The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-16

w N404P AAOSRAbe&A6 AAOW bCAA8 NOA1eA for neuro-psychiatric patients is con Legion's commission for rehabilitati tional convention of the legion tomo the rehabilitation commission. IT achievements to date in caustic Ian
 "The story of hospital con-
 structiOn by the government up
 to date,- declares the report.
 'judging by actual results Is a
 tragedy for the sick, Q discredit
 to the government, and an af-
 front to the American Legion.
 There is not a redeeming feature
 in 1t, politics. promises, plans,
 failure 10 prepare anything but
 alibis in advance, red tape, ex-
 cuses and contentious, cOnspired
 to defeat the actual providing of
 needed beds.
 'It is sincerely hoped" the report continues that this nation will benefit by the mistakes, the some times hideous errors of the past four years. and that there will be deci- sive awakening of the public con science that will right the wrongs here recited and carry on the pro- gram and work outlined by the American Legion"
 1n0 report, dIIeT commencing COn- gress for enacting beneficial law, execrates individual congressman and senators for what 1t terms "their endsavors to locate hospitals whore they cannot be used, and to keep hospitals where they are not needed. and to secure employment for their friends''
 President Harding, the report ss- serts, decided after conferring with the United States Veterans bureau. to appoint "co-operativs committees on rehabilitation" in various dis tricts, to be made up of representa- tive citizens and ex-servics men.
 No Action Taken
 These cooperative committesss'' the report declares. would have helped to make a success of the rs- mobilization program. The request for approval of this resolution has been on the desk of the President since June. Up to the date of the writing of this report, no action has been taken.
 At the end of five years" declares the Sprague report "the government will have spent as much in hospital construction and rental as was orig inally estimated and requested in 1919. In the memorial during the pe- riod when these beds were most badly needed, when they would have helped to pay the debt this country owed the men who had given most. they were lacking.
 What was the substitute7
 Hotels, sanitariums, nitrate plants, private homes. inebriate asylums and orphanages were purchased and re- hospitals, army cantonments and posts to constitute the present gov ernment-owned hospitals.
 Beds Badly Placed
 "On September Is, 1922. there were 5,222 beds in leased hospitals and 1874 beds. temporary facilities. on government-owned properties. There were 7,974 patients in contract hos pitals, 2.695 in tuberculosis, 4,123 in neuro-psychiatric hospitals, and 1.156 in general and surgical hos- pitals.
 ''Unoccupied beds? Yes, lot of them. Ten thousand of them at that date. Most of them useless be- cause badly placed"
 On Armistice Day (191S). the re- port declares, there were 334,0o0 mon sick and wounded in army hospitals in this country and with the Amer ican expeditionary force in France.
 Back home," the report asserts, WHY hltic iiao btSh 8hVCi to the men who traded their strong minds and bodies and valiant spirits for victory and peace. One billion dollars was voted by Congress to pay for untitled war contracts can celed at the armistice. Apparently many were so busy trying to figure out how much the government owed them for cancelled contracts that they didn't have time to think of the l. l. h -L~ structed."
 Attacks Statement
 Referring to the statement of Brig Gen. c. E. Sawyer, personal physician to President Harding. re- garding vacant beds. the report says:
 q feel very strongly that tho ill., considered use of figures and state ments that are not capable of proof in regard to adequate facilities and proper care of disabled ex-servioe men will do inca1culable harm, as they are bound at first to mislead the public. and later, when they have been disproved, as they must be by the legion, it will shake confidence in the administration and the integ- rity of its assertions that 1t is doing everything in it's power to give proper hospital facilities. treatment and care"
 The report eulogfzes many of the employees of the United States Vet werans' bureau for "unselfish and ef- Efficient efforts in behalf of the sol diers" and criticises other employees ee the bureau. asserting that they re- eard the bureau as ian organization existing for itself. and loyalty to 1t, or work within 1t as of superior im- portancs to those big human needs for which the bureau Is organised"