The daily morning oasis., 1919-12-17
BILL TO BENEFIT
REGULAR ARMY
men Gets CRIT
|C|SM AS UNFAIR
Its Author Contends That
Regulars Are On Quite A
Different Footing From
National Guardsmen And
Drafted Men.

WAOHINGlON, OecemOer 10
The next of kin of Regular Army
officers and men who were killed OF
have died since October 8, 1917 are
given an additional allowance of six
months pay in a Senate bill passed
by the House of Representatives
The bill, steered through the House
by Representative, Anthony (Re-
publican) of Kansas does not apply
to members of the National Guard,
drafted men or those in the Reserve,
Representative Anthony explaining
that service in the Regular Army "is
of an entirely different nature from
the service rendered by the other
men, and we should consider it pure
ly in that light
Representative Anthony's action in
pressing the bill has stirred up dis
cussion in Washington because, many
persons believe, it is in direct con-
flict with resolutions recently adopted
at the first national convention of
the American Legion in Minneapolis.
The resolutions, framed by delegates
representing more than 100000 ex-
service men, declared that "The Of
ficers and enlisted personnel enter
ing the Army from civil life during
the recent war bore the same risks,
the same responsibilities and burdens
under identical conditions with of
ficers and enlisted men of the Reg
ular Army" and decried discrimina-
tory legislation as "being in prin-
ciple un-American."
Representative Anthony, in answer
ing objections to the bill, said:
"Far be it from me to minimize
the service of those outside of the
Regular Army during the last war.
But assuming that the officer or the
soldier of the Regular Army and the
soldier from civil life went into war
on the same footing exactly, many
of the Regular Army officers, in ad-
dition to that war service, have CIV
en- to the country from Is to 25 years
of previous service, and it is for that
service that we are giving them this
recognition.
"Why do you make discrimina-
,tion between a man who was killed
who happens to be in the Regular
Army and one who has been in the
National Guard or drafted man?",
Representative Anthony was asked.
"I just made the statement that
the law is intended to cover officers
and enlisted men of the Regular
Army who have been devoting their
entire lives to the service of the
government many Of whom are not
always provident in, making pro-
visions for their families" he re-
Piled
Suppose National Guard officer
had not been provident either?"
"a National Guard officer is sup
posed to be engaged in gainful oc-
cupation," answered Representative
Anthony.
Suppose the fact is that he has
not been, and he leaves his family in
destitute circumstances. He has
given up his life and that is all the
Regular Army man has done?"
"He has given up life after few
days each year devoted to military
duty" replied the Kansas Republican,
"but he is not in the same circum-
stances as the regular army officer
who devoted his entire time to mill
tary duty"
Representative Blanton Demo
crat) of Texas attacked the bill be-
cause of the inequalities of the pro-
posed benefits.
"When a man gives his life to the
service of his country and the flag
of his country, he is giving everything
he possesses, and the private gives
gust as much as the officer" Repre-
sentative Blanton said. "Death is a
leveler of all persons and of all posi-
tions."
According to the gentleman's ar
gument," retorted Representative
Anthony, che would give the wife of
a member of Congress who died no
more than he would give the wife of
a doorkeeper of the House."