Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-08
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Bureau Hospitals, about so hospitals
operated by the Army and Navy,
Public Health Service and Interior
Department, as well as a number OF
State private and contract hospitals
has been provided by the new laws
This disqualification was. formerly
confined to service-connected disabili-
ties. Under the act Of June z, 1924,
any veteran, not dishonorably dis
charged, requiring disqualification
may receive it in any Government
institution. without respect to the
origin Of his disability. In the event
the veteran Is not able to pay trans
portation to and from the hospital,
this is also provided.
Such disabilities as tuberculosis,
mental disorders, sleeping sickness,
the paralysis, are given presumptive
service connectfon--that is to say, q
man need only have an honorable
service record and proof that he had
had any OF these disabilities prior to
January i, 1925, in order to receive
presumptive service connection and
money compensation for the same.
Each successive session of Con-
greeS has liberalized, amplified, clari-
ned and extended the laws providing
benefits for thoss who by broken
bodies pay spe ial price for their
participation in the great war. H. r.
1915. written by the American Lee
gion and advocated during the entire
Sixty-ninth Congress by the legion.
and other service organizations,
was approved by the President on
July q.
Among the important provisions of
the new law is the statutory right
of the director OF the Veterans
Bureau to provide courses of training
and postgraduate courses for the pro-
fess1onaf personnel of the bureau
meaning particularly the surgeons
and doctors--or to detail these Of
hcers to courses offered by colleges
and specialists. This is in line with
the desire to secure the highest pos
sible type Of medical personnel and
to keep that personnel in touch with
the most modern developments of
medicine and surgery. The develop
ments in surgery and therapeutics,
even since the war, are almost revo-
lutionary.
The new law provides for the re
endorsement OF State hospitals or
county hospitals for clinical care ex.
tended to veterans prior to their be
coming wards Of the Federal Govern
ment
An exceedingly important provision
OF the new act provides a money com
pensation OF not less than $50 per
month for cases of demOnstrable ac-
tive tuberculosis which have reached
q condition OF arrest. This has been
an important part of the legislative
program OF service organizations
since the beginning, because it has
been clearly demonstrated that man
who loses q part of his lung tissue
Is Just as much disabled as though
an amputation Of an external mem
Der had taken place. This minimum
rate OF compensation is afforded for
the purpose Of permitting snlen to
know where their next meals are
coming from. rather than having
them work too hard to maintain life.
and thus become reactive many times
over as occurs in q considerable mum
Der of cases.
The bill provides wearing apparel
and prosthetic appliances such as
wheel chairs, crutches, artificial limbs,
etc, for hospitalized beneficiaries,
even though their disabilities are not
service-connected. when 1t Is shown
that they are financially unable to
pay for the same themselves
"A per diem Of $2.65 Is provided to
reimburse potential benef1ciafies OF
the Government in lieu OF loss or
wages while in the diagnostic hospital
or while reporting for examination
and rating toward possible service
connections. to the bureau hospitals
and clinics.
The time within which a veteran
may file evidence OF service connec-
ton Of his disabilities, and the time
limit during which he may file claims
against the Federal Government, Ii
extended three and Ave years, respec-
lively, under the terms Of the new
Legislation.
The new bill provides that an adj
dftion. up to two years, in training
may be allowed vocational trainees
OF the bureau where now in vocation
I'll training. and up to six months, ex-
tension may be granted bureau
trainees who are In placement train
ing such as the manual arts, etc.
This vocational training has been IN
existence as an added beneficence OF
Efhe Government In ORDER to equip
disabled men whose disabilities pre-
vent them from following their nor
NAL OCCUPATIONS to carry on at some
other rafnf1l profession or business
More than 100000 disabled men have
been successfully trained and placed
IN employability BY the Federal Board
81 Vocational Rehabilitation and the
United States Veterans Bureau it's
successor. Many more may now com
pleto their trades or courses who
|nafhdns were physically unable 10 do
50 within the GA time limit Y q 81 n
tc6nyfsfhl. 1o26. 81 Paul Y. csIa1sl