New-York tribune., 1922-03-16
Veterans Left
Homeless, Says
Institute Head
lssaiIs Closing of Training
School for Disabled Sery-
ice Men and Asserts Many
Are Walking the Streets
Offers Building at Cost
Charges4Army Officers Broke
Oral Pledges, 'Raided' In.
siifution, Sent go AWAY

Charges that many OF the ex-service
-en removed from the Lincoln Insti
,v.e. 694 Broadway, by Colonel c. 4.
Forbes, national director of the Vet
.rsns' Bureau, are now walking the
streets and have no place to go were
made Yesterday by Dr. +. J. Mayman
Irector Of the institute, the doors Of
which were closed on Monday. Dr.
yayman wired to Colonel Forbes M
Washington yesterday Offering to Law
,se two floors OF the building lately
rsd for vocational training at his dis
rssal for cost so that the men NAV be
:ssen care of in the interim. No reply
lad been received last night.
Six hundred and eighty disabled SOL
diers were removed from the institute
when Colonel Forbes arrived from
Washington with Major Leon Fraser.
executive officer, and Colonel Robert
Rses, assistant director in charge of
rehabilitation. According to DR.. MAJ
man, they "raided" theB institute
While Colonel Forbes was upstairs
with him Investigating the various
workshops twenty-five Of his arente
we're downstairs ready for action. DR..
Msymsn declared.
Says Men Are in Ugly Mood
AT given signal they all came Nh
and took my men away, bundline them
into various kinds of conveyances." he
asserted, at could only be described
as 8 raid The men were supposed to
be assigned to various other schools.
but scores Of them had been in to see
me yesterday and to-day, complaining
that they are walking the streets. They
are in an ugly mood about it. One of
the objections raised against the In
s.tute was the fact that it was in a
loft building. Many of the men taken
away from here have been put in 81
dark factory building that does not
bear comparison with this"
In closing the Institute Colonel
Forbes charges that it was found to
be unsatisfactory in the rehabilitation
training Of former service men" II
vas opened in June, 1919. More than
1000 have been given vocational in
structlon there. The average attend
ance has been about 500. The men
have been disposed of variously at The
New York Electrical School, the
Holmes Vocational School, the Reco
Manufacturing Company, the Institute
tor Crippled and Disabled Men and tho
East Side Y. NJ. c. A. About one-half
Of them went temporarily to the Col
lege OF the City of New York until
iurtner arrangements could lie made
ior them.
Mayman Explains Work
IN a statement issued yesterday on
ne closing Of the institute, Dr.. May
nan said; Shortly after the reorean-
Haton Of the government rehabilita-
ton service the Lincoln Institute
sought definite information as to the
Nsslbie increasing demand for eX-
Unded service that might be made
apon 1t and indicated its desire to take
lie necessary steps toward expansion
torder to take care of such increase.
II reply that came back was non
asnital. Notwithstanding that, we
''Ee eded to make the necessary ar
Tgements for practically doubling
ar facilities.
While we were negotiating along
tese lines | was summoned to a con-
:rence by the highest Veterans
5ureau official in District 9. I was
old that the government intended to
'uid large district school which
'ould supplant the small schools now
'perating. | was told that the Lincoln
Institute, in the opinion of the govern
nent, WAS the logical nucleus of the
proposed district university, and ] was
invited to consider the proposition OF
handing over the institute to the gov
and of running it for the
government. This conference took
place in October. | was assured that
would be given every opportunity to
carry on the work without molestation.
! waited for the proposition to be put
IN Writing But it did not come.
Several conferences have been held
since and at every one the same propo-
s'lon was repeated orally. Each time
l expressed willingness to cooperate,
provided | should be given a free hand.
=, Today my position is substantially
@ .ae same | should be happy if our
senooi' our teachers and our admins
mative staff could be assimilated by the
government and through sincere and
nonest cooperation continue the big
asS. Fenabllitation job in the country,
Jn u me condition that we be allowed to
W 'ie work N accordance with ap-
r-oved educational and pedagogical
snoa a. ca'lpies untrammelled by the influ-
'"'e ol red tape or politics"