Evening star., 1924-02-02
VET BUREAU "R|NG'
. CHARGED BY ODD|E
Senator Says Best Results
Are Prevented and De-
mands Cleanup.
GEN. HINES GIVEN PRAISE
Condition Inherited by Both
Forbes and Present Director,
He Declares.
GEN. HINES GIVEN PRAISE

A ring exists in the Veterans
Bureau which is preventing the bu-
reau from obtaining the best results
for the veterans of the war, in the
opinion of Senator Oddie of Nevada,
republican.
Senator Oddie said today that this
"ring" had been Inherited both by
former Director Forbes and by Gen.
Hines. He expressed his admiration
for Gen. Hines for his ability and
for his honesty of purpose, but de-
clared that Gen. Hines is being pre-
vented from knowing what is going
on in the bureau by this ring of en-
ployes and officials
Senator Oddie said that the ring
should be gotten rid of as soon as
possible. The evils should be blot
ted out, he said, through the dismis-
sal of the members of the ring, and
there should be no attempt to relieve
the situation merely by shifting them
from one division to another.
On Probe Committee.
Senator Oddie is a member of the
Senate committee which has been in
restigating the Veterans Bureau. He
said today that he was not speaking
for the committee, but because of in
formation that he himself had with
regard to disqualification of the vet
erans in the west and the southwest.
In reply to a question as to wheth-
er he thought the morale of the Vet
Grams Bureau would be improved by
promotions from inside the bureau.
rather than by taking on new green
men for key positions, Senator Oddie
said:
Decidedly yes. There are mum.
ber of excellent men now employed
in the bureau. l believe in promo
tion for men who have shown abil-
ity. 1t is not necessary to go out
side the bureau for the right men.
'Furthermore. the action that / sug
Eest need not cause any delay in the
functioning Of the bureau. In this |
differ with Cen. Hines. If the changes
IN personnel had been made as they
should have been. a long time ago.
there would be no question of delay.
It they were made now | am conf
dent there would be no delay. l have
plenty of constructive suggestions to
offer and plenty of criticism and
plenty of information to back them up.
Action to be Asked.
Senator Oddie said that he pro-
posed to take this matter up with
the Senate committee, that he had
already discussed it with Senator
Walsh of Massachusetts and that the
only reason he had not talked to
Senator Reed of Pennsylvania. chair
man of the committee, was that Sem
ator Reed had been away from the
Senate on account of illness.
Senator Oddie said that he had
talked with Director Hines over the
telephone. as reported ins The Star
yesterday.
II told him my views" Senator
Oddic said. Gen. Hines indicated a
desire to do all that he could to bene-
fIt the bureau, and l told him where
] believed the weakness of the bu-
reau lay. l do not agree with Gen.
Hines that the pursuance of any
other policy than the one he took
would have caused detriment to the
disabled veterans"
Senator Odde said that he pre-
ferred not to discuss indididual cases
of officials and employees of the bu-
reau at this time: that he was con-
cerncd particularly with the general
question of improving the admins
tration of the bureau for the benefit
of the veterans.