The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-06-07
( y y y y y y y y y y y q y y y
AMERICAN LEGION
q q T. q q q q . q u q q . q q q q

In his Memorial Day message to
Minnesota Legionaires, State Com
mander Gerald Barron of Cloquet
emphasized the fittingness of con-
tempiating the deplorable condition
of disabled comrades while pausing
to mourn for those who have gone
west.
"Legionaires of Minnesota" de-
clared the Department Commander,
"In the battle for disqualification
you are crusaders in high and holy
cause. The time has come when
each and every one of us must throw
his whole heart into the battle for
justice to our disabled comrade. AS
we stand with bowed heads before
those little mounds which mark the
final resting places of those dear
comrades, let us be strengthened in
this high and lofty resolve-'In Min
nesota we shall not rest until every
last disabled comrade has received
the full measure of attention to which
he is entitled
"Let us take stock with ourselves
as we listen to that sad, sweet last
call of Taps suggested Command
er Barron, "But for the Divine Will,
we ourselves would be sleeping today
beneath those little crosses in Min
nesota, in Picardy, in Flanders or in
the Argonne. In that beautiful pre-
amble to the Constitution of The
American Legion, we have acknow-
lodged this debt to Divine Provi-
dence by pledging ourselves to de-
vote our lives thus spared to the
oo,,co of cayxy;oa 70 God ond Conn
try"
H.
The Fight is Still On
In a message from their depart
ment officers just dispatched to
Minnesota Legionaires, the lack of
hospital facilities in Minnesota for
the care of disabled veterans is fully
explained and reasons are given for
continuation of the struggle for prop
er hospital facilities, with the request
that the 500 posts, 400 Legion Aux
iliaries, and the 100000 members of
these two organizations inform the
public of the facts and go forward
unitedly toward their objective.
Among the facts set forth are these ::
Mental Cases Cared For
The proper care of mentally sick
comrades is assured. Actual con-
struction of the 25O-bed neuro-
psychiatric hospital at St. Cloud for
the treatment of these buddies will
begin June 18th, according to Cen
eral Hines, U. S. Veterans Bureau
Director. This is the hospital for
which Minnesota Legionaires agitat-
ed for two years, construction of
which was authorized more than a
year ago, but actual work delayed
until now.
No Money Available
The foregoing facts and figures,
(and many more) were placed be-
fore General Hines, U. S. Veterans
Bureau Director, on his recent visit.
But the General, who spent only a
few hours in Minnesota and only a
small portion of that time in confer
ence with those who wished to lay
before him the situation here, was
not able to carefully examine the
Legion records and those of the Min
nesota State Board of Health, in the
brief interval at his disposal. He
stated that the request of Minnesota
Legionaires for a tubercular hospital
"came too late," that no money is
now available for the construction Of
such a hospital, but that he will con-
slider the Legion figures, pending au-
thorization by Congress of funds for
the construction of additional hos
pital facilities. In the meantime, he
declared, "Tubercular veterans of
Minnesota can be cared for at the
Milwaukee. hospital, at No. ~ in
Helena, and in Colorado"
The Truth of the Matter
Concerning General Hines state
ments, the Minnesota Legion and
Minnesota State Board of Health
have long ago requested construction
of a tubercular hospital for Minneso-
ia veterans, but at that time Director
Forbes, then in charge of the U. S.
Veterans Bureau, gave the same an
swer which General Hines gives now
that no funds were available. Fur
thermore, the Milwaukee hospital is
designed to serve the Eighth District,
with such heavily populated cities and
states as Chicago, ILL.,, Detroit, Mich,
and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which
alone will need more than the 800
beds available. there. At Helena,
Hospital No. IL has only one hun