Evening star., 1922-01-16
STATES ACCUSED
| BY WAR VETERANS
Memorial to President Says
Mentally Afflicted "GrossIy
Neglected."

Asserting that the more than 3,50t
mentally disabled former service mer
now placed in state institutions were
victims of such gross neglect. in
difference and profiteering" as consti.
tuted black reproach on the honor
Of the nation" the Disabled American
Veterans of the World War. in q
memorial presented today to Presi.
dent Harding, urged immediate action
by the government looking to the
treatment of all such cases in federal
institutions. Neglect of these cases
in state institutions. the memoria.
said. is committing to permanent in.
sanity many of the victims who by
timely treatment probably could be
cured.
Describing the condition of "con.
tract" cases of this class in the IN.
stitutions Of the state of Ohio as
typical of those in practically ever,
state" the memorial asserted the gov.
ernment had "farmed out the insane
ex-service men of Ohio to state asy'
Iums which are notoriously over
crowded. undermined and lnade'
uuately equipped to treat and care
for them" while it has not pro
vided one federal institution for TIM:
purpose in the state.
"For example" the memorial said
sin the Longview Asylum of Hamli'
ton county. Ohio. there are forty-tw'
gallant soldiers who broke dowl
mentally under the stress OF war
although Longview is SO overcrowd
ed that 240 of the inmates sleep OF
the floor like cattle every night
Medical Treatment Lacking.
or the 25e mentally disabled place
in all the institutions of the state. o
whom, it was said. physicians believ
half might be cured by treatment. no
one. the memorial asserted. was re
ceiving medical treatment Of an:
kind for their mental diseases. am
durable cases are being daily doome'
to permanent insanity" None OF tn
institutions, it was further asserted
segregate their tubercular patients.
An average profit of $500 on eacl
patient out of the $547.50 annua
maintenance fee paid by the govern
ment was shown in figures for tn
nine institutions of the state cited il
the memorial as recently having beel
made public by DR.. H. S. MacAyeal
director of the state welfare depart
ment The profit pei per .,snns man range s,s e
Hospital to s32093 for the Institu
tion for Feeble Minded.
In hundreds of cases. 1t was as
serted. relatives are refusing to com
nit mentally disabled veterans. VIII
might be restored to useful citizen
ship. to conditions in the contract
asylums most Of which. the memorla
said. are nothing more than lock
ups"
Urge President to Aid.
To make adequate provision for tn
treatment of all mental cases in fed
eral institutions. the organization
urged that the President use his in
Huence in securing early action b.
Congress on the pending measure t
appropriate s16.o0o.000 for this pur
pose. citing the report of the specia
Senate committee that 1875 NOR
beds were urgently needed beyon'
what would be provided by existing
appropriations.
During the two years or more be
fore federal facilities could be in
creased to take care of all cases. tn
memorial urged that infinitely NOR
rigid supervision" of contract in
stitutions be provided by the Vet
erans' Bureau and that to co-operat
in this an independent commission o
former service men be appointed II
each state. 1t further recommends
that every institution receiving none,
from the government for the care o
disabled soldiers and sailors ''be re
ouired to spend every dollar receive
sailors exclusively" Establishment
of government dispensaries as part o
the emergency system for treatmen
of mental cases and assistance of tn
Government in organizing program
of community social service u co
operate in that work also was urged