Evening star., 1954-09-10
In Defense Of ]. Norman Lodge

A letter signed "M. D." which ap-
peared August 81, questioned the en-
titlement to disqualification at Mount
Alto Hospital Of j. Norman Lodge, Di-
rector OF the Veterans Administration
Information Service, and expressed
m. DIS" personal fear of losing his
patients to the Government as well as
q dread" of the drain on his tax
paying pocketbook to provide hospi-
talization for veterans.
Lacking the courage to reveal his
own identity. IN. D." bravely names
Mr.. Lodge and alleges that he is being
hospitalized at Government expense
under fraudulent circumstances. AS q
friend Of Mr.. Lodge, I cannot permit
this anonymous and erroneous allega-
ton to 60 unanswered.
Mr.. Lodge is much-decorated. COM
bat-Wounded veteran of World War I
who has been drawing Government
compensation for permanent and
lifelong disability incurred In service.
AS such. under the law, he has un-
questioned legal and moral right to
Government disqualification for any
condition without regard to ability to
pay Despite this. happen to know
that Mr.. Lodge has carried hospitali-
cation insurance for himself and his
family, and that upon his admission to
Mount Alto. August %. he voluntarily
assigned his policy to the hospital.
which means his disqualification will
result In very little or no cost at all to
the Government. It is rather obvious.
therefore, that IN Us" insulting sug-
geStion that legionnaires pass the hat
to pay for Mr.. Lodges disqualification
Is neither legally nor fiscally necessary.
From I'M. DIS" letter it is apparent
that he is in accord with the American
Medical Associations oft-pronounced
belief that veteran Is no special cit
izen. and that 1t Is an honor to serve
ones nation in time of war, with no
thought Of compensation or reward. T
would be more inclined to hold with
this view il 1t weren't for the fact that
the ANA has bludgeoned through legis-
lation to insure that physicians have an
armed forces privilege accorded no
other profession or class of worker in
the Nation. AS q result of this legiSla-
ton, physicians not only are commits
stoned as officers, but also must be
given an extra 500 per month for con-
descending to join in the defense Of
their country. If IN. D." is in the
same age group as many thousands of
other physicians. the Government paid
his salary as an officer, plus the induce
ment bonus, and probably paid thou
sands of dollars on top of that to de-
fray the cost of his medical training.
This is one drain" on the taxpayers
pocketbook that anonymous m. DIS"
and the ANA have overlooked in their
economy protests.
The real key to I'M. DIS" letter. I
suspect, is his expressed fear Of losing
good-paying patients to the Govern
ment and the tax tap on his pocket
book I am inclined to believe that 1t
is money-not principle-that engen-
ders the ANA fight on veterans hos
pitalization.
BY way Of monetary reinsurance,
IN. D." and the ANA should be in
formed that providing hospital care
for veterans now takes considerably
less than one cent Of each tax dollar
and that Government hospital care
for all veterans is q deliberately nur-
tured myth, because the VA can hos
pitalize no more than one-half of one
per cent of the total veteran population
at any one time, or no more than 212
per cent Of the veteran population in
any one year, and because the VA has
plans for only two-not 200-more
hospitals.
C. Leslie Forsyth,
Past d. c. Dept. Commander.
Disabled American Veterans.