The Washington herald., 1922-03-20
President Assures Legion
OF Unified disqualification

The governments disqualification
program for disabled veterans will
be administered under a single uni
fled agency, and facilities will be
rapidly extended.
Assurances to this effect were
given Representatives Of the Ameri-
can Legion in a conference last
night, the first the President had
following his return from Florida.
Legion representatives were A. A.
Sprague. OF Chicago. chairman OF
the legion's disqualification com
mittee. Abel Davis. Of Chicago, and
Georse W. Wickersham, jr.. OF New
York. committee members. Also at
tending the conference were Charles
G. Dawes, Director of the Budget:
Brig. Gen Sawyer. chairman Of the
Federal Board for HospitalizRtion:
c. r. Forbes. Director Of the veter-
ans Bureau. John Barton PaNne,
chairman Of the American Redr
Cross. and Maj Gen. Harbord. as
sistant chief OF staff OF the army.
Reach Agreement, $3.50.
The conference discussed hoSpi-
talization from all standpoints a nd.
according to those attending,
reached agreement. There was
some question as to just where the
Federal Board Of HospitaIIzatiuu.
organized by Dawes as one Of his
co-ordinating agencies. would work
into the general scheme. Legion
men had feared the board would
tend rather to disorgs niZe than or
ganize the governments agencies,
and would bring about a disSiDa-
tion Of authority, rather than A
Generalization OF II. One Of the
legion's big fights has been TO get
the facilities for hospitaIizstion ua-
! der control OF the Veterans Bureau
without restriction or interference.
President Harding. IL was said
agreed that the Veterans Bureau
should have full power TO carry
through the disqualification pro-
gram.
Complete BsndinEs Now.
He concurred N the view that
hospitals, for which $4,000. 600 was
appropriated at the last session OF
Congress. should be completed with
out further delay. There was agree
ment also on the need for the i'm
mediate passage of the Langley bill.
now pending. which appropriates a
like amount The President sub
scribed to the view that the con-
struction OF all hospitals should be
directly under the Veterans Bureau
and not under the Treasury De-
partment, through the ONCE Of the
supervising architect. as is usually
the case.
II was agreed also that men IN
hospitals now under care OF the Pub
lie Health Service should be trans
ferred as rapidly as possible 90 the
Veterans Bureau. As things now
stand. the Public Health Service Is
under control Of the Treasury. while
the Veterans Bureau is an indepen-
dent organization, and must allocate
its fund TO the Treasury for the
hospitals. About 81 200 OF the sc. 600
men under government care now are
being treated by the Public Health
Service This situation. the legion
has insisted. makes for delays. red
tape. and lack OF efficiency.
Particular attention was devoted
20 the need for hospitals for mental
cases According TO Mr.. Sprsgue, the
neuro-psychiatrfcs have had leSs
done for them than'any other clasT
and they alone are unable - sgEN.
for themselves.
II was agreed aIsa nat lLac2Ez.
eminent should as Pidly - .s5s5y'
end the practice rt CONT -
the care Of veteran IN prif a.
tails or State instii rtioas.I go '-qr
in some OF these were 49, nf
been particularly ohjesfl - ~, h1ve
pecially as regards ". qro 's-
insane. The scheme is d the
nstierts IN government hoti,,, all