Evening star., 1923-11-13
FORBES SAYS HE LEFT
VETERANS POST RATHER
THAN BE WITH SAWYER
Continued from First Page.)


to the matter, excet Gen. Sawyer and
his immediate followers. Early In
the administration Gen. Sawyer in
| sisted upon this plan. notwithstand-
ing that most distinsuishen h 1sa asrioan com,
Medical Association and composed of
DR. Hubert Work. present Secretary
Of the Interior; DR.. Frank Billings
of Chicago and other distinguishes
physicians. were bitterly opposed TO
such q plan. / regret that on ac-
| count of my opposition to such plan
I incurred from the beginning the
active hostility Of Gen. Sawyer.
Attacks Gen. Sawyer.
"In his testimony given on the
opening days of this investigation the
present director. General Hines, said
The bureau is a large machine 1t
has taken long time to become ef-
fective.' quite agree with this
statement of Gen. Hines. The War
Risk Insurance Bureau began Its
work with a peak load. 1t has been
compelled to build down instead OF
up.
II feel that I would not be frank
with this committee unless / added
to this that In my honest beiief most
of the deficiencies in the admins
tration OF the laws providing for
relief to the disabled veteran. wheth-
er under the War Risk Insurance Bu-
reau or the Veterans Bureau or the
public health service or other agen-.
cies has been due to politics and
Sawyer"
of the late President has been injected
into this investigation. and IL Is my
desire and intention to refrain from
any mention of him except where 1t
appears to be absolutely necessary TO
the production Of the truth. But in,
asmuch as Gen. Sawyer has appeared
before this committee and made a
wholly unauthorized and erroneous
statement concerning the cause OF my
resignation, feel II my duty to state
the facts briefly as follows:
During the summer of 1922, after
I had served something more than
a year. my health began TO break and
I desired to retire. This desire. ex-
pressed not only to the President: but
to many others, did not take definite
form until toward the end OF the
year 1922, when 1t became perfectly
apparent to me that it would De ut
terly impossible for me to continue to
administer the law relating to the
Veterans Bureau on account OF the
constant Interference on the part of
Gen. Sawyer.
Declares Resignation Delayed.
"In the month of December, 1929,
and long before the President finally
decided to issue his second temporary
order stopping the delivery of goods
at Perryville, frankly told the
President that could not continue to
serve If Gen. Sawyer was to con-
tinue in office; and it became simply
q choice between Sawyer and myself.
and I relieved the President of any
possible embarrassment by rendering
my resignation. the date Of which he
mistakenly deferred for sixty days be-
yond the date suggested by me for 1t
to become effective
Examined by his counsel. James S.
Easby-Smith. Forbes told in more de-
tail the story of what he termed the
interference of Gen. Sawyer in the op-
Grafton of the Veterans Bureau. He
quoted Sawyer as telling one inquirer
Il am the Veterans Bureau. Come
and see me-"
Forbes also asserted that Sawyer
constantly opposed" conferences of
scientific consultants who came to
Washington to assist in devising
means OF caring for the disabled; that
he wanted all patients, tubercular
ncuropsychfatric and general. housed
together. and that he had insisted that
homeopathic doctors be given the
same opportunity as other doctors in
the matter of employment by the bu-
reau.
He told me-" Forbes added. "tha,
doctors had their innings"
Charges IAterference.
In one instance. he said. Sawyer
issued an order for reinstatement OF
= doctor that Forbes had ordered dis.
charged. Asked where the general
got his authority. tho witness replied
'.He always claimed he had author
ity from tho President"
Pressed for more specifics informa-
ton, Forbes said he would like to be
excused from mentioning President
Harding.
IF the President issued orders
said Senator Walsh. democrat. Massa-
chusetts, you should state II rather
than take the responsibility upon
yourself"
4 can say frankly" the witness re-
piled, that Sawyer attempted to ex-
ercise more authority around Wash
ington than any senator and he suc-
cessfully got away with it."
Forbes added that when he pro-
told him Sawyer simply was getting
Information for him.
As chairman of the general hospi-
J taltzAuon board. the former director
continued. Sawyer would call meet
inEs in his office in the State, War
and Navy building. At which hours
were spent in discussion and nothinE
was accomplished.
81 suggested that Gen. Sawyer es.
Bureau, SO / could get some work
done in my Office" he said, but one
room wasn't enough for him"
Asked about political pressure