The Washington times., 1922-10-19
DR.. SAWYER IS
STORM CENTER
At CONVENTION
disqualification Committee in
Stormy AI.Night Session
on Policies.
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event he himself is not elected the
legion's new head.
The location OF the hospital in
Michigan was said to have created ILL.,
feeling between Sawyer and Sprague
and to have famed the flames Of the
controversy which resulted In the
caustic report condemning the Ad-
ministration's disqualification policy
as a tragedy" without "redeming
feature" which sprague submitted
to the convention before Colonel
Forbes decided not to appear.
Forbes Makes Ripple.
The sudden disappearance of For
bes from New Orleans was currently
reported to have followed long dis
tance telephone conversation with
President Harding during which he
was said to have recited the antago.
nism OF William +. Deegan. of New
York and other leading legionnaires
to the Veterans Bureau. Sawyer and
himself. Forbes departure is be-
lieved to have contributed To the de-
cision in the interstate committee
every State in the Union to shelve
the anti-Sawyer resolutions.
Forbes sent letter to Hanford
MacNider, retiring commander. be-
fore he left. pointing out that he had
come here at MacNider's personal In.
vitation to cooperate with the con-
vention in reha bilitation work. and
that he felt, In view of criticisms Ill.
rected at him and the Administrat ton
since his arrival. that 1t would be
better for all concerned II he did not
appear before the convention.
Hit Newberry and Townsend.
The phrase For the time being"
was insisted upon, however. by those
at the secret committee meeting who
declared they were opposed to the
soft pedslling" policy decreed by
the legion leaders In control OF IL.
Several Of the rejected resolutions
| also contained criticisms OF Senators
Newberry and Townsend, Of Michi.
| gan. who were accused OF using their
influence with President Harding to
| induce him to direct Sawyer to es.
tablish "a veterans hospital in that
State instead of near Chicago as ad.
vocated by Colonel Sprague. who IL
| to<'step aside" as chairman OF the
| national rehabilitation committee
unless he is reappointed by the in.
coming national comma ander in the
event he himself is not elected the
legion's new head.
The location OF the hospital In
! Michigan was said to have created
i'll feeling between Sawyer and
! Sprague and to have famed the
| flames Of the controversy which re-
suited in the caustic report con.
demning the Administrations hos
pitalization policy as a tragedy"
and without n ''redeeming feature"
which Sprague submitted to the con-
vention before Colonel Forbes decid-
ed not to appear before u.
PhOned Harding, Is Report.
The sudden disappearance Of
Forbes from New Orleans was cur.
rently reported to have followed a
long distance telephone conversation
he had with President Harding dur
ing which he was said to have recit.
ed the antagonism OF William E
Deegan, Of New York. and other lead
ing Legionnaires to the veterans
bureau. Sawyer and himself.
Forbes. departure dropped like a
bombshell in the convention and Is
believed to have contributed to the
decision in the interstate committee
composed OF representatives from
every State in the Union to shelve
the anti-Sawyer resolutions
Forbes sent a letter to Hanford
MacNider, retiring commander, be-!
fore he left. pointing out that he
had come here at MacNider's per.
sonal invitation to cooperate with
the convention In rehabilitation
work and that he felt in view cf
criticism directed at him and the
administration since his arrival
that II would be better for all con.
cerned II he did not appear before
the convention.
Forbes was understood to have
been told by the President that he
could follow whatever course he
deemed best and Forbes at once
packed his grips and left for the
National Capital. No verification OF
this report could, however, be OBJ
tanned.
Not Responsible for Work.
Before his departure Forbes said
he did not presume to answer for
the result OF hospital construction as
provided by the first Langley bill,
under which the Veterans Bureau
had absolutely no voice in the selec.
ton OF hospital sites"
Under the second Langley bill,
signed in the spring by President
Harding, Forbes said that all OF the
SIT 900 900 appropriated by II for
additional hospitals has been allo.
Gated and "all the sites have been
selected and plans for the new insti.
tutions prepared, several Of which
are already under way"
THE President has urged that all
possible haste be made to complete
these hospitals" Forbes added.
He expressed regret that certain
elements in the legion had felt Il
necessary to condemn the Govern.
ment's disqualification program. a
course he declared 'unjustifiable and
disappointing"
Coincident with Forbes ruction
with the Legion critics of the Ad.
ministration spokesmen for the Vet.