South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-30
WHO DELAYS VETS
HOSPITAL F j NDS?
MELLON ISBLAMED
Appropriation Authorized a
Year and Half Ago, But
No Buildings Started.
BY HARRY Il. HUNT
Especial To Ne,ys-TimcsD
Copyright 1922 by ~ E. A)

Copyright 1922 by N. T.. Al
CF-.-.=o. June 2e.-Omc.al re-
spors.bHlty for the situation that
has kept thousands Of e@-service
men IN contract hospitals. and mas
barred other thousands from
chance 20 obtain disqualification. IS
charged against Sec'y OF the Treas
ury Mellon by Col A. A. Sprasue'
chairman OF the National Rehab.h-
tatfon Committee Of the American
Legion
Brig Gen Sawyer and his Fed
eral Board Of disqualification con-
stau,ly upset and unsettled the gem
era. hospital situation" SDraEue eN-
Plains But they could decide noth-
ing. could order nothing.
The re-pousibIttlE for the location
ard building OF hop tails under the
orieinaI Langley bill appropr-ating
s1S.6GO 600. rested i'm the Treasury
department
THE Treasury department has
failed to function In This matter.
despite constant urging by officers
Of The American Legion and Of the
Veterans bureau itself"
Sprague's position with respect
20 the treasury departments In
action has been made known directly
10 Mellon in emphatically worded
le tiers. but 10 date there has been
no response.
Appeal to Mellon.
on May 81 Sprague wrote Mellon
in an attempt TO speed up the loca-
ton OF a hospital for tubercular vet
erens near New York.
For more than year" he wrote.
Representatives Of the American
Legion and leading citizens of New
York have been working TO obtain
proper hospital care of eX-service
men suffering from tuberculosis who
live in the metropolitan district Of
New York.
some months ago conditions be-
came so bad that the very unsatis-
factory tuberculosis hospital at Fox
Hills was abandoned by the govern
ment. although no substitute had
been provided.
THE fact is that today. almost a
year and a half after the original
appropriation was voted. no site has
been selected in this district where
there is a greater need for it than
IN any other district in the country.
ct is unbelievable that the treas
ury department will continue TO per-
nit further delays in this matter.
The people who live IN New York
as we'll as the Rehabilitation COM
mittee OF the American Legion are
indignant at these inexcusable delays
and we feel that action should be
definite and immediate"
Second Appeal.
on June 16 he wrote again. thus;
Ion May 81 I wrote TO you con-
corning certain matters, and for fear
you have not received that letter
am enclosing a copy.
Il wrote this letter first. as chair
man OF the Rehabilitation committee
OF the American Legion, but also as
an ex-service man, as "A citizen of
the United States and as a taxpayer,
and I feel that 1 am entitled 10 an
answer from you.
81 am bold enough to think and
believe that IL you had visited the
o-psychiatric and tuhercular
hospitals where the patients of the
government have been and still are,
you would feel that there was a
duty even higher than the defeat
ing OF thc bonus legislation or set
Ting international finance. important
as both those matters are.
This duty rests on you. and eau
not be disregarded. even though this
work has now been transferred by
executive order 20 the Veterans bu-
reau
There still remain the unbuilt
hospitals. provided for by congress
sional appropriations. and hospital
projects where even the site is un-
selected
Il shall await a reply from you
with hopes and interest"
FOR \ GOOD TIME