New-York tribune., 1922-10-27
w oman Finds
Cruel Neglect
AT Sea View
Veteran Of Y. M. G. A. Over
seas youches for Truth
of Statements That Ex-
Soldiers Get Little Care
Says Coler Closed Eyes
Hylan's Charge of playing
Politics" Proves a Myth;
Complaint of No Avail

However lightly Mayor Hylan and
Comm ;ssioners David Hirshfield and
Bird s. Coler may brush aside recent
revelations Of conditions at Sea View
Hospital, Staten Island, Mrs. Malcolm
Macleod. Of 327 West Fifty-seventh
Street, is prepared to swear from first
hand knowledge TO existing abuses in
the treatment of the tuhercular war
veterans.
when Congressman Rossdale, of the
Bronx. appeared before Mayor Hyiaa
the other day Mrs Macleod accom-
panied him, prepared to tell her story
For months she had gone to the hos
pital twice a week as a member OF the
Women's Overseas Service League. She
had talked to the men and observed
conditions, and she vouches for the
truth of publ shed statements that men
have died there amid conditions OF
hideous neglect, that the food is poor
end served IN on s-ssanitary manner
md 4s..ts there are no screens anywhere
IN the hospital to protect the veterans
from flies and mosquitoes. When she
signed complaint against Sea View.
at the Veterans Bureau last July she
was promptly turned out of The hos
pital and told never to return.
Rudely Treated at City Hall
AS for playing politics" which is
what Mayor Hylan and his associates
charged her with doing, she says she
never met Congressman Rossdale IN
ner life until the nj 7rning of the hear
ing in City Hall this week. Seeing in
the newspapers that he was going tn
appear before the Mayor, she called him
up and asked whether she might ac-
company him to add her test mony
She added that she was treated rudely
at the City Hall, was called "fakec'
by Commissioner Hirshfeld and was
not heard at adj.
Mrs. Macleod was abroad with the
Y. M. c. A. and commenced going to
Sea View with other members of the
Women's Overseas Service League, who
were taking comforts to the tubercular
veterans. In the first place. they had
great difficulty getting into the hos
pital, encountering opposition on every
side, she charges. They kept strictly
TO visitors hours, in order not 70 annoy
the offie ais, but always were kept
waiting for permission to get in. and
on one occasion were obliged to leave
with all their heavy bundles, she as-
serts. Finai'y, two of their number
were appointed to the social service
board of the hospital, which at least
assured their entry. The attitude Of
DR.. G. Kremer, head of the hospital,
she says, was: Moth ng special for
the veterans. If you are going to do
anything do it for the whole hospital"
Women Workers Ridiculed
Sea View is municipal hospital.
Only one wing is taken over by the
government for the veterans, and a
grant Of SO day per patent is al
lowed. This is for maintenance alone.
Medical care, nurses, etc, are extra
What do you ladies want to bother
coming down here for?" Mrs. Macleod
says DR.. kremer asked soon after they
started their visits.
Il worked with soldiers overseas and
thought the least could do here would
be to make the hopeiessly i'll a little
more comfortable" Mrs. Macleod told
him.
You know these boys are being we'll
taSen care Of" she says the superin-
tehdent insisted. "A lot Of them were
nothing but truck drivers, anyway, and
nave more than they ever had before
In their lives They don't care about
having You come. You bore them. You
know. when we tell them that the dear
ladies' have arrived they say: What
are the james bringing us?'
Thus, by every possible means, Mrs
Macleod says, DR.. Kremer sought to
discourage them. But they were warm
iy welcomed by the boys, most of whom
appeored to be totally friend less Many
Of them didn't have cent to thei,
names; some of them were not even
getting their compensation, Mrs Mac.
Leod said, in tel ing the story at he,
home yesterday. OF the thirty-fve bows
under her Immediate care the claim.