Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-06
LEGION CR|T|ClzES
CARE Of DISABLED
Statement Complains Of Unsat-
lsfactory Treatment Of insane
N and Tubercular Patients
QUESTION VOCATIONAL PLAN
BY the Associated Pres

Chicago. April 0.-Declaring that
the American Legion was not satisfied
with the facilities for disqualification
OF disabled war veterans. and that "the
success of the who'e system Of voca-
tional training still is in the balance"
A. A. Spraeue. chairman Of the lie.
elon's Rehabilitation Committee, today
asserted that a recent statement by the
United States Veterans Bureau Of the
work It was doing conveys impressions
nat may be misinterpreted or mis-
used"
Mr.. sprague said the bureaus state
qsnt Of the work done, signed by G. X.
Forbes, director. was true. but he de.
dared that "no statement should be
Slvsn out BY the Veterans Bureau
which would give the impression that
the bureau or the Government Is
'ososfactor' to the sick and disabled
R.eervice men,"
Mr.. sprague asserted that while a
1fSe amount of money Is paid to dis
abled service men, the general public
must realize that the enlisted personnel
& both army and navy insured them
selves against death and accident. In
Heny cases men subtracted one fourth
q their pay for this purpose.
Debt on Part Of Government
'whatever money the Government
~ spend over that which came from
- pockets Of the men who wore the
khaki and blue is clear debt on the
part of the Government. and any at.
tsmpt to take credit for paying 1t will
b resented. not only by all ex-service
men, but by all fair minded citizens.
'The statement with reference to
disqualification is restricted to number
Of patients and cost. It is fair to tell
the general public that neither the Vet
sfans' Bureau nor the American Legion
has been satisfied with the facilities
for disqualification of these men.
"Of the 10000 ex-service men now
IN hospitals. nearly one third are still
in contract institutions. Thousands of
mentally disabled men who would have
care, are still kept in State institutions
under conditions which are distressing
to all those who believe that they can
b cured.
Thousands of tubercular men have
been held back by unsatisfactory treat
ment. Some, within the last few weeks,
have been sent back to county poor
farms. instead Of Government hospitals.
Vocational Training in Balance
''In addition the success Of the whole
UyBtcIu Ol 10 stlll III
the balance. in spite Of immense sums
paid out. because Of lack of proper
supervision and co ordination.
The statement that the United
States is already doing more for its
disabled veterans than any other coun-
try in the world is not borne out by our
Treatment Of our insane ex service men.
''The majority of our United States
mental cases Of ex service men are sent
TO or 'farmed out to contract hospi.
tails, these being chiefly State insane
asylums.
''No other country has done anything
IKE this. But in this country, with
our enormous wealth, we are the ones
among the civilized nations Of the world
who have seen fit to farm out the care
OF the insane ex service men.
IF we can prevent 1t, no one Is going
to put the complete payment Of the debt
which this country owes its sick into
any other light than that Of an honest
debt on the part of the Government, n
debt which this country will never be
able to pay with real money and which
can only be paid by honest apprecia-
ton, fair opportunity and real graft
<1,do -