The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-04-06
DISABLED VETS
SHOULD NOT BE
"FARMED OUT
American Legion Not Satisfied
With Facilities For Hospital
izing Disabled Men
10000 ARE IN HOSPITALS
Every U. S. Soldier and Sailor
Must Receive Fair Play
And Adequate Treatment
10000 ARE IN HOSPITALS:
(By Associated Press.)

Chicago, April 6-Declaring that tho
American Legion was not satisfied
with the. facilities for hospitalizing
disabled war veterans and that ''the
success Of the whole system of voca
tional training still is in the balance" :"
A. A. Sprague, chairman of the Le-
gion's rehabilitation committee today
asserted that recent statement by
the United States Veterans bureau Of
the work it has done Conveys impress
sions that may be misinterpreted Or
mis-used"
Mr. Sprague said the bureaus
statement of work done, signed by
C. r. Forbes, director, was true, but
he declared that mo statement should
be given out by the Veterans bureau
to the general public which would give
the impression that the bureau or the
government is 1benefactor' to the
sick and disabled ex-s service men"
The Sprague statement said that the
bureau announcement with reference
to disqualification was restricted 70
number of patients and costs, contin-
uing that many men in all parts Of
the country have suffered and are still
suffering because of inadequate or un.
satisfactory hospital conditions"
eve ought not to be satisfied until
positive that every American soldie,
and sailor who was handicapped Dy
his service receives fair and adequate
<roo%r,op< ooro opd 10 nonoccorv ru
habilitation,' he said. u
Statement Of Bureau.
The statement of the Veterans bu-
reau, to which Mr.. Sprague took ex-
ception, said in reference to hospital
ization, that the bureau was "provid-
ing, without cost, hospital care and
treatment to 10000 veterans. Tais
care includes board and lodging and
represents an expenditure by the gov
ernment Of $60,000O0O per annun."
The bureau, according to the Forbes
statement also was declared to be
paying out more than $1,000 daily
directly to former service men or their
dependents, giving vocational training,
without cost, to more than 100000 dis
abled service men at a yearly cost OF
$50 100000, conducting an insurance
business for more than 100000 vet
erans without administration cost to
them, and giving outside treatment in
cases where disqualification is not re-
quired to 10000 men every month
Expenditures for 1922 were estimat-
ed at s5nO,OO0, 600, and it was declared
that the United States "already is do
ing more for it's disabled veterans
than any other country in the world. -
| Not Satisfied.
"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 at
tempt on the part of political party,
bureau or individual to take credit for
paying it, will be resented, not only
by all ex-service men, but by all fair
minded citizens.
,'The statement with reference to
| disqualification is restricted to numbe:
of, patients and costs. It is fair to tell
the general public that neither the
| veterans bureau nor the American
Legion have been satisfied with the
facilities for hospitalizating these
men. Many men in all parts of the
country have suffered and are still
suffering because of inadequate or un
satisfactory hospital accommodations
"Of the 10000 ex-service men nov
in hospitals, nearly one-third are stii
in contract hospitals. Thousands O.
mentally disabled men who woult
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