The Cordova daily times., 1922-12-13
IN TWO
 ARMIES; AID
 NOW DENIED

I.lH z
 PITTsBURG, Dec. 13.-If. war is what General Sherman said it was, then what is peace?
 Juraz Katina, U. s. World War vet eran and later soldier of the American Legion of the Czecho- -Slovakia Army, who did stretch" up in Siberia to save his country from the Reds, prob ably is better qualified than most any other man in this country to give the answer, if he would.
 He is the champion hard-luck vet eran.a United States red tape almost finished him. It happened this way: He enlisted in an American regi- ment at the outset of the World War and fought through that great conflict from start to finish as Yankee sol dier. Likewise, he Is a naturalized American. Then peace came. The big war was over. The Reds in Rus sia were menacing Czecho-Slovakia. He volunteered, with fellow Ameri- cans. to go up to Siberia to help save his native country: In course of time he, with his comrades, returned to the United States. He came to Pitts burg and worked hard for months; then his health broke down due to the rigors of war service.
 Operation Denied
 Surgeons were called. They want ed to operate He was broke. No money, no, operation, the surgeons said. Then 1t was suggested that he be put in Government hospital for disabled soldiers. It was discovered he had enlisted in another country's army after the Americans quit fight ing in Germany so it was declared ne was not an American citizen, be- cause there is Federal law to the effect that any former foreigner who fights in another country without this GoyernmenS's authorization loses his citizenship He applied for ald to Czecko-S Slovakia through diplomatic channels for help, Czecho-Slovakla was good to it's disabled vets, Word came to Pittsburg that the Czecho- sloyakian Government was sorry, put Katina had renounced his citizenship fin that country and had become an American, therefore it was up to America to take care of him. Poor Katina, valiant fighter for both coun- tries, was now, official, veteran witn- out country.
 st Francis Hospital. in Pittsburg, handles disabled soldiers for the u- ;. Government. the Government paying the soldiers bills.
 Friends Assist
 Kind friends got poor Katina out to St. Francis Hospital; but, asloe from landing on patients cot, that ,s as far as he got. Not one or ms friends had the price for an operatlon' and there could be no operation until the cash to pay for it was in sight Pathetic appeals went to Washington Bureau chiefs, clerks and others down +here nassed the buck from one sec t,on to another. Formidable looking Jackets were prepared about tnis man. chiefs and sub-chiefs rupper stamped the papers and passed them along. But Katino still reposed on his ,ore,v cot in St. Francis Hospital m Pittsburg, and so it went rom "eeA +o week. Clerks in Washington went ahont their business with their accus- toned calmness and deliberation' Finally Dr. Bedrich StepaneK' czacho- -sloyakian Minister, thought something ought to be done apout IL ins+ead of so much red tape. He wrote a, letter. It just sizzled. Then things happened mighty fast Woro came to St. Francis Hospital that Ma tina might be hopitalized along wltn other American veterans. He couiu l have his operation and whatever else he needed in the way of medlcal at tention. The U. s. Government couio he charged with his account. Ine I czecho- -Sloyakian Government would reimburse the United States GoVerh