now es-
tablished at the Office.
Colonel Forbes, in statement
given to the press telling OF the work
done by the bureau since he took
charge, stated that more than s99 900
600 has been spent for medical and
hospital service. ! Will say that very
little of this amount has been spent
in the I'd district"
Welsh is about five feet eight inches
tall is lawyer and has snappy brown
eyes constantly on the alert. He has
acted in the capacity of liaison officer
1or several months and is we'll in
formed on conditions existing in the
I'd district.