The New York herald., 1922-08-07
PUTS SAWYER ISSUE
in HARDING'S HANDS
Col. Sprague Of Legion Sug-
gests That President Ap-
point Arbitrators.

CHICAGO, Aug. 8 (Associatcd Press3.-
Col. A. A. Sprague. chairman OF the
American Legion's national rehabfltta-
tion committee, has suggested to Brig
Gen. Charles D. Sawyer, President Har'
ding's physician, that the President bt
asked to appoint a committee OF physi-
clans to decide the controversy between
Gen. Sawyer and the legion over the
hospital care given wounded soldiers.
Col. Sprague tonight made public his
letter to Gen. Sawyer, who is chief CO.
ordinator OF the hospitalization board
The letter takes issue with statements
made by Gen. Sawyer In reply to pre-
vious communications from the legion
official as printed In the Congressional
Record.
The letter in part follows:
THE American public should know the
situation as it really exists, you write
and then 60 on TO state that there are 80
Government hospitals with a total bed
capacity Of 2S.412 beds. 1e,iy1 os which
are unoccupied. This latter assertion has
been given wide national publicity as q
denial that further hospital construc-
tion is necessary.
The impression is gained from your
statement that these beds are available
for sick and disabled service men. On
the face of the report which the Vet
erans' Bureau publishes biweekly. con-
tanning this information, 1t states in cap
ital letters. This report is to be used for
administrative purposes only. Total un-
occupied beds cannot be interpreted to
mean that all are available on account
Of character of hospitals and geo.
graphic location This is just what the
American Legion says and what your
statement denies.
You have absolutely ignored. and not
mentioned in any way. the fact clearly
stated In the same report that there were
s.611 patients In contract hospitals. 4.617
OF whom are mental and nervous cases
and 2.774 OF whom are tubercular. 1t Is
for these men that we demand the best
the country can give. The fact that you
have omitted these men from your
statement to Congress again convinces
us that you fail to comprehend the ma
ture OF this problem and the tremendous
chances that have been effected In medi-
cal science during and since the war.
THE situation that really exists is
that many Of the ninety nine hospitals
listed as Government hospitals are only
emergency buildings. leased from year to
year. which the Government abandoned
as soon as proper disqualification could
be secured in Government owned hos
pitais.
"It is not on statistics that the legion's
plea for proper disqualification Is based.
but on constant daily observation OF
conditions and personal contact with the
situation In every one OF the fourteen
districts.
"On visit to a nearby hospital /
found the following situation: Three
men hospitalized in one room. one of
them a mental case, another a general
surgical case and tie third suffering
from tuberculosis. The mental case es-
capped one night and was recaptured.
wandering about the vicinity In his
pajamas. He was put back in the room
and the next night killed the tubercular
patient with a chair while the surgical
patient looked on helpless. !"
COL Sprague suggests that the ply
sician's committee be selected preferably
from the executive committee of the
American Medical Association who have
no connection with the Government SER
vice."