Part 51

As I note that the program upon which I have been placed refers to foreign relations of the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau in care of ex-soldiers of the formed-allied countries, with your permission I will add to that, the care of U.S. ex-service men in foreign countries. The care of U.S. ex-service men in this country has been discussed from every angle, and it would seem proper that we should also refer to his care in foreign countries from a medical standpoint, as well as to the care of the allied ex-service man in this country.

As act of Congress, Public 104, Sixty-sixth Congress, approved December 24, 1919, provides that the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, now the Veterans’ Bureau, is authorized, to furnish transportation, also medical, surgical, and hospital services to discharged members of the military or naval forces of those Governments which have been associated in war with the United States since April 6, 1917, and come within the provisions of laws of such Governments similar to the War Risk Insurance Act, at such rates and under such regulations as the Director of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance may prescribe, etc.

You will note that this provision of the law stipulates at such rates and under such regulations as the Director of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance may prescribe. The regulation that has been issued by the Director of the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau provides that in all cases where application for treatment is made by ex-members of the military or naval forces of the allies, such treatment will be furnished only on the specific authorization of the Director of the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau upon authority obtained from the Government concerned, to incur the expense of treatment in each case. When treatment is so authorized, the same procedure is to be followed as in cases of application made by ex-members of the Canadian forces, which is as follows:

RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT WITH CANADA:

An agreement entered into between the Canadian and this Government upon reciprocal lines provides that when an honorably discharged member of the military or naval forces of the Allies, resident in the United States or its territorial possessions, requires medical or surgical treatment for a disability contracted in, due to, or increased by his military or naval service, he shall apply to the nearest medical representative of the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau. If such representative is not available, information regarding the address of the nearest medical representative of the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau may be secured through any local representative of the American Red Cross, the American Legion, the Y.M.C.A., the Salvation Army, the Knights of Columbus, or other volunteer agency.

METHOD OF PROCEDURE WHEN APPLICATION IS MADE FOR TREATMENT:

When application for treatment is made by an ex-member of the Canadian forces, the medical representative of the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau to whom such application is made will communicate with the District Manager in order to obtain particulars regarding the man’s military or naval status and medical history, and the District Manager will communicate with the Bureau (Assistant Director, Medical Division, Attention Foreign Relations Section), which will obtain from the Government of Canada the necessary information. If additional information is required, the District Manager, if speed be necessary, will request such additional information by telegram. In no case should treatment be undertaken pending receipt of authority from the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau, unless the call be one of emergency, and in all emergency cases the medical officer in the field is authorized to give prompt service.

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS:

The articles of agreement with Canada have been supplemented with a letter of instructions that clearly sets forth just how service is to be given by representatives of this Bureau to beneficiaries of the Canadian Government. This letter of instruction is a guide for the representatives of this Bureau in the field as to proper procedure when any doubtful situation should arise, and has been sent to the District Managers in such numbers as to furnish each medical officer with a copy.

It is possible that some of you gentlemen are not in possession of these instructions; should such be the case, a number of copies are at your disposal here, and may be obtained from the stenographers’ table.

NUMBER OF CANADIAN EX-SERVICE MEN CARED FOR BY THIS BUREAU:

It may not be out of order to mention at this time that the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau through its Foreign Relations Section, Medical Division, has cared for over 9,000 Canadian ex-service men. When I say Canadian ex-service men, please know that these are not in reality Canadians, but that 95% of the number are American boys, who, through their valor and enthusiasm, rushed into the breach in the early stages of the conflict, having crossed the Canadian border in 1914, 1915, 1916 and 1917. Their Services having been rendered under the English flag in Canadian organizations, these boys are properly beneficiaries of the Canadian Government, and are being cared for by that Government through the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau, Foreign Relations Section, Medical Division, by cooperation with the Department of Soldiers’ Civil Re-Establishment, which is an organization of the Canadian Government, similar to the U. S. Veterans’ Bureau. The personnel of the Department of Soldiers’ Civil Re-Establishment is something over 6,000, divided into 10 medical units, or districts. The Foreign Relations Section, Medical Division, of the Bureau is constantly in receipt of requests for service from allied ex-service men with whose government this Bureau has no reciprocal agreement. These cases are promptly referred to the representative of that government located in Washington with a view of giving service if the Government under whose flag the man served will authorize the service.

REPORTS TO BE MADE UPON CANADIAN FORMS 346,399 and 76.:

Your attention is particularly called to the necessity of forwarding to the Bureau reports required by the Canadian Government regarding the hospitalization of Canadian ex-service men; and I desire to stress this point, that, when a medical examination is made of a Canadian ex-service man, the report of your findings should be furnished on S. C.R. Form 346 (S.C.R. meaning Soldiers’ Civil Re-Establishment), this Form being similar in requirements to the Bureau Medical Division Form 2545. It is upon the findings in this report mode upon S.C.R. 346 that the Canadian Government gives its approval for hospitalization. S.C.R. Form 399 is a Progress Report, and should be rendered monthly during the man’s stay in hospital, for the reason that until this report is received no pension will be paid to the man or to his dependents. When a Canadian beneficiary is hospitalized his compensation is reduced, but the family allowance, should he have dependents, is increased. $40 is the maximum pension payable to a man while in hospital, $10 of which is paid to him and $30 held in reserve, which is accumulative, and is given to him upon discharge from hospital. The family allowance is increased according to the number of his dependents, and is paid to his family direct. S.C.R. Form. 76 is a discharge report from hospital and should be rendered promptly in triplicate, as all these reports should be. If you are not in possession of these Canadian Forms, 346, 399 and 76, they may be obtained from the District Manager in whose district you are located.

EX-MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY AND NAVAL FORCES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM:

At this time the Veterans’ Bureau has completed agreements whereby service is being given to British ex-service men, which includes ex-members of the military and naval forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as those of Canada.

RUSSIAN ALLIED EX-SERVICE MEN:

In addition to the above named may be included the Russian allied ex-service men, an agreement having been entered into with the Russian Ambassador now located in Washington, whose official status has not changed since his appointment as a representative of the late Czar. When medical, surgical, or hospital treatment is requested for a Russian ex-service man, it must be approved in advance by the Russian Ambassador, who certifies that any expense incident to this service will be reimbursed by the Russian Ambassador.

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN EX-SERVICE MEN:

Through an agreement with the Czechoslovakian Minister, this service is also furnished to the Czechoslovakian allied ex-service men upon request from the Minister of that country, accompanied by a statement that any expense incident to service will be reimbursed by his Government.

RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT:

An agreement is pending at this time with the British Government to provide service for all U.S. ex-service men who may be permanently or temporarily domiciled in the United Kingdom.

CO-OPERATION OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT IN GIVING SERVICE TO U.S. EX-SERVICE MEN IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.:

All medical, surgical, or hospital service that may be required for U.S. ex-service men now in foreign countries is provided for by this Bureau through co-operation with representatives abroad of the Department of State, this Bureau authorizing such service upon receipt of information that the man is in need of such service, and upon the establishment of his identity and the fact that the disability for which treatment is requested was due to or aggravated by his U.S. military service. Any expense incident to this service is provided for by this Bureau and is paid for through the State Department by transfer of appropriation. This procedure has been found very satisfactory, for the reason that it expedites the service to the man and simplifies the accounting problem by the prompt payment of any expense that may have been incurred.

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES MADE BY PHYSICIANS DESIGNATED BY U.S. CONSUL:

For the past six months a ruling has been in effect that where a Bureau beneficiary in a foreign country was ordered for examination, he must appear before a physician designated by the U.S. Consul only, and that unless a report was received within three months from the date of the letter directing him to appear, or to furnish satisfactory evidence to the Bureau as to the cause of his inability to report, his compensation, if he received such, would be held in suspense pending the report of his medical examination. The result of this procedure in securing an examination by competent physicians has been that more satisfactory reports are received.

CHECKS SENT TO BENEFICIARIES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES:

The records of the Bureau for the month of December show that at this time there were 5,977 beneficiaries of the Bureau to whom checks were sent, totalling in value $489,714. These beneficiaries are resident in foreign countries located in all parts of the earth, as is shown by the tabulated statement submitted.