The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-02-27
SOLDIERS 60 FOR
MONTHS UNPAID
WOUNDED ARE RETURNED TO
THE UNITED STATES ABSO-
LUTELY PENNILESS.
HUNDREDS OF CASES REPORTED
AMID PRESIDENTS REGAL RE-
CEPTION-WHAT OF THE
AMERICAN PRIVATE?

at Washington on Feb. 4th, the ques-
ton of the manner in which the war
department were treating the Ameri-
can soldier was under discussion. The
following from the Congregational
Record of Feb. 9Th throws consider
able light upon this very important
matter:
Mr.. Frelinghuyens- Who is respon-
sible for the delay in the payment o.
the soldiers compensation If any
official dare assert that there is no
such delay, let him come to my office
and I will place my files at his dis
posal. There is such delay, prolonged
delay in numerous cases, delay that is
inexcusable. In one of the letter:
from which have just quoted is the
statement che has received no pay
since July" seven months ago.
Let me briefly cite another case,
which not only illustrates the Wal
Departments slipshod methods in TIL
matter but in certain others to which
I shall invite attention in these re-
marks. Writing from Prospect Plains,
N. j., January 20, 1919, M. V. Land
mann, speaking of certain case,
says:
Perhaps the records in this de-
partment are something like those o.
the Casualty Division of the War De-
partment, where Miss Bagley MRS.
Falconer's secretary twas assured late
in December that as they had nc
record of Pvt. Willard Snedeker's be-
ing wounded, his wound, if any, must
have been slight one. AS matter
of fact, he was so severely wounde>
in action October 3, that his. leg wa
amputated above the knee October
but the parents have never received
any notification. He arrived penniless
but cheerful-not having been paid
many months-in New York January
5 and through the kindness of the
Salvation Army was able to send a
postal to his mother to let her know
of his arrival.
A grateful country, indeed! This
soldier, minus leg, unpaid for many
months for his services in France, re-
turned to his native land without a
penny in his pocket with which to
purchase a postal card in order to no
tify his mother of his arrival. How
do we expect to develop patriotism ir
the minds of our young men in the
years to come in view of these things :?
Another constituent of mine-Mrs.
Robert DAILY King, of East Orange,
N. J.-writes me, January II, 1919, as
follows:
1t has come to my actual knowledge
that our soldiers are not receiving
their pay, and I know of no way to
remedy this disgraceful fact than to
make known to those who represent
us our displeasure at this condition,
register our protest, and ask that
Justice be done. The soldiers
of France, to whom we give. high
praise, will not fight without pay. So
with England and doubtless with
other lands; but our men give their
lives with all bravery and never
falter in their loyalty to their country,
without murmur of complaint at the
rank injustice being done.
Another constituent Of mine-Al-
fred v. C. Genung, Jr., of East
Orange, N. J.-writes me, January rs
1919, to the following effect:
Ny son, Ralph c. Genung, private
of One hundred and twelfth Heavy
Field Artillery, Battery c, Twenty
ninth Division, has been out of funds
since October, borrowing right and
left, we, in the meantime, endeavor-
ing to get funds through the Guar
antee Trust Co., of New York, all this
due to his not being paid by the War
Department. How long would civil
ians working for the government go
without funds as our sons have been
forced to do? And Army rules force
them to hold their tongues as to their
properly due stipend, and that small,
as you well know.
Mr.. Curtis. Mr.. President
The Presiding Officer. Does the
Senator from New Jersey yield to the
Senator from Kansas?
Mr.. Frelinghuysen. I do.
Mr.. Curtis. With the permission of
the Senator, I-should like to read an
extract from letter from a soldier of
the Third Trench Mortar Battalion,
Ninth Division, Third Artillery:
Mother, I have been here for about
seven months, and never have had a
pay day yet, and we sure have been
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