Evening star., 1923-01-14
OFFICERS TOQU|T
VETERANS BUREAU
Secretary Weeks Issues
Order Withdrawing Four at
Once, Three February |.
FORBES LAUDS SERVICE
Director Regrets Army Needs Call
for Discontinuanee of
Duty.

Secretary of War Weeks yesterday aft
crnoon signed orders Withdrawing
from the Veterans Bureau all Regu-
lar Army officers who have been de-
tailed there in important administra-
tive positions.
Four of these officers will he re-
lieved at once. while three others will
be transferred on February |.
Secretary Weeks has let ii be known
that the only reason for Withdrawing
these officers is because their service
is needed in the War Department
Those officers who will be relieved
Immediately are: Lieut.. Col. Roger
Brooke, chief of consultants; Lieut..
Col. Paul s.. Halloran. in charge of
the inspection section, medical di-
vision; Maj. Raymond w. Bliss, as
sistant chief, hospital subdivision. all
three of whom are medical officers,
and Maj George p. Ahern of the
employment service. rehabilitation
division.
Three Remain TO February 1.
At the request of Director Forbes
of the Veterans Bureau, three officers
will remain until February /. They
are Lieut.. Col. r. l. Rees, infantry,
assistant director. in charge of re-
habilitation; Lieut.. Col. r. u. Pat
terson, Medical Corps, assistant di-
rector. in charge of the medical divi-
sion, and Maj. John G. MacDonnell,
adjutant generals office, who has
been Iiaison officer between the War
Department and Veterans Bureau.
Director Forbes indicated it was
with great regret that he was obliged
to lose the Regular Army officers.
He said he would like to have had
them stay.
The Regular Army officers, in the
opinion of Col. Forbes. constituted
highly trained personnel, whose serv-
ices had been invaluable to the Vet
erans' Bureau.
At the War Department it was said
Secretary Weeks was anxious to bring
hack to the War Department officers
detailed elsewhere, because recent
legislation by Congress had reduced
the commissioned personnel of the
Army by 1908 officers and had de-
NOTED 855 in rank.
service henucrcus
Director Forbes in a formal state
lnent made public last night declared
that each of the regular Army officers
who has served the disabled men while
in the employ of the bureau has rendered
the highest type of service"
"I personally made the request to
have these officers detailed to the bu-
reau," said Col Forbes, las I was in
need of their professional services, and
| unhesitatingly say that it will be a
difficult task to replace these experienced
officials without somewhat slowing up
the administration of the huge affairs
of the bureau.
Il want to say that these men, who
have unselfshly devoted their lives to
the government, have rendered disabled
men and the Veterans Bureau the
greatest possible service, and it is with
deep regret that 1 am forced to agree
to the return of many of these men to
their units"
The Veterans Bureau, Director
Forbes said, now has 1885 veterans
suffering from tuberculosis in hospitals; ;
5,536 disabled men suffering from gen.
eral and surgical disabilities, and 1851
men afflicted with nervous and mental
disabilities, making total of nearly
$4,000 veterans, for whom the bureau
is responsible.