Evening star., 1919-11-30
Ready to Meet Sweet Bill Changes

crease Of the compensations. which may
run up as high as $50 month, with the
addition of family allowances in case OF
/ total permanent disability. If that fea,
ture of the bill becomes law, II VIII
make the increase in the compensation
! Che limit now is $50 month), retroac-
| tive, SO that in most instances Sup-
stantial amount will be due to the in
| jured service man. AS some OF the cases
run back to the beginning of the war
some of the sums will he considera bic.
| 1t will not be necessary, II the Dlil
| passes, for beneficiaries to send notlceS
| or requests to the bureau: but 1t Will
behoove every one to see that the diVl-
| sion has his correct post off1ce address'
since a great part of all delay in war
! risk matters has come from defectlVe
addresses.
Extra Amounts for Disabled.
The war risk bureau is sending
| boards Of medical officers to examine
! the various hospitals, to locate, as 1ar
as possible. the men there VINO are
permanently and totally disabled. Ihe
bureau has found a number of cases.
both in and out of the hospitals. where
the patients are entitled to receive
both their compensation and their m
surance. and in most instances the
men did not know that they are en-
titled to both.
A disabled man is entitled to his
compensation if the percentage of dis
ability is such as to afford him any
compensation, but that fact does not
carry with it any right to insurance
| But the bureau holds that where
man is totally disabled and that such
disability is permanent, he IS entltled
/ to receive his insurance from the date
of his permanent disability and that
his insurance premiums need be paid
no longer.
With each of the boards is an officer
of the compensation and claims divi-
sion, who assists in the preparation OF
the various papers necessary to the
establishment of a claim. Already this
has been the means of bringing to
number of men still undischarged
from the military service enough
money to begin life upon their dis
charge from the hospital.
Compensation for the Insane.
One of the hardest phases of injury
that the war risk bureau has now to
meet is the payment of compensation
and insurance Gf the patient has in
by their service in the war. The bu-
reau is not permitted to pay the
amount to either the. man himself,
whom it has decided to be incompe-
tent. or to his legal representatives.
for the law says that it must be paid
to his guardian or trustee. This fact
causes a lot of trouble and confusion.
Under the laws of some of the states
the courts cannot appoint guardian
unless the insane person is actually
within the borders of his domicile, and
1t is at times almost impossible for
the bureau to send a man to his own
state. In others the cost of procur-
ing a guardian runs up rapidly. in
some instances to as much as $500,
and as the present rate of compensa-
tion is but $40 a month, this cost is
almost prohibitive.
Men Want Chance to Learn.
At recent convocation of the Y. NJ.
c. A. held at Detroit, reports from
all over the United States showed
beyond question that the accident of
! the war has produced a desire on
the part of many ex-service men to
ports indicate that the incentive
comes from the association of these
| men with fellows better equipped
| than they for business life: and they
are seeking a better education be-
cause it pays. They say that they
great national Army, with men OF
slight attainment, with college men,
with skilled artisans and mecnanIcs:
and that they saw the disadvantage
that the men of unframed mind and
| body suffered Now they want
chance to learn that they may have
an equally good chance in getting
along.
Army Reserve Omcers.
With the close of the war some
| 1orty-seven thousand young ofncers
accepted commissions in the Officers
reserve Corps; and. as the Army
realizes, form the nucleus of an in
valuable military asset. Every Army
ohcer Will say that one of the most
serious shortages at the beginning
or the war was the lack of trained
military officers; and OF the 47,000
commissioned in the reserve the vast
majority has had some military train
warfare.
The question has arisen as to what
the war Department has done to sus-
tdih the interest of these men-near-
al comparatively young-in the
| army. AS far as can be ascertained
utit, auH vi tne chlefs-such as the field
artlliery-have taken an interest in
getting in touch with the reserve
hcers assigned to their branch of
the service, but in the main the de.
partment has done nothing to an.
! courage them to an active interest,"
~ .ne service. Many difficulties have
peen In the way-the demobilization
or the army. the readjustment of tho
omcer personnel. the lack of a mill
tary policy and the general uncertain
ty IN the whole organization.
All members of the American Legion
| who on November IL last were
marked paid up" will be carried as
! in good standing until January /,
1920. when the new dues of ST. per
year take effect. but all members
Joining the legion between November
IL. 1919, and January l, 1920. must
pay 81. which will pay their dues un-
| I'll December 81, 1920. After the
present year the fiscal year of the
| legion will correspond with the cal
endar year.
| Adoption of the foregoing regula-
| tiion in regard to dues was part of
/ the work done by the new national
executive committee of the American
Legion at it's first meeting following
| the close of the convention in Mime
apolis November II. This was neces-
:;ary to prevent confusion as result
| of the conventions action in raising
the dues of the order from 25 cents to
| 81 a year.
| The committee also adopted reso-
| luton, which may take the publiQa-
ton of the American Legion Weekly
away from Washington. this Office
| having been moved here following
the printers strike in New York city.
This resolution reads:
Resolved that the national execu-
tive committee of the American
Legion directs that the Legion Pub
fishing Corporation shall take steps
American Legion Weekly in India
| napolis, Ind. 1t directs that arrange
ments for this move be completed at
the earliest practical date nd ex-
pressly disapproves the cOn,1zct en-
tered into by the Legion Publishing
! Corporation for publication of the
magazine at Washington d. c.. pro-
| vided that arrangements for the pub
| lication of this magazine can be made
| at Indianapolis.
BE it further resolved that if these
| coppof ha made IL shall