Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-27
HARDING DOCTOR
FLAYED BY LEGION
IN HOT COMPLAINT
General Sawyer Asked to
HStand Aside" by Chair
man of Legion RehabiIi-
tation Committee

ISOLATED Press. eColonel A. A.
Sprague, chairman of the American
Legion's national rehabilitation COM
mittee, in letter to Brigadier Cen
sral Charles E.. Sawyer, personal
physician to President Harding and
chief coordinator of the federal board
Df disqualification made public today
charges that General Sawyer is
standing in the way of proper care
Tor wounded and shell-shocked vet
Grams and holding up hospital plans
Foted by congress.
81 recognize the fact" Colonel
sprague wrote to the presidents
physician, '.that before becoming
thief coordinator of the federal board
II disqualification you had no con-
iact with the men and women who
we're serving in the army and navy
Turing the war and no experience
ither in the field or in government
service that would give you chance
really hlOW INV ,liACA ASOA WIZ
ose their nerve. their health and
heir minds in devotion to duty, or
how their families look upon these
men,
Appealing to General Sawyer to
stand aside" Colonel Sprague said
over 4,500 mental cases still are
n contract institutions and that of
ghe remaining ATS victims of men
al disorders only $500 are in gov
rnment Institutions devoted entire
" to their care.
Quoting from a letter received
Rom General Sawyer in which the
thief coordinator said, ST am con-
Finced that the peak of hospitaliza-
ion has been passed. and that the
government had sufficient beds, ex-
tept in two districts, Colonel
sprague replied:
ut is almost unbelievable that,
having satisfied congress that these
hospitals were needed and that they
ihould be built to capacity that we
how have to reply to your state,
nent that they are unnecessary. Sir,
tsk the boys in the contract asylums
Ind their families, ask the men
whose nerves have been shattered
~ this war, who have suffered for
dis lack of adequate capitalization.
1.-THE reply of the. American Legion
Ind every real American is. give
ihese men the best care that medical
tcience can provide IN government
Institutions maintained at the high
sst standard TO equipment and adj
ninistration and near to their own
ZONES so that, If rehabilitated, they
tan be returned to civil life with
greater ease. and if doomed to
disqualification they can be near
hose whom they love best"
Program Hheld Up
-Four years already have passed
md the veteran has not yet been
provided for. A belated program is
icing changed to meet your ap.
broval.
81 appeal to you. sir. to stand
lside."
The controversy between General
lawyer and the legion official is the
utgrowth of letter written by the
.eneral July IL to Colonel Sprague
lealing with the 1egion's demands
Or hospital care Of the wounded,
,nder the Langley appropriation
ill.
After discussing the possibility of
onyerting more wooden barracks at
.sreat Lakes naval training station
o provide relief in this district, and
making additional arrangements,
elsewhere, including utilization Of
I'll beds which he said are now
racant in government institutions,
General Sawyer wrote to Colonel
sprague:
think this matter over. Look at
entirely in an unbiased, unpreju-
iced way. Now. do not misunder-
tand me when + use those terms.
do not mean under any condition
be offensive to you. I like your
toirit, your determination. your en-
I1usiasm, your interest. 1 am dis
ressed, naturally, by the manner
If your expression, and by the fact,
90. that you are swayed, I believe,
Nv outside influence which should
lot affect you"
Replying to charges that he was
'penurious and mercenary," Gen
Nal Sawyer said:
.sGod forbid that dollar should
tyer be considered in comparison
Nth the results we are seeking for
he World war veterans. but at the
anne time let me say that it is our
luty to oppose wastefulness.
because we have money is nc
eason why we should waste it."
because the Langley bill has Civ
m us these millions Of dollars, let
IS be careful in the disposition OF
t."
To this Colonel Sprague replied
ar there ever was q bill which
carried a moral mandate to the gov
rnment it is the second Langley
ill. Ycu will remember that the
appropriated under this bill award
"a 70 the veterans bureau.
Disguised With Delays
1--WE won in this fight. It was g
hght against your effort, agains
rour appeal, to have this money
awarded to the federal board of hos
,italization of which you are chic
so.ordinator. We were Disguised
With the delays in the expenditure
If the former appropriation of SIS,
s00 600. We did not want similar
gelavs in the expenditure of thi:
aew appropriation.
"a national program for the hos
sitaI care of service men who ar
,uffering with mental and nervous
disease was agreed upon by the di
sectors of the veterans bureau, thu
hoard of Observation-Disclosures wht
ire recognized leaders in this coun
nv. and the American Legion.
"This program now is being cur
allied and delayed. The beds fol
nervous and mental patients al
seady have been reduced to 1,27
\ iroTn the $500 beds to be provided b.
hat program. When we remembe
hat these recommendations wer