The Washington herald., 1922-12-06
SEEKS To SPEED AID
!. FOR DISABLED VETS
Captain Cook, National Com
inander, Praises Admins
tration for Efforts.
BLAMEs DELAY ON. CLERKS
Declares He and General Saw
yer Are in Perfect Accord
on Program.
BLAMES DELAY ON CLERKS

The national situation affecting
the disabled veteran isitoday In bet.
ter shape than at any other. time
since the armistice, but there is still
vast amount to be accomplished
before We will consider the matter
satisfactory"
This was the announcement last
night by Capt. c. H. Cook, Of 'Buf.
falo. national commander Of the Dis
abled American Veterans. an organi-
zation Of $4,000 manned former
soldiers, and sailors Captain Cook
is in Washington to pay his respects
to President Harding. confer with
General Sawyer on several hospital.
ization proposals and discuss pend
ing legislation. ;
GREATEST DRAWBACK. -,
zone of the distinct drawbacks un-
der which we have been laboring is
the unwieldy number Of matters de-
manding attention and one of our
biggest tasks is to 50 arrange things
that priority will be granted in the
proper direction" said the leader Of
the disabled. -.
1T IL only short time ago that
there was no end Of controversy over
hospitals. but after talking with the
President. General Sawyer and Col.
oDel Forbes. of the Veterans Blu
reau. we got that In pretty good
shape and our program has been
agreed upon unanimously. While
there are still not enough hospitals
and all We have are not satisfac-
tory. progress is being made at
such speed that we think the mat
ter will adjust itself.
Everywhere you go you find
complaint against the functioning
of the Veterans. Bureau. Many Of
these kicks are thoroughly justifi-
able and others have no real ground.
But one encouraging sign is that
most of the complaint is made
against clerical miscarriage rather
than objection to the higher authori-
ties. Substantial reductions are now
being made in the bureau personnel
and the plan is to eliminate the in
efficient. SO feel that even the
PRAISES OFFICIALS.
LAS I have repeatedly maintained,
Colonel Forbes, Colonel Patterson,
Colonel Rees and others higher up.
are absolutely sincere. and / happen
to know they are straining every
| effort to wipe out abuses down the
| line.
! THE whole strength Of our organ.
| ization from every State in the
\ Union now is to be thrown behind
the so-called Sweet bill. We want
man who has been in a hospita
a year or more to obtain the bene
fits Of his insurance by being de
| clared permanently and totally dis
abled and want that status tc
| remain unchanged twelve months
II there is an improvement ther
he should be reduced but We fee
there is too much lost motion ant
too much annoyance by CONSTANT,
having mems cases being brough
before rating boards.
I'm the same measure we pro
pose to have the tracing Of a post
war disability to service made cas-
ier by extending the period IL
which tubercular and mental case,
may be assumed to have been in
Cured or aggravated in service.
Both Of these contentious wert
considered eminently fair and alonJ
the intention Of the people in pro
viding millions for the relief o
those for whom the war is not We
over.
OFFICERS ARE RETIRED.
"As matters now stand the dis
abled officers Of the regular army
navy and marines and the nava
and marine reserve are grantet
retirement. OF the six classes tn.
only ones denied the privilege ar
the permanently disabled emergenc,
officers who were volunteers in tn,
best sense Of the word and ar
being Disseminated against, Will
the War Department the only
opponent to the Bursum bill. w,
propose to see the Bursum bill
through without further unneces
sary delay by the House Militar,
Affairs Committee"
The national commander is i,
business in Buffalo but is devotin,
practically all his time to tn,
cause Of the disabled veterans
throughout the country.