Evening journal., 1919-12-18
Legion after
BAKERS SCALP
Say Secretary War Has
Opened Jail Doors for
Military "SlackerS"
WANT WAR RISK
INSURANCE DEPT.

american Legion or Delaware. has re-
turned from q conference IN Washing.
ton OF the National and state officers OF
the Legion al which Il was decided "a
combat with a,l power a proposal adj
Vanced by senator Reed Smool, OF Utah
10 turn over the War Risk Bureau and
the Vocational Training Board TO the
Pension Bureau
The Leg on further decided 20 make q
flght FOR the organization OF a spec al
department OF The government with d
representative In the Presidents Cab
met. 10 administer the war insurance
and direct the activities OF a9a'rs per-
/ tanning 10 service men. In addition. tho
/ Legion openly charged Secrci0-y of
War Baker with undue laXu re-
leasing from prison cOnsc cn' IS OBJ
jcctors and others whose actN ics dur
ing ihe war period were deemed hostile
and SltOrOus. Specific accusation is
mad ajnsi Secretary Baker N one in
sta abett ng the freedom Of a
ma o was classed as dangerous"
by ost General Crowdcr while hos.
TIN o., were in progress.
i Or Samuel was summoned 10 Wash
ingtOn last Sunday by telegraph and
went Sunday night. lie arrived in VII
mington last night after a series OF al
most continuous conferences al the cap
ital last ng until yesterday morning.
The War Risk Insurance Bureau.
and the Vocational Training Board" ne
said today, were formed In the early
part OF the war. Quite naturally there
was a lot OF d'fllculty In their getting
properly started and much delay has
ensucd. Now, however. when they are
beginning 10 function properly. Senator
SmoOt would reorg1nize them under
the Pension Bureau. thus causing much
unnecessary delay.
The American Legion demands that
these bureaus be placed under charge
Of a separate Government department,
with representation in the Cabinet.
When it Is considered that they will
eXpend annually as much as II not more.
than most OF the other Government
departments for many years to come,
The importance of the proposed depart
ment will be appreciated"
What are known as the Wason and
sweet bills providing for the carrying
out Of the Legion's aims were endorsed
hy the conference, with a number OF
changes Dr. Samuel sugg sted that In
place Of establishing ii regional dircc-
tors 10 administer The war risk insur-
ance throughout the country, each
State and the District OF Columbia
should be constituted as a district with
its own director. This suggestion was
unanimously adopted.
"'The war risk insurance makes each
soldier receiving it independent OF the
government" said Dr. SmueL Each
man buys his Insurance, and therefore.
should have the right 90 say how It
should be administered. II in no sense
/ is a government gift or bounty"
: Under the present system, the Le-
giOn holds that men disabled as a re-
suit OF service are inadequately com
pensated. The Legion would have
such men paid as follows: $50 . month
and hospital service instead Of $50 for
an unmarried man; Si5 extra, or S9j
month for each man who has a wife;
,25 extra. or Slcj a month for each
man with wife and one child; $3.50
@ month for a m7n wen w'fa 0~d
Two children. and So additional a month
for each additional child above NO
years.
As it is now" said Dr. Samuel.
"a disabled man gets only $50 a month,
out Of which he must pay for his war
risk insurance, say from 50 10 Sc, and
give his wife. II the has one. SO. The
net result is that many men are now
leaving the hospital and many others
will leave it In time. unless an Increase
is made. with nothing more than
enough 10 buy themselves an overcOat.
Is That proper compensation for a man
who rlskrd his life for his cOuntrv?"
Speaking Of the evidence obtained
against Secretary OF War Baker. OF
showing leniency towards conscien-
tious ObieciOrs and other types OF war
slackers. Or. Samuel waxed emphatic
we have known for some time that
men who showed the "ycddOw streak"
during the war and were incarceratcd
in prisons, were being released but not
until now have we been able TO get
concrete evidence against The secretary.
ALLAN s. Broms was convicted as a
conscientious obiector hy a military
court martial at Camp Dodge, Ia. and
sentenced TO serve 20 years in The mill /
tary prison at Fort Lcavenworih. lie /
was characterized by Major G neral ]
Crowder in writing as an educated and I,
forcefur and dangerous character.
more dangerous at large than a spy or I
a traitor
"On March ii last through the inter- !
cossion Of Third Assistant Secretary Of I.
War Kenpel the sent nee given Broms
was cOmmuted TO three years on
March IS, or only seven DAYS later.
Broms was released. Since then Keppel
has admitted Broms liberation was a
''msiak and has issued an order he be
10 prison.
although Broms has been located in
Secretary Baker has dsap-
proved Of the o~de~ for his return 10
prison. on the ground that B~Oms has
been 'discharged ard Is free and there
fore the 'm'slate' cannot be rect'0ed
"Broms was b"ra'cd with a d'shon-
"a able Discharge from NE service but
vhai do yOu think when We know ~
Ii2 others who have been sentenced 10
all fo- similar oTcn'es but who have
been SET free with honorable j scha~ge
napers-and today are wa king about
he streets on The same footing as the
men who fought honorab'y for their
country and made the world safe for
ALL TRAINS run IN WEST.
WASHINGTON. Dec. IS UNITED
oress) The railroad administration 10