Evening star., 1952-11-27
Speedier VA Service
To Veterans Seen in
3-Department Plan

OVVpubtilICIII ] lVu
Establishment of three basic de-
partments in the Veterans Ad-
mlnistration under a reorganiza-
tion plan now being inaugurated
is expected to speed up service to
veterans.
This was the summary of Carl
r. Gray, jr, Veterans Admins
traitor, in releasing report on a
private study of VA activities by
an outside management engineer
ing firm.
The three departments, headed
each by medical director and
two deputy administrators, will be
medical. insurance and veterans
benefits. These are now operated
by the medical director and II as
sistant administrators. The Vet
eranS' Benefits Department will
include claims. vocational re-
Mobilization and education, loan
guaranty. guardianship, Office
services and contact. Each of
these will be headed by an as
sistant administrator.
Some Changes Effected.
Mr.. Gray said a number of the
changes already are in effect.
Some of them he already had de-
cided upon, as result Of his own
experience as administrator, he
said, and were in effect before the
survey began.
Officials of veterans organiZa-
tions generally approve the newly
announced plans to shake up the
Veterans Administration. but one
predicted further changes will be
made by the Republican admin
istration when it takes over.
Lewis K. Cough. commander of
the American Legion, said the
plan seems "basically sound andi
if properly carried into effect will
increase the efficiency of the VAS
services to the Nations veterans.
Marshall E. Miller. commander
of Amvets. said he approved of
some parts of the program.
Cicero F. Hogan. for 20 years
director of claims for the Disabled
American Veterans. said he be-
lieved most disabled veterans
would be pleased with some of
Mr. CIr9V'S mans
Sees Further Changes.
But Col. George E. IjamS, ma
tional rehabilitation service di-
rector of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars and himself a former as
sistant administrator of the VA.
said he believed the Republicans
will institute further changes.
Col. Ijams said that even under
the new reorganization plan, VA!
still has too many top-fight ad-
ministrative positions"
The survey report was con-
tanned in 10 volumes, with an eSti-
mated 1.3 million words. 1t cost
the Government $650,000 and re-
QuIred 18 months. If all Of the
survey recommendations were put
into effect, it was estimated, they
would result in a savings of $25
million.
However. Mr.. Gray rejected the
reports recommendations for
closing the 10 field contact Offices.
This alone would have saved SIS
million. This leaves an estimated
$40 million to be saved by econ
omies resulting from administra-
tive changes.
The changes are primarily in
the central Office here. These. ac-
cording to Mr.. Gray, will not re-
suit in any personnel reductions,
but many persons may be given
different duties.
Three Major FailingS.
The management report con-
cluded that the present plan un-
der which VA operates is no
longer we'll adapted to effective
administration of programs for
which VA is responsible. 1t fails
to meet the administrative re-
Quirements of the agency, it said.
in three important respects:
/. 1t does not provide clear and
direct lines of authority that
would permit. the administrator
to fix responsibility.
3 1t does not provide for ade-
quate operating direction of field
stations.
g. 1t results in highly central
lied direction and control of oper-
alton not compatible with re-
Quirements of effective service to
veterans.
The proposed plan, the report
contended, clearly separates and
Identifies staff and operating
responsibility.
1t is in line with these recon-
merdations that Administrator
Gray established the three basic
departments under which it now
WILL operate.
To Accept Suggestions.
Mr.. Gray said the recommends
ton to give the medical depart
ment complete autonomy over the
operations in connection with the
treatment of veterans was III
effect even before the surveyors
started their work.
The administrator estimated it
would take from 60 to 80 days
more to complete the changes
recommended in the report. For
that reason, he said that the
veterans organizations interested
in making their suggestions should
have them in within As days.
However, Mrs. Edith Nourse
Rogers, Republican, Of Massachu-
sets, member of the House Vet
erans' Committee and slated to
become it's chairman, said Con-
gress will require more time than
that to digest the report. She
moe an iotorocfed no rf icinant in