Evening star., 1923-09-23
BY WILL II. KENNEDY.

\
THAT great waste exists in the
disqualification of world war
| victims, and that there are a
! large number of gold brick
| ers" among the trainees, but that
| voluminous criticism by members of
Congress of the United States veter-
| ans Bureau was for the most part
| generalities, and that the accounting
| department of the central office in
| Washington Is satisfactory has been
! determined by the special Senate COM
mittees established to investigate the
United States Veterans Bureau.
This committee. which plans to re-
sumo public hearings here next month,
| consists of Senator Reed of Pennsyl-
| vania, chairman; Senator Oddie of
Nevada, and Senator Walsh of Massa-
| chusetts, who was author of the reso-
| luton creating the committee. Maj.
Gen. John F. Organ of New York
| is counsel for the committee.
The investigation is directed mainly
at the administration of the Veterans
| Bureau by Col. Charles r. Forbes,
| when he was director. He was sue
| ceeded by Gen. Frank It. Hines, the
present director. Col. Forbes has just
been discharged from a sanatorium
in California.
! Receive 300 Complaints.
| The special Senate committee was
appointed in March of this year. Gen.
| Organ. as counsel. formed a national
| organization of volunteer investi-
/ A.
| veterans. who have assisted him in
| Investigating specific complaints. APP
| proximately 900 of these have been
| received, the majority of which have
been Investigated and the remainder
| are in process of investigation.
The attitude OF Gen Hines, now di-
rector of the Veterans, Bureau. to-
| ward the committee and its investi-
cation has been and Is one of COM
plete cooperation. All records in his
Office have been thrown open to in
spection and study by the committees
investigators and a number of rec
concentrations made by these investi-
gators for minor Improvements of ad-
ministration have been adopted.
The most intricate Investigations
now in progress are those relating
to the purchase of the hospital site
at Livermore, Calf, the hospital site
purchased at Excelsior Springs, Mo.
and the sale of surplus stores at Per.
ryville. Md, where Brig. Gen. Charles
E. Sawyer has just been sent al
acting community manager" ant
observer" for Gen. Hines. Thes'
three matters, according to pre-
liminary report by Gen. Organ t.
the Senate committee. give indica.
i tons that dishonesty existed in effect
ing the transactions"
Takes Up Criticisms.
Taking cognizance of severe criti
cisms made in Congress Of the con
, duct of the Veterans Bureau at th'
time the committee was appoined
Gen. Organ had extracts made o
all such criticisms that he could trace
both in the House and in the Senate
Upon analysis they were found Il
deal largely in generalities. Wher'
there appeared any statement tina
would in any way warrant an inves
tigation, it was made or is being
made. All representatives of the gov
> eminent and all members of Congress
were requested to furnish Gen
4 Organ with criticisms or complaint
relating to the Veterans Bureau ant
! with information at their disposa
meriting investigation.
An expert was summoned from
Q New York who made a general brie
u survey of the accounting department
: of the central office here for tn
!. purpose of determining whether