Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-24
SOLDIERS FAMILIES
REL|EVEDATLAST.
Distress Brought on Thou
sands by March Fi|ibuster
Remedied by Congress.
DISPUTE AS TO THE BLAME
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Congress has just passed a bill to
relieve the distress of hundreds of
thousands of families in the United
States who didn't get from the gov
eminent this month the money allowed
them in behalf of their kinsmen in the
Army and Navy. And thereby hangs
tale. Seven hundred thousand checks
are lying in the Washington post Of
fee ready to be dispa tched the moment
the bill which passed the House on
Thursday and the Senate yesterday
reaches the White House. AS the
President intends to sign it any way.
and funds can be temporarily diverted
to meet the situation, now that the
expenditure has been authorized, the
executive branch of the government is
now able to remedy situation thrust
upon the country by the filibuster in
Congress last March.
People generally have heard much
about hlibuSterS and great deal more
about cloture rules to choke off debate
when any individual or group of in
dividuals seek deliberately to use up
time in the closing hours Of Congress
to prevent certain legislation from be-
ing passed. but rarely has the public
been given clearer evidence of the re-
lationshfp between party politics and
the peoples welfare than in the hold
up On LnS CHECKS 10 Ine IdInIlleS VI
the soldiers and sailors.
Each Party Blames the Other.
The republicans blame the demo.
Gratis and the democrats blame the
republicans. And between the upper
and neither milIstones the public suf-
fered. Here is what happened. and
N II q
own mind who is to blame.
Our government in its wisdom in
stituted a system of payments to the
families of soldiers and sailors so
that they would not be worried about
the folks back home. Deductions from
the soldiers pay were made through
the War Department, and therefore
the Treasury has had plenty of money
to handle that. Compensation to the
families of the disabled also was
amply provided for In advance. But
the government said to many young
men who claimed exemption, or who
otherwise would have had to claim
exemption from military service. that
for every fifteen dollars which the
soldier or sailor was compelled to
give, or voluntarily gave to his fam
lily. an extra allowance of SIS month
would be contributed by Uncle Sam.
Many men made their arrangements
at home on that basis.
But on May 1, last, according to an
announcement made In the House 81
REPRESENTATIVES two days ago. by
chairman Of the appropriations com
nitttees .th1fS RAr8 no htntis in the
Treasury 70 pay the families. Also
there had been, no funds to pay tine
salaries and administrative expenses
Of the war risk bureau from March
Is last to June 80 next. The Presi-
dent has borrowed about 100000
from the national defense fund given
him by Congress and carried The pay
roll Of some $4,000 clerks forward to
May Is. But not until Congress- got
busy and appropriated about $39,-
100000 to cover the allowances to
soldiers and sailors families until
July l, was the really embarrassing
situation removed. Congress didn't
pay the President back that four mil
lion dollars though no doubt Mr.. Will
son had to suspend some activity of
the government in order to scrape
together that sum.