The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-11-12
RED TAPE
MILL TAKES
VET LIVES
Weak Hearts Sent to High
AItitudeS-InSuranCe Man
Doctors Lungs,
BY c. A. RANDALL,
Tfyues STAFF COrresDoudert

L is 4 melancholy story-the tale
of the sufferings of war veter-
ans in hospitals throughout the
nation.
How many of the thousands Of
deaths might have been avoided had
the victims received the treatment
they were entitled to, will, of course,
never be known.
No Senate committee can bring out
such facts. But death. with it's final
ity, also brings an end to sufferings.
The men who have hung on to life.
despite the lumberings of the Gov
eminent red tape mill. are per-
haps the greatest sufferers.
Tearing aside the curtain which sta
tistics and Government reports al
ways tend to form, George Looms, a
war veteran, writer on the Denver
Express, has turned a bright light on
the mal-administration that marked
enc of these veterans hospitals.
Instead Of spending their t ne large
ly in digging into the number of dol
lars and cents the Veterans Bureau
wasted in buying unnecessary plots Of
real estate, it might be we'll for the
Senators to pause an hour and read
the parts Of John No Drawn" that
Cepict the inside Of Government hos
pital.
Information for Senators
Here's a paragraph that will in
form Senator's Walsh, Reed and Cd
die what the vets" themselves think
OF Government administration OF the
hospitals:
Cole chuckIed. There's one guy pulled a
good one on the board, they tell me-yes-
terday. They were arguin like hell in the
next room whether to give him total per
manent or not-thats to give him his in
sursnee. you know" he added. Seems as
though you have 20 have all five lobes or
cavities or something. Well" he went on.
as they were arguin' whether or not this
guy was totally and personally disabled.
damn If he didn't die on EN- One OF the
doctors came walking back into his room.
Well. Lieutenant he says. we've decided
to give II to you The guy was dead. First
time. the board ever guessed right they
say"
Cole was an old-dmer in the hos
pital. He told Drawn about things in
general. and then inquired as to
Brawn's ailing.
81 don't think there's much the mat
ter with me-" said Drawn.
"Mightn't be now. Just wait TIL
you've been here a while" said Cole.
Coles prophecy was all too accurate.
A month later he gave Drawn another
bit Of information. Drawn had ex-
pressed the hope that he might soon
be shifted to the ambulant ward, E-2
Don't know as how it helps much
to get over there" said Cola. "One
Of 'em bumped off cver in F2 this
morninT Found him in his room, in
q rocking chair. Heart went bad, they
say. Never thought Of looking at his
heart. This is a hell of a place for a
bad heart Pfooey! Off you GO" He
grinned. Ever had your heart ex.
amined?'
Worried in indianapolis
Captain Parker was the examining
physician in the t. b. ward. He told
Brown, a Louisville man. that he had
studied medicine in Louisville before
going to Indianapolis. Drawn asked
a question, merely to appear friend
ly.
NO" said the captain slowly. ct
a-as a matter of fact. I did not fol
low medicine when ! went to indian
apols. was with the Northern Mu-
tual Life Insurance Company there
for six years"
"Oh, 1 see," said Drawn Medical
board?
mo" He paused long time. Then
he closed the book and showed It in a
drawer of the desk. II was on the
street"
Men with weak hearts were sent to
high attitudes in Colorado and insur-
ance statesmen were entrusted with
mems lungs And all the while poll
ticians in Washington rave about
everything for the disabled men,
Looms paints a picture Of govern
mental red tape and lack of under
standing that is appalling. He knows
whereof he speaks. He himself went
through the mill