New Britain herald., 1922-04-06
LEGION Ol )1AL ATTACKS
 SXS7Es FARMING OUT"
 Kg.1 .1NS OF WAR SERVICE
Questioiis Veterans Bu- reau Statement That U. s. Insurance, Paid By Men, Helps Take Care

Chicago, April 6. -- Declaring thai the American Legion is not satisfied with the facilities for disqualification of disabled war veterans. and thai "the success of the whole system of vocational training still is in the bal. ance,' A. A. 'Sprague. chairman of the Legion's rehabilitation committee today asserted that a recent state ment by the United States Veterans bureau of the work it was doing conveys impressions that may be misinterpreted or misused's
 Govt. Not "Benefactor"
 He said the bureaus statement of the work done, signed by c. R. Forbes, director was true. but he de- clared that mo statement should be given out by the veterans bureau to the general public which would give government is 'benefactor' to the sick and disabled ex-service men,"
 The statement of the veterans bu- reau, to which MT. Sprague took ex- ception said in reference to hospital ization that the bureau was 'provid- ing. without cost. hospital care and treatment to thirty thousand veterans which represents an expenditure by the government of $6o,OO0,0oO per annum."
 What Is Being Done
 The bureau according to the Forbes statement also is paying out more than $1,000,0o0 daily directly to former service men or their depend ents, giving vocational training with out cost to more than 100000 disabl- ed service men at yearly cost of $30.00O,000 conducting an insurance business for more than 60O,OOO vet erans without administration cost to them and giving outside treatment in cases where hospitalization is not re- quired to 10000 men every month.
 Expenditures for 1922 were esti- mated at $150,000, ,0O0 and it was de- clared that the United States is al ready doing more for it's disabled veterans than any other country
 Insurance Paid For.
 MT. Sprague's reply declared that while large amount of money Is paid to disabled service men the general public must realize that the enlisted personnel of both army and navy insured themselves against death and accident. In many cases men subtracted one- fourth of their pay for this purpose.
 "Whatever money the government may spend over that which came from the pockets of the men who wore the khaki and blue is a clear debt on the part of the government and any attempt to take credit for paying it will be resented, not only by all ex-service men but by all fair minded citizens.
 Legion Not Satisfied "The statement with reference to disqualification Is restricted to num- Der of patients and costs. It is fair to tell the general public that neither the veterans bureau nor the Ameri- can Legion have been satisfied with the facilities for disqualification of these men.
 "Of the 30,000 ex-service men now in hospitals nearly one-third are still in contract institutions. Thousands of mentally disabled men who would have been cured or partially so, with proper care, are still kept in state in stitutions under conditions which are distressing toA all those who believe that they can be cured.
 "The statement that the United | States is already doing more for its disabled veterans than any country in the world is not borne out by the treatment of our insane ex-service men.
 Mental Cases "Farmesl." "rhe majority of our United States mental cases of ex-service men are sent to or 'farmed out to contract hospitals, these being chiefly state in zane asylums.
 NO other country has done any thing like this.
 "Ii we car prevent it, no one is noing to put the complete payment of the debt which this country owes it's sick into any other light than that of an honest 6ebt on the part oi the debt which this coun try will never pc able to pay with yea, money and which can only be paid by honest appreciation, fair op- port,lnity aud real gratitude