Evening star., 1922-10-09
VETERANS APPROVE.
CHANGE in BUREAU.
Sweet Bill Will Be Pushed at
Next Session of
Congress.
WILL Benefit DISABLED
Better Hospital Care Provided,
Also Change in Insur-
ance Feature.

Inequalities in the existing statutes
governing the care Of disabled former
service men will be corrected soon after
Congress reassembles. according to
Representative Burton w. Sweet, re-
publican, of Iowa, who claims to have
strong support among both republican
and democratic leaders for his bill. A
nationwide campaign Of education IL
being conducted by the national rehabil-
itation committee of the Disabled Amer
can Veterans of the World War, repre-
senting about 100000 disabled men.
This organization exists for the sole pur-
pose of inducing improvement Of the
service rendered them by the govern
ment.
Representative Sweet. in the House.
and Senator David l. Walsh. democrat.
Of Massachusetts, in the Senate. will
this remedial legislation. 1t proposes to
amend the present law, which CONSOLE
dated into Veterans Bureau the sew
eral agencies formerly charged with the
duty Of caring for disabled men.
Veterans Support Bill.
Further legislation for the disabled
ex-service men is necessary" said Rep
resentative Sweet. inexplaining the pro-
visions of his bill. which has been be-
members have had plenty Of time to
familiarize themselves with its proposals.
so far as the Disabled American
Veterans are concerned. said L.
Hamilton Cook of Buffalo. the ma
tional commander, 1--WE have heard
Sweet bill. Some slight changes may
be necessary. but the sentiment In
favor Of the broad provisions seems
to be unanimous.
That being 3d." Commander Cook
continued. ut is desirable to hasten
now disabled or in hospitals need the
more humane consideration which the
terms of the bill provide. Any ad-
ditional expense involved will be
trifing. and. any way, that is not
matter to be reckoned in consider
ing the proper care Of these men,"
Changes Proposed.
Representative Sweet points out
that this new bill proposes the fol-
lowing amendments to the existing
law:
(a) To permit the Veterans Bu-
reau to rate men who have been or
may be in hospitals or asylums for
a continuous period Of one year as
totally and permanently disabled.
This, he says, Is the chief provision
of the new Sweet bill.
(b) That reduction Of a disabled
mans compensation shall not be made
unless he has had a physical exami-
nation before such action Is taken
and in no case without three months
notice.
(c) That soldiers developing psy-
Ghosts. neurosis. psycho-neurosis.
active tuberculosis or chronic en-
pyema within three years after their
separation from the service shall be
deemed to have acquired the ailment
while in service. The present law
limits this period to two years.
(d) That decent burial shall be
provided. the Veterans Bureau to
pay not more than 5000 for funeral ex-
penses and IS for a flag to drape the
coffin.
(e) That more liberal arrange
ments shall be made for reinstate-
ment of lapsed insurance policies.
f That each patient discharged
from a hospital shall be furnished
with a statement of tho medical find
ings of his condition.
The education campaign now In
progress considers that the disabled
boys themselves. as we'll as the pub
lie, must be educated to the proper
spirit Of cooperation and usefulness
in order that they may be rehabil-
tated and returned to an economic
status.