The Washington times., 1923-11-13

cneckered coat.
Police said the woman was about
forty years old. She had reddish
brown hair, streaked with black.
flee on April 2s. 1921. began an
investigation and study Of the op-
erations of the Bureau Of War Risk
Insurance and Of the other govern.
mental agencies which then were
supposed to. be. acting in co-op4ra.
ton for the relief Of the disabled
veteran.
First Clash With Sawyer.
IT hope to have the opportunity
to rei.ss IN more detail, during the
course 81 my aestim1ny. the many
difficulties which ! encountered, but
among the very first was the -su.
prome question Of the proper hos
pitalizati0n Of the disabled veteran.
Among the first difficulties that /
encountered was the insistence by
Brigadier General Sawyer of his
plan to hospita1ize all disabled vet
Grams in the raInshackle and tumble
down cantonment holdings through
out the country. / was and always
have been utterly opposed to this
plan, as have practically all other
persons who have given any
thought and study to the matter,
except General Sawyer and his i'm
mediate followers.
EARLY in the administration Gen.
eral Sawyer insisted upon this plan,
notwithstanding that q most dis
committee, appointed by
the American Medical Association.
and composed of DIR. Work, present
Secretary OF the Interior; DR.. Frank
Billings, OF Chicago. who served as
colonel in the medical corps. during
the late war and is.goTe of the most
and other distinguished physicians
were bitterly opposed to such a pinrl.
/ regret that on account OF my OPP
position to such a plan / incurred
from the beginning the active
hostility OF General Sawyer.
Hampered by Politics.
"In his testimony given on the
opening day of this investigation. the
present director, General Hines,
said: The bureau is a large ma.
chine. 1t has taken a long time TO
become effective I quite agree
with this statement OF General
Hines. The War Risk Insurance
Bureau began its work with peak
load. It has been compelled to build
down instead OF up. But I feel that
l would not be frank with this COM
nittee unless added to this thai Ia
my honest belief most Of the de-
fteiencies In the administration of
the laws providing for relief to tho
disabled veteran, whether under the
war Risk Insurance Bureau, or the
veterans Bureau, Of the Public
Health Service or other agencies, has
been due to politics and Sawyer.
II regret exceedingly that fthe
name of the late President has been
injected into this investigation and
II 10 my desire and intention to re-
Train from any mention OF him ex-
cept where it appears to be abso-
iutely necessary to the production Of
the truth. But inasmuch an General
sawyer has appeared before this
committee and made a wholly unau-
thorized and erroneous statement
concerning the cause of my resigI1a-
tlon' l feel 1t my duty to state the
tacts briefly as follows:
Explains Resignation.
During the summer OF 1892 after
had served something more than
year. my health began to break
ana decided to retire. This desire
expressed not only to the President,
put TO many others, did not take
oeIlnlte form until toward the end
OF the year 1929, when it became
perfectly apparent to me that 1t
would be utterly impossible for me to
continue to administer the law re-
laung to the Veterans Bureau on
account of the constant interference
On the part OF General Sawyer.
IN the month of December, 1929,
anu ong before the President fl
many decided to issue his second
;,;ennPorary order stopping the de-
llveFy or goods at Perryvple, l
IrdnKIy told the President that l
couid not continue to serve IL Gen.
erdl sawyer was to continue in Of
nee; ana II became simply a choice
between Sawyer and myself, and I
renewed the President of any pos
sloie embarrassment by rendering
my resignation, the date of which
ne lnslstently deferred for sixty
days beyond the date suggested by
me Tor 1t to become effective.
now desire to be Intercepted
oy my counsel as to the essential
matters relating to my administra-
ton concerning which testimony
has heretofore been offered, and
then to be interrogated fully and
searchingly by the members Of the
committee and it's counsel; and also
desire the privilege of producing
such witnesses and documents as
may be found necessary. In this
respect 1 desire to express to the
committee my gratitude for. It's fair
and courteous treatment of my
counsel, which he has reported to
me, and to request that in addition
to the witnesses already summoned
AZ my request, other necessary wit
nesses referred TO In my testimony
may be summoned II the COMMIT
Tee should entertain any possible
Ill