Milford chronicle., 1923-02-16
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
TAKING CARE OF THE COLORED
VETERANS-TWO MILLION DOL
LAR HOSPITAL AT TUSKEGEE

81 don't care what Freddie says, he
was mighty fine to me and don't see
why 1 shouldn't be to him." said Jack
to Ruth as they came into the house
after an evening of cOasting down the
long hill that had become one of the
finest toboggan slides they had ever
seen.
mo sir. Just because Jimmie has
black skin doesn't make any difference
to me. He has helped me lots Of times
wrong way of looking at it. Too many
other people look at it the same way"
and appreciate it. Freddie takes the
"That may be true" spoke up I'm
Gle Ted, "but I'll tell you one group
of people who do NOT look at it that
way"
"Who are they?" asked Jack.
"The President of the United
States and his advisors and helpers"
answered Uncle Ted. "The most of the
people throughout the United States
do not realize how many things have
been done for the negro since Pres1-
dent Harding was inaugurated. 1t
would take too long to so into all
phases of the subject and it wouldn't t
all be very interesting to you, but do
want to tell you one or two things
since you brought up the subject.
at is especially interesting to go in
to this now, as we have just celebrat-
ed the birthday of Abraham Lincoln
who was responsible for freeing the
slaves by his famous Emancipation
Proclamation.
81 wonder if you have ever stopped
to think about the place the negroes
took in the World War. was in
France and 1 saw them and l know
what they did. At one time it was my
privilege to command a number OF
thuse men and 1 want you to know
thaL they were as fine fighters as /
have ever seen.
"Of course when they were in the
thick of the fighting it was the ma
tural result that many of them were
killed and hundreds of them wound
ed. Now, the colored boy likes to be
with his own people when he is we'll
That is only natural. But when he is
sick he wants to be with his own peo-
pie just about twice as bad. The mat
ter of taking care Of the wounded
colored troops has been quite a prob
lem but the men who are running our
government have been studying the
matter carefully and they have taken
the same interest in the wounded col
ored soldier as they have in the white
boys.
"In this connection a wonderful
tribute was paid to those boys when
on February 12, Lncoln's birthday,
big hospital for colored veterans was
dedicated at Tuskegee, Alabama, with
the guest of honor no less a person
than the Vice President Of the United
States who made the dedicatory ad-
dress. It was a wonderful event. The
new governor of Alabama, William w.
Brandon, met the Vice President at
the state line, on the morning OF the
18th and went with him as far as
Chehaw, Alabama, where the entire
party was welcomed by the Mayor and
committee from the town Of Tuske-
gee. From there the party went over
the new Government road to the hos
pital. This hospital was built at Tusk-
egee for a very good reason. 1t Is
there that the Tuskegee Institute
founded by that great negro Booker
T. Washington, is located.
'Many people may think that thls
hospital is Just an ordinary sort OF
affair. 1t may surprise you to know
that this building to take care of ne
gro veterans has been built at cost
of about TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
The authorities who worked on this
problem at Washington realized that
not only was a modern building need
ed. but that it was needed AT ONCE.
For that reason the greatest speed
was necessary and the hospital was
erected and completed from top to bot
tom in EIGHT MONTHS.
"In addition to the fact that this
hospital will make it possible to take
care of 600 tuberculous and mental
cases, twill bring the greater portion
of the disabled colored veterans un-
der one roof where they can be with
friends at all times. AS it is now, they
are scattered in hospitals throughout
the entire country.
"I have told you before how remark
able has been the work of building
hospitals for the veterans but
haven't told you about the colored
boys. Tell Freddie this TOO, JACK LhaI
Uncle Sam thinks enough Of the col
ored wounded veterans to build mod
ern hospital that, with the exception
of the U. s. Veterans Hospital No. 81
located at the Bronx, New York City,
where a hospital was remodeled, eX-
ceeds in cost all other hospitals built
by the Treasury Department under
the special appropriation Of $1S,OOO,-
900 for soldier hospitals. 1t has larg-
er bed capacity than any Of the 10 ma
ior projects under this appropriation,
with the exception Of the hospital at
New York City and the one at Mill
waukee, which has capacity OF 612
beds.
att is the twelfth great hospital pro-
iect to be completed by the Treasury
Department under the direction OF AS
sistant Secretary Edward Clifford
man appointed by President Harding.
NJ MORO haautifI1l spot could have