The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
WANTSTOfIGHTTHET TURK
Nal. CHAS. VI. TRAVIS WOULD LEAD
ARMY OF KNIGHTS TEMPLARs.
CrawfOrdsvil1e Veteran Has Some
Opinions on Conduct
of the Pension Bureau.


Major Charles NJ. Travis, of Crawfords-
vile. who was at the Hotel English yes
terday. still has the fighting spirit in his
breast. After having served in two wars he
is ready to head an army of knights Tenn
plars to crush down the old enemy of the
Christian religion-the Turk. There are
10000 knights Templars in Chicago" said
Major Travis, who are ready 10 take up
arms against these people, and 1 think the
same number could be found in Indiana. 1t
is the sworn principle of the knight Tenn
plar to draw his sword if necessary in de-
Tense of the Christian religion"
Having been a soldier in two wars, Major
Travis is in touch with the veterans of the
civil and Spanish-American wars and has
some decided opinions on the pension ques-
ton. The frauds are more on the inside
than on the outside of the Pension Bureau"
he declared last night. There are over 100
employees in the Pension Bureau who alb
sorD fully one-third of the amount appro-
pr1ated for pensions, and these employees, in
order TO perpetuate their jobs, are using
every effort to prolong the claims pending
in the bureau, or, in other words, are sol
dierlng on their positions. / am in a po-
sition 10 know these things from the fact
that l am engaged in the Pension Bureau.
For instance, the case of a woman, Mrs.
LuNlllQd DlONn, VI
be quoted. After her claim had been proved
and a long correspondence held with the
Pension Bureau, in which it had recognized
Ind, on July n, 1903, they called on her to
state again, over her W signature, her
postoffce address. giving street and num-
laying the payment of her pension for two
long months. an absolutely unnecessary and
useless requirement and apparently only to
delay the widow for two months in the set
tlamppt of her claim This iS OnlV one of
thousands of cases which / could cite.
USELESS DELAY.
All claims for pension under the old law
seem to be under a ban by the adjudicating
officials of the Pension Bureau. For in
stance a soldier will file a claim for pension
alleging a new disability which he incurred
in the service and in the line of duty and
which for some reason he had never seen
proper to apply for before. The pension
officials will call for years and years for
evidence of officers and comrades; require
him to show medical treatment in the serv-
ice and at discharge and year by year since
discharge, thereby establishing a complete
chain of evidence. This entails upon the
claimant an immense expense and after
years of work and worry the claim will be
rejected on the ground that there is no
record in the War Department of the in
currence of the disability in the army.
Why, if the officials knew there was
no record IN the wa department.. uld lney
not reject the claim at once and save all
the bother and expense IL these employees
would work honestly for two years and
close up the pending claims in the Pension
Bureau, either by rejection or allowance,
according to law and evidence, it seems to
me that at least one-half Of the $40, 100000
expended upon the employees would be
saved to the government and the pension
office force of LOO people could be reduced
at least one-half. 1t is gratifying to the
old soldiers to know that President Roose-
welt is fearless enough to have the Post
office Department thoroughly investigated
and they wish he would turn the search
light on the Interior Department and es-
pecially the Pension Bureau. 1 have in
mind many interesting cases I would like
to reveal to the public"