The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-08
Neglect Of Veterans
Charged By Anterior
National Commander of American Legion Urges
StreamIining OF System to Expedite Aid

alton is given their needs and their
every right is adequately protected.
We stand adamant on our prin-
ciple that the cost of rehabilitat-
ing the human wreckage Of war is
just as much a part OF the cost of
waging war as is building Of bat
tleShipS, planes or tanks, and that
it is a federal responsibility. Red
tape Is being cut and inefficiency is
being weeded out to speed building
of war weapons. The same must be
done to speed rebuilding of the
victims OF battle.
Causes Of Delay
Our survey is showing numerous
causes for the delays in the adju-
dication of these disability claims.
Most Of them can be corrected by
administrative actions.
The causes range from lack Of
personnel in Veterans Administra-
ton Offices to reasons that are abso-
lutely inexcusable. We have even
found that adjudication of claims
has been delayed because of in
ability to obtain red fiber jackets
for the individual case folders.
The principal reasons for the
delay have been found to be:
/. Round about, time -consuming
method of transmitting hospital
clinical records of discharged men
by the Army and Navy to the Vet
Grams Administration facilities.
These are being forwarded now to
the Veterans Administration Office
nearest the discharging hospital for
re-transmission to the regional
Office of the Veterans Administra-
ton in the state where the dis
charged veteran resides.
2. Lack of sufficient personnel In
the adjudication divisions of the
Veterans Administration Offices and
its failure to anticipate increasing
loads by training and developing
additional personnel Due to such
lack of personnel, for instance, rat
ing boards in some offices have been
reduced from three members to two.
8. Virtual rationing of the &C"
or claim numbers by which a case
is designated from the Washington
headquarters of the Veterans Adj
ministration, rather than the as
signment of blocks of such numbers
to each regional office to be used
immeditely as needed.
Recommendations
Based upon the findings of its
survey and upon its long experience
in the fields of rehabilitation and
claims procedure, The American
Legion is asking the federal gov
eminent to do these things imme-
diately.
l. Streamline the methods of
transmitting hospital clinical rec
ords by the Army and Navy by hay
ing such records sent directly to the
regional Office of the Veterans Ad-
ministration in the home states of
each man or woman discharged for
disability.
2, Place Veterans Administration
contact representatives at each dis
charge center to make certain that
every discharged man or woman is
fully advised as to rights and bene-
fits available under existing laws
and that all service hospital clinical
records are expedited in the prose-
cution of their claims.
3. Re-establish the block system
of distribution of "C' designation
numbers to regional offices of the
Veterans Administration.
4. See that every service man or
woman in need of further hospital
ization at the time of discharge is
kept in service until there is avail
able beed in Veterans Admins \
tration hospital.
5. Provide muster out pay in
amounts dependent on length of
service with a portion payable at
discharge and the balance within
80 to so days after.
6. Authorize an officer of the
Army, Navy, or Veterans Admins
tration to grant immediate tempo
rary rating on the discharge of any
disabled veteran from a hospital, to
be effective at once and binding on
the Veterans Administration, with
payment forthwith to continue I'M
til permanent rating is made.
Z. Shift the U. S. Veterans Ad-
ministration from a peace time
basis to war agency for the dura-
ton thereby making available to it
priorities for personnel, material,
equipment and supplies essential to
the proper treatment and care of
veterans of World War II provided
for by the Congress of the United
States.
These are the recommendations
of The American Legion to the end
that at NO time shall any war dis
abled veteran of World War II
and his or her dependents be with
out government nrotection