New Britain herald., 1922-08-10
BILLION IN Z YEARS
 FOR SOLDIERS AID
Veterans Bureau Expends S4S1,'
 OOO,OOO in First Year Alone

NAHHlHkLOn, U. Ns., huHs iS ITnNed States Veterans Bureau yes- terday, on the first anniversary of Its establishment for the relief of dis abled veterans of the world war, an- nounced that during the fiscal year which ended June 80, 1922, it ex- pended approximately s4s1,oo0,ooO for various relief projects, The esti- mate of disbursements for the current fiscal year is s513,693,ooo, That is a total of nearly $1,000, ,000 of actual and contemplated expenditures in two years for the care of the war victims.
 On August g. 1921, congress. acting on the recommendation of President Harding, merged the War Risk lnsur- ance Bureau, certain divisions of the United States Public Health Service and units of the Federal Board for Vocational Education into one cen- tral bureau-the United States Vet erans Bureau. Col. Charles R. Forbes of Seattle, Wash, was ap- pointed director.
 The first effort of the bureau was to establish close contact with bene- ficiaries. Pressure was particularly exerted toward the transfer of vet eran patients from contracts to gov ernment owned hospitals. This work was hindered to a certain extent be- cause of limitations incident to the construction of new hospitals and the purchase of those already in opera tion.
 Demand to Increase.
 The demand on the veterans bu- reau from war victims will necessar- fly increase each year and medical authorities expect that the peak will not be reached for some years. These authorities estimate that nearly $1.- 0,o00,o 900 will be soon required an- nually for the proper care of men incapacitated while serving under the flag.
 Senators point to this fact as one of the most insistent reasons why a $5,o00, 0,0oo,0o0 bonus bill for able passed. They affirm that every cent available M these days of heavy tax burdens should and must go toward the relief of the disabled.
 Director Forbes of the bureau will call on President Harding in the near future to urge adoption of new pol icy for the treatment of tubercular and mental veteran patients. The director said he was convinced that he thought this class of patients need some other kind of institution rather than a hospital. MT. Forbes de- clared he would suggest to the pres ident advisability of turning some of the present hospitals into training centers especially ada pted to treat ment of tubercular and mental sui ferings.
 The program of the veterans bu- reau for the present year contem- plates the erection of twelve large hospitals for disabled veterans, Work on some of these projects is actually under way and Col Forbes stated yes terday that the hospital program will be well underway before fall, and nothing can interrupt the work from steadily until the institu tons are completed. The location and size of these hospitals are as fol- lows:
 Tupper Lake, N. r., a tubercuar hospital with 500 beds. Project is being gone over by an engineer corps,
 Chelsea, N. Y, tubercular hos pital with 500 beds. Everything will be ready for beginning of operation within 80 days.
 Chillicothe, O., a neuro- -psychiatric hospital with 500 beds. Survey will have been completed by September 1 and construction started.
 Knoxville, la, neuro phychiatric hospital. construction of which will be started immediately.
 Gulfport Miss, a neuro- -psychiatric hospital; construction under way.
 Camp Lewis, Wash, a neuro-psy chiatric hospital; construction will start about October l.
 Livermore. Cal, general hospital will start about Octo- Der 1.
 Selection of sites were made last week at Fargo,s N, D.; St. Cloud, Minn.; Minneapolis, Minn., and Camp Custer, Mich.
 At Northampton. Mass, a neuro- psychiatric hospital, construction has been contracted for and building will be started Immediately,
 Allowances Provided.
 In addition to hospital relief, the |