The Washington times., 1925-06-06
MEN WANT
SEPARATE
ENTITY
Organizations Point Out Vast
Amount of Work-cite
Huge Expenditures
By HARRY WARD.


Veterans of the world war,
through their various organiza-
tons. today modified to prevent
the absorption of the Veterans
Bureau in the proposed depart
ment of education and relief.
A plan is on foot to reorganize
governmental agencies, whic h
President Coolidge has advocated
in the interest of good business.
The former service men are fear
full that under this plan the Vet
erans Bureau would suffer.
One Strong Argument.
One. of the strongest arguments
the veterans are using to support
their plea that the Veterans Bureau
organization IS that the bureau con.
stitutes one of the largest single
items Of expense OF the Federal
budget:
While the general opinion is that
the Postoffice Department, the
army and the navy are the most
expensive activities Of the Govern.
ment, the fact is that up to May /
the total disbursements Of the bu.
reau for all purposes amounted to
approximately $4,000. 10000
The largest expense has been gfo-
compensation, amounting to nearly
$F05. .000, 900. while the insurance
disbursements were In excess of
seas, 600 900, and vocational training
will cost sos, 900. 900.
The Veterans Bureau is operating
dfty hospitals Of its own in addi-
ticn to those maintained by the
Public Health Service and various
army and navy hospitals
The latest figures show there are
2g.ll3 men hospitalized in these
various institutions.
About $4,000 Of these are tuber-
cular and mental cases almost
equally divided while the remainder
are general and surgical cases.
At the last session Of Congress.
e10;000,000 was appropriated for.
general disqualification, throughout
the country and the Veterans Ru-
reau now has under censtructton %
projected twelve additional hos
Deaths IN Hospitals
Figures compiled by the Veterans
men have died from service-con-
nected disabilities since the armis-
tice, this number being approd-
mately half OF the number Of Ameri-
can. battle dead, which was slightly
I'm excess Of $4,000.
The Disabled American Veterans,
at their annual convention in
Omaha late this month"; will strongly
oppose the proposer merger. When
the American Legion meets in
Omaha in the fall It is expected to
1oin the organized movement TO
circumvent the plan to submerge
the Veterans Bureau.
The Veterans OF Foreign Wars,
meeting In Tulsa, okla, the last
week in August, already is pre-
pairing strong resolutions against,
the projected reorganization plan as
Il affects the Veterans Bureau.
In starting their fight today the
former service men pointed out
that prior to the organization Of
the Veterans Bureau during the adj
ministration of President Harding.
relief for disabled veterans was
scattered between the Federal
Board for vocational training, Bu-
reau of War Risk Insurance and
the Public Health Service. So
against this split authority that
President Harding called into con.
ference q number of leaders, IN.
cluding General Charles G. Dawes,
now Vice President, and Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt, former Assis-
tant Secretary of the Navy, and 1t
was at the suggestion of this con.
ference that the Beterans Bureau
was arranged.