ARMY & NAVY: The Veterans’ Bureau

ARMY AND NAVY

The Veterans’ Bureau

Coming after a deluge of public and political attacks, the report of the Director of the Veterans’ Bureau was probably not the easiest to compose of the Government’s annual reports. Speaking of these criticisms General Hines, director, said:

“In all fairness it must be said that many of the criticisms were justified. . . . Through the constructive criticism of many individuals interested in the development of the Bureau, great progress was made. . . . The Bureau has never fully recovered from conditions that existed during the War period and immediately following the armistice, when all relief work was greatly expanded.”

He reported:

1) Expenditure of $447,648,639 for relief of former service men and $23,029,253 for other Bureau purposes during the year ending June 30, 1923.

2) Awards for death and disability were made in 446,115 cases up to June 30.

3) A total probable liability for the Government on account of the insurance of service men of over $1,000,000,000.

4) Rehabilitation of 22,457 service men during the year.