Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-01
HINES ORGANIZES
AID FOR VETERANS
Three Federal Agencies to
Function as Unit After
July I.

Brig Gen. Frank T. Hines, admin.
istrator of veterans affairs, has com.
pleted plans for reorganization of the
Governments activities dealing with
veterans, to weld them all into one
compact Veterans Administration,
beginning July /, when the first appro.
priations for this purpose become avail.
able with the start of the new f1sca
year.
While the Veterans Administration
has existed in name for many months
under act of Congress, it was not until
funds became available for consolldat-
ing the three great veterans agencie;
that the reorganization could be COM
pleted, Gen. Hines explained.
After July / the Veterans Bureau
Pension Bureau and Bureau of Nation
al Homes, which for some time have
been under direction Of Gen. Hines as
administrator of veterans affairs. will
be merged into the Veterans Admin
iStration.
Personnel Shifted.
Several appointments made to key
positions In the new organization, but
these consist only in the shifting OF
men who already have been in charge
of the same kind of work for severa!
years under the old regime.
The new alignment is made under
act of Congress for purposes of "maXi-
mum service with due regard to eff
cheney and economy of operation" ac-
cording to the official statement made
public last night by Gen Hines.
With the increasing load OF veterans
business, the cost is increasing, this
being reflected in the appropriations
for the new veterans administration,
which total Sill ,078,587 for the next
fiscal year.
General supervision of the activities
Of the veterans administration is
placed in four ma jor Offices, to which
appointments were made by Gen.
Hines, with other closely related and
highly responsible posts.
Mai. William Wolff Smith, general
counsel of the Veterans Bureau, about
whom much interest has centered In
the reorganization, has been appointed
Special Counsel on Insurance Claims
responsible directly to the administra-
tor for the defense Of suits under
section 10 Of the World War Veterans
act as amended.
Roberts Named Solicitor.
j. O'Connor Roberts, formerly as
sistant to Maj. Smith, in the Veterans
Bureau, but who recently has been
special assistant to Gen. Hines, has
been named to the post of Solicitor
of the veterans administration.
Maj. Smith, who was criticized by
members of Congress for accepting
disability pay in addition TO his salary
as general counsel, was given a post
where there will be steadily increasing
business for him to handle. There are
now 1900 suits in The courts of the
country, about 10 times as many as
all the leading life insurance companies
of the country combined. About 100
attorneys are now engaged in this
work, and will be under direction OF
Maj. Smith.
Col George E. Ijams, director of the
Veterans Bureau has been named as
sistant administrator in charge of
medical and domiciliary care, construc-
ton and supplies.
Maj. o. w. Clark, assistant director
of the Veterans Bureau, has been made
assistant administrator in charge of
pensions and compensation.
Other Places Filled.
H. w. Breining, assistant director Of
the Veterans Bureau, has been made
assistant administrator in charge Of
finance and insurance.
A. D. Hitler is made executive as
sistant to the administrator.
DR.. c. M. Griffith, assistant director
of the Veterans Bureau, has been made
medical director of the veterans ad-
ministration.
Col. c. w. Wadsworth, now director
Of the Bureau of National Homes. for