to the school children and citizens of their communities, working in full cooperation with other agencies in spreading the accepted doctrine of accident prevention among young people. Last year alone, approximately 21,800 boys under 15 years of age met accidental deaths, most of which should have been prevented and would have been avoided if the American people as a whole were devoting the necessary attention to this national problem.

That we may make the United States a safer nation in which to live, it is imperative for the young generation to learn the simple principles essential for the conservation of lives and limbs and property. The Legion can make a great and lasting contribution to the economic life of our communities and preserve happiness in home life by recognizing this stupendous problem, and by continuing to sponsor-as one of the post-major activities safety campaign.

SUMMARY OF BOYS' WORK AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

More than 1,500 Boy Scout troops organized or adopted; safety programs conducted by more than 3,000 posts; park and playground programs conducted by more than 1,600 posts; emergency relief units established by over 3,000 posts; over 4,000 posts marked towns for the guidance of aviators; 1,294 posts supported the C. M. T. C. movement; 126 R. O. T. C. units established by Legion posts; 2,607 school award medals awarded by Legion posts; 4,835 posts engaged in a miscellaneous comunity-service program; 20,693 bulletins on Americanism and community service distributed.

CONCLUSION

The Americanism program presents to the Legion its greatest challenge. The accomplishment of the Americanism program will prove of inestimable value to our comunities, States, and Nation, and insure against disintegration and destruction of our Republic.

The accomplishment of the program and realization of the objectives are entirely dependent on the enthusiastic response and work of the posts. All effort should be to the end of causing the post to accept and discharge these obligations.

It is believed that with the rapid passing of time, and with the manifold and serious problems confronting every community, that the Legion can prove its greatest power through not only sponsorship, but through an active campaign, looking forward to securing the active support and cooperation of every worth-while civic and fraternal organization.

Our youth movement should be further expanded to include the girls, and should be so planned as to make it of interest to the maximum number. Physical, mental, and moral development of the youth should be our big objective.

REPORT OF THE NATIONAL REHABILITATION
COMMITTEE

WATSON B. MILLER, Chairman,

A. E. GRAUPNER, Vice Chairman.

Dr. H. D. SHAPIRO, Medical Consultant.

C. C. BROWN, Service Officer.

I. H. HORTON, Secretary.

GENERAL MEMBERS

Area A.-Dr. Estes Nichols, Maine, chairman; Chris. J. Halligan, Massachusetts, vice chairman; Ralph G. McCarthy, New Hampshire; Dr. James M. Hamilton, Vermont; William Beehler, Rhode Island; Clarence G. Scarborough, Connecticut.

Area B.-Frank Bane, Virginia, chairman; Dr. Joseph M. Heller, District of Columbia, vice chairman; Charles A. Gebert, Pennsylvania; Samuel B. Gaskill, New Jersey; Howard Ennis, Delaware; Dr. Hugh M. Young, Maryland; Wallace J. Young, New York; H. H. Kerr, West Virginia.

Area C.-R. J. Weinmann, Louisiana, chairman; Dr. I. Thurman Mann, North Carolina, vice chairman; Robert E. Wilson, South Carolina; J. G. C. Bloodworth, jr., Georgia; Dr. Joseph V. Hopkins, Texas; Joseph D. Chittenden, Florida; A. C. Herzberg, Alabama; Dr. M. W. Robertson, Mississippi; G. W. Steagall, Tennessee; Dr. Samuel G. Boyce, Arkansas; Morton Harrison, Oklahoma.

Area D.-Paul A. Martin, Michigan, chairman; Leo B. Bozell, Nebraska, vice chairman; A. B. Kapplin, Minnesota; Gustavus Ohlinger, Ohio; Dr. C. R. Bird, Indiana; Allan T. Gilbert, Illinois; James D. Sory, jr., Kentucky; James F. Burns, Wisconsin; Dr. R. J. Laird, Iowa; Ingraham D. Hook, Missouri; T. O. Kraabel, North Dakota; Dr. Carle B. Lenker, South Dakota; Dr. W. A. Phares, Kansas.

Area E.-John C. Vivian, Colorado, chairman; John A. Sinclair, California, vice chairman; George R. Drever, Washington; E. K. Oppenheimer, Oregon; J. Ward Arney, Idaho; Earl T. Ross, Nevada; James R. McFarland, Arizona; L. J. Holther, Utah; Charles E. Pew, Montana; Dr. Albert B. Tonkin, Wyoming; José G. Rivers, New Mexico.

ADVISORY MEMBERS

Dr. Kennon Dunham, Cincinnati, Ohio; Dr. Hugh Young, Baltimore, Md.; J. M. Dickinson, jr., Chicago, Ill.; Dr. Hugh Scott, Hines, Ill.; Dr. Chas. W. Kofoid, Berkeley, Calif.; William H. Fallon, St. Paul, Minn,; Dr. M. W. Sherwood, Temple. Tex.; Dr. B. W. Black, Oakland, Calif.; Dr. L. B. Greene, Edgeley, N. Dak.; Mrs. Boyce Ficklen, jr., Washington, Ga.; Royal C. Johnson, Aberdeen, S. Dak.; Dr. B. C. MacNeil, Washington, D. C.; Dr. William F. Lorenz, Mendota, Wis.; Mrs. A. H. Hoffman, Elgin, Ill.; George Mathers, Bennington, Vt.; Judge Frank M. Dineen, Omaha, Nebr.; Don C. Smith, Washington, D. C.; Dr. Henry Pleasants, Paoli, Pa.; Dr. J. T. Westerman, Miami, Fla.

FIELD SECRETARIES

Area A.-Percy J. Cantwell, 600 Washington Street, Boston, Mass. Area B.-Patrick E. Fox, 45 Broadway, New York City; Thomas V. Dowd, Thirty-third and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, Pa.

Area C.-John L. Moore, 1111 Masonic Temple Building, New Orleans, La.; Percy L. Forbes, 1111 Masonic Temple Building, New Orleans, La.

Area D.-John A. Hartman, 1318 Mallers Building, Chicago, Ill.; Charles W.

Stevens, 1318 Mallers Building, Chicago, Ill.

Area E.-James P. Mulcare, 814 Mission Street, San Francisco, Calif.; June W. Valiant, 814 Mission Street, San Francisco, Calif.; Goddard Shackelford, 909 United States National Bank Building, Denver, Colo.

FOREWORD

Since the report of the national rehabilitation committee was presented to the eleventh annual convention many developments of major phase relating to disabled veteran relief have come about as to the work of this committee, new and extended laws and as to Federal administration. Specific reference to these will be made in following paragraphs of this report to the twelfth annual convention as may be consistent with its compass.

Following their usual custom the chairman and other staff members appeared before the several committees of the Congress in advocacy of the Legion's proposals for legislation in respect to the administration of the Veterans' Bureau and additional hospital beds. As to hospital construction, representatives of the Legion and members of both branches of Congress from all the States at interest also appeared. The national legislative committee report will deal specifically with the legislative history of the past year. This report will make reference, therefore, to the effect upon the disabled group of the more important statutory extensions and classifications.

Some of the recommendations of the Louisville convention as to policy considerations have reached fulfillment. All of them have been presented in detail to the appropriate authorities of the Government and a number are still under consideration. Undoubtedly some of the proposals which are on our present policy program will fail of accomplishment at least for the present, but it is felt that from year to year as experience dictates, measurable improvements and liberalization of Veterans' Bureau policies are brought about. Difficulty has been experienced in the past in the matter of working out and properly supporting, developing, and presenting for consideration the many suggestions of Legion conventions and of smaller groups or individuals which come to the committee. This has been due to the insistent demands upon the time of the Washington staff on case work and in the matter of individual relief. With the increased medical staff and through the setting up in the Washington office of a historical, policy, and statistical section, it is certain that this important work will be done in a much more orderly and effective fashion in the future.

During the past year the changed method of operation by the field secretaries of the committee as authorized by the San Antonio convention has been completely installed. That it is as effective a system as can be employed considering the present contour of the several branches of the Federal Government which extend relief to veterans is amply demonstrated by the accomplishments recorded in claims allowed upon intermediate appeal and in the regular and organized knowledge of office and hospital conduct. Action upon recommendations made by your chairman following recommendations resulting from periodical hospital and regional visits and canvasses by the field secretaries has been satisfactory. Not all of them have been adopted and some have been found impracticable upon study, but in gross the results have been really notable. Appreciation is here expressed for the uniform friendliness and understanding of the officials and medical officers of the Veterans' Bureau, Army, Navy, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, and Public Health Service with our field members and field secretaries in receiving them at the offices and hospitals and in making their visits productive as to pertinent information covering the treatment and interests of disabled veterans. More specific reference will be made to this phase of the committee's work in a proper paragraph of this report.

One of the Legion's major objectives was reached when, by Executive order authorized by the act of July 3, 1930 (Public 536, 71st Cong.), the Veterans' Bureau, the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, and the Bureau of Pensions were consolidated in the Veterans' Administration. Gen. Frank T. Hines was appointed Administrator of Veterans' Affairs by the President and has set up his headquarters in the Interior Department Building, city of Washington. At the time of the writing of this report several administrative regulations are being prepared, notably administration regulation No. 1, which sets up the manner in which appeals from the decisions of the heads of the several consolidated bureaus may be referred to the administrator. Your chair48190-H. Doc. 576, 71-3- -11

man is courteously consulted upon all major matters incident to setting in motion this new and vast enterprise. The administrator has appointed as his immediate assistants in the work of initiating the administration of veterans' affairs a number of men who have in the past been notable for their deep interest in veteran relief and for their friendly and consistent cooperation with this committee. Your chairman has advised General Hines of his confidence in the wisdom of closely associating with him these tried and proven men. The designations augur well at the outset of an enormous enterprise.

Col. George E. Ijams has been appointed Acting Director of the Veterans Bureau. He has been an assistant director for many years and has been most cooperative with this committee in current matters and as to the betterment of administration. Your chairman is of the opinion that Colonel Ijams should be and will be appointed as director.

No estimate can be included in this report as to the exact advantages which will be gained by the veteran group as a result of this coordination of activities. Certainly hospital régime should be standardized and improved and in the long run fiscal and other benefits running to disabled veterans should be leveled. It has been stated in Congress and elsewhere that administrative expenditures would be lessened as a result of consolidation. This chairman thinks that notable economies in expenditure are an unlikely result. Conversely he believes increased expense to be inevitable not only as a result of liberalized statutes but as a result of equalizing treatment of the entire veteran group.

Your committee has continued to receive the confidence and cooperation of practically every official and employee of the Veterans' Bureau. It has endeavored to merit these by the maintenance of a fair and honest relationship. The service rendered to disabled veterans by the Government continues to vary in quality and expedition in ratio to the variance in human fallibility, ability, earnestness, and activity. Differences of opinion as to case and issue values exist and will continue to arise. These are especially apparent in the claims division of the committee's set-up. Thousands of contested cases denied in whole or in part by primary or appellate bodies of the bureau are finally granted through the ultimate exploration and presentation by the claims members of the committee's staff and upon extended consideration by the appellate groups of the bureau or by its council on appeals.

It is the committee's conviction that not a very great percentage of these cases would be perfected and allowed without the friendly intervention of the Legion.

The Director of the Veterans' Bureau is also of this opinion, but it remains a problem which neither the Government nor the Legion has been able to solve. This lack of perfection in the Government operation is the major reason that the Legion has found it necessary to augment its staff so considerably as the years have gone on and it provides the reason why we have not been able to perfectly serve each veteran or each case even with our increased number of staff members. But because we have tried to put ourselves in the atmosphere of each veteran applicant who has asked us for help, even though we do not succeed in every cause, we find an increased tendency each year upon the part of the veteran to lean upon us, both in the field and in Washington.

In 1923 when your present chairman took charge, there were in the Washington office somewhat less than 2,000 cases which could only be settled at the seat of government. A recent accurate count shows that there are in excess of 65,000 active or potentially active cases in the Washington headquarters office which are pertinent only to adjudication there. The regular reviews which should be made in quest of benefits made possible by changed administrative concepts or liberalized legislation have never been possible because of the insistence of current work, but every day or two-under some special impetus-old cases are withdrawn from the files and revived for some benefit or other. This almost daily experience is eloquent of the desirability of at least annual reviews of all the folders. The American Legion Auxiliary has for the past two years graciously extended a considerable money commitment to the Legion. It was originally and primarily granted to provide specifically for review work, but it has not been possible to even measurably carry out the project. However, each dollar advanced by the auxiliary has taken its place beside a Legion dollar and-so nearly as can be estimatedhas resulted in the recovery of $35.

It is believed that the auxiliary aid has already resulted in payment of more than $875,000. With no unfairness to our coworkers in the bureau it can be honestly stated that a large part of these recoveries would not have accrued at an early moment without our assistance and some of it never. Deep and appreciative gratitude is here recorded for the auxiliary assistance. The results attained must be gratifying to these fine women of ours.

Many Legionnaires undoubtedly wonder at the extent to which the committee full-time staff has grown. There are now some 40 persons in Washington. It should be considered that as in war-where five or six men behind the lines are required to keep each fighting man going-this business requires three or four file clerks, stenographers, correspondence experts, and so on to keep one jury lawyer or appellate advocate on the line continuously.

Much of the time is occupied in interviewing callers or clients who come to us in person. Many of these scores who come each day have presentations or business not allied to the immediate business of the committee, but all must be seen. It is seldom possible for this chairman, the committee's secretary of two members of the committee's contact section in the Washington office to do anything of definite value to the veteran group or for the individual before afternoon of any day by reason of the growing influx of callers who come with every variety of errand and from widely distributed

sources.

To facilitate the distribution of work in the Washington office, certain sections have been set up to deal with the different types of cases and causes referred to the committee for attention. These are as follows:

Contact section. The personnel of this section handle, so far as possible, routine callers, make all routine requests for information by telephone to the various departments and independent establishments of the Government, contact the out-of-town patients temporarily hospitalized in the four local Government hospitals, and assist these veterans in presenting their cases before the claims and rating boards which visit the hospitals periodically. For example, two men are constantly engaged in office and hospital contact work, including appearance before the rating boards. One clerk is constantly on the telephone securing information from the Veterans' Bureau, and the governmental departments necessary to intelligently answer the widely diversified inquiries referred to the committee.

Medical section.-The two physicians now attached to the office, together with their stenographic and clerical personnel, devote their time largely to the handling of appealed cases before the appellate groups of the bureau where the preparation and presentation of medical briefs are essential to the proper advocacy of the cases. They are frequently called upon by the other claims members of the staff to assist when perplexing medical problems develop during hearings on cases. They are concerned with the preparation of recommendations for changes in the bureau's rating schedule where inadequacies or inequalities develop through experience. And there are of course many other duties of a medical character which they are called upon to perform.

Legal section.-Two attorneys, with their stenographic and clerical help, are attached to the office and devote their time largely to claims where insurance is involved. They are also called upon for personal appearances before the appellate boards at the bureau in claims requiring attention by persons with legal training.

Adjudication section. This section schedules all hearings before the bureau's appellate boards; distributes cases of various types to the claims advocates on the staff; keeps records of cases referred, hearings attended, and recoveries secured; and answers routine correspondence on claims pending settlement in which the committee has been called upon to act as representative of the claimants. It has been found advisable to assign certain types of cases to this or that member of the section, since experience has shown that when a man specializes on a particular type of claim his efforts are more effective. Thus, 2 of the claims men handle emergency officers' retirement claims exclusively, 2 handle straight compensation appeals, and 1 member of the section handles routine death claims where personal appearance before the appellate groups is not necessary.

Historical, policy, and statistical section. This section has a multiplicity of duties, principal among them being the securing, correlation, and presentation to the bureau of recommendations emanating from the 10 field secretaries of the committee for improvements and extensions in the operation of the bureau's