Evening star., 1923-03-25
GIVE INCOMPETENT
VETERANS NEW AID
Bureau Officials Make Vital
Change of Procedure
in Such Cases.

Complaints that guardians Of
mentally incompetent veterans of the
world war have been guilty of ir-
resularlties i'll connection with the
care of their wards have caused the
new administration of the Veterans
Bureau to adopt Il vital change in
procedure, which has been approved
by the Department of Justice and
may be tried out for the first time
IN the Supreme Court of the Dis
trlct of Columbia for further pro-
lection of these unfortunates.
Under the new policy the Veterans
Bureau practically takes the re-
SpohSlDlIIty, not only of paving to
these mental incompetents their COM
htlAatlon, and advancing such ben
CitS as nave been accorded in the
past put also of reaching out to
investigate certain of the guardians
themselves to see that dement's OF the
veterans Bureau actually reach the
men Tor whom they were intend.d
Ready for Court Action.
Wherever possible. irregularities
concerning the care and treatment of
incompetent veterans will be settled
dihlcaply out of court, it was an
nounced. but should il become neces-
Sary. the legal department of the
bureau now stands ready. it was said
py w II liam Wolff Smith. general coun-
sci. to institute roceedtngs before
the courts to effect Il remedy.
These proceedings would be carried
forward in the name of some official
of the bureau, the American Legion,
Red Cross or other agency, as the
veterans next friend.
Appointments and removals of
guardians. in order more completely
al
legged evils of the guardian system,
could thus be effected, it was pointed
out.
The District Supreme Court will
actions. according to present pros
poets. The plan is to extend the
policy throughout the country.
Relief for veterans of the world
state and federal prisons throughout
the country are also loomed as a re-
suit of a conference yesterday at the
Department of Justice between Off
Gals of that department, the Veterans
Bureau. the American Legion, and
May BE Ignorant of Benefits.
These men now number almost
completed by Percy Mccoy. Special
Investigator in the office of Director
Hines of the bureau. While it was
emphasized that they had been duly
sent to the penal institutions where
they are now confined and are priS-
oners of the government. neverthe-
less it was said to be possible that
many Of them still are ignorant of
the benefits which may be owing
them from the government as re-
suit of their war service.
1t was broadly limited in certain
official quarters yesterday that some
of these prisoners may have been
convicted in the orderly process OF
law for commission of some crimes
which, when the entire truth is re-
vealed, may have been partly caused
by their weakened condition due to
war This sort of speculation, how
ever, is considered by officials as more
or less delicate, in view of the fact
that the men have been tried. con-
victed and sentenced. of the $4,000
prisoners, about 1000 now are gov
ernment beneficiaries.
Oficials of the Department of
Justice and the Veterans Bureau
joined in favoring the spirit OF the
reform movement which would re-
suit in cooperation between opera
tives of the two government agencies
for the benefit of the veteran prison
ers. Medical rehabilitation, and
even vocational aid are being con-
sidered as possibilities in the pro-
gram. which was tentatively dis
cussed yesterday Further details
are to be developed by Veterans
Bureau officials and later submitted
to the Department Of Justice for ap-
proval, which is expected. Superin-
tendent of Prisons Fotaw has given
the general plan his Endorsement.
First steps.
Some of the first steps will be for
district attorneys to inform the Vet
erans' Bureau of veterans brought
before the courts. Later it is hoped
that certain cooperative services may
be worked out in three federal
prisons, at Atlanta, Fort Leaven-
worth, and Mcneil Island, Seattle.
When these become successfully
operative, it is the hope that the
work may branch out into state penal
institutions.
The conference at the Department
of Justice was held yesterday at the
office of acting Attorney General Sey-
mour. Heading the Veterans Bureau
delegation was General Counsel
Smith. Veterans organizations were
represented by John Lewis Smith,
department commander of the Ameri-
can Legion, and Frank Irwin, chair
man of the rehabilitation committee
of the Disabled American Veterans.