Evening star., 1945-06-13
Legion Official Scores
Care Of TubercuIar
Al Veterans Hospitals
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

| ny Chh1 EN- DhOOhE JONES.
Neglect of patients in certain
veterans hospitals, especially in
some of the institutions in the West
was charged before the House Vet
erans' Committee today by officials
of the American Legion.
Some of the tuberculosis hospitals,
topic of attacks in recent magazine
articles, were criticized severely in
testimony by T. c. Kraabel, director
Of the Legion's National Rehabilita-
ton Committee, and DR.. Albert N
Baggs, Legion medical adviser.
The tuberculosis institution at
Livermore, Calf, was declared lone
of the least desirable hospitals"
Complaints from patients at this
hospital of inadequate medical
treatment were declared almost
unanimous. Legion Investigators
also found staff dissension there
they reported.
Situation Desperate.
The Legion was told that the situ-
alton at this hospital was so "des-
perate" that the manager and clini-
cal director should be fired at once.
Representative Allen, Democrat,
of Louisiana. acting chairman asked
Veterans Administration represent
atives what was being done about
Livermore. He was told an investi-
gator from the central Office was on
the spot.
II think the committee should
be advised within the next two days
what the situation is and what is
being done about it, Mr.. Allen
said Get in touch with your
representative and find out"
Commenting on the hospital at
San Fernando, Calf, the legion
men said, "the lack of tuberculosis
beds in California cannot be too
strongly denounced"
Racial Problem Cited.
Of the hospital at Muskogee,
Okla. the Legion said, the situation
here is very serious and complicated
by growing racial problem.
The general hospital at Portland
Greg. disclosed "overcrowding and
red tape" the committee was told
In the general hospital at Brecks-
vile, Ohio, the Legion found ward
nursing below standard" and added
that soup and coffee are almost the
only hot food being served"
Help needed" was the first COM
ment on almost every veterans
hospital as the Legion officials took
them up in detail. And the need
for additional beds was virtually
universal. Refusal. of doctors to
talk over diagnosis and treatment
with patients was another COM
plant often heard, the witnesses
said.
The present veterans hospital
SYSTEM" Mr.. Kraabel told the COM
mittee late yesterday, was designed
to serve a potential load of slightly
less than 100000 veterans, but it
now faces the prospect of a clientele
that may we'll number 100000
The Legion, the Veterans of For
eign Wars, the Disabled American
Veterans and the Military Order of
the Purple Heart filed formal re-
ports with the committee. all con-
tanning more or less criticism of vet
erans' hospitals and attributing sub
standard conditions largely to over
crowding and lack of personnel
The VFW, filing the most severe of
the reports, declared Al per cent of
the hospitals furnished inadequate
medical attention, and reports of
mistreatment and neglect were
widespread.
Capt. Frank Haley, national serv-
ice officer of the Military Order of
the Purple Heart, said that if con-
ditions in the veterans hospitals
were as bad as painted, the So
called three major veterans organ
izations were largely to blame. Each
of them, he pointed out, maintained
a service officer at every regional
Office of the Veterans Administra-
ton, and if they knew of all this
neglect and mistreatment of vet
Grams, they failed to do anything
about it,"