Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-07
BLUE ARMY SMALL,
PENSIONS KEEP UP
New Congress Bill Carries S2l4,-
100000 for Veterans; 81
Widows of 1912 on List.

Washington, April 15-Though the
Civil War ended 55 years ago, the Fed
cral Pension bill, which has just passed
the House and is now pending IN the
Senate. carries S2l4,000,00 and dem
onstrates once more the truth of Sher-
mans comment on war, and that its
burdens do not end with the war gen
Grafton.
While no ono may begrudge the
amount paid to the survivors OF the
Civil War, or the allowance TO the
widows and orphans, for whom Lin
coin urged a nations care and Temem-
brance, the annual Pension bill has be-
come one of the ma jor appropriation
measures Of the Federal Government.
The veterans die year after year, but
the increased pensions allowed those who
still live-partly because of q country s
gratitude and partly because of the
high cost Of Irving hold up the total.
SOME LITTLE KNOWN FACTS.
'.Uncle Joe" Cannon, member OF the
ApproprIatIons Committee OF the House,
assembled the data submitted in explana-
tiop of the current bill His analysis
brings out pension facts with which the
public is little familiar. For example:
Eighty-one widows of fighters IN the
War of 1912, fought more than century
ago, were on the pension rolls OF June
80, 1919.
Last wear there were still living 1886
pensioners accredited TO the War with
Mexico.
The Indian wsrs are responsible for
the presence on the rolls of more than
i've thousand pensioners.
At the close of the last fiscal year the
Civil War pensioners numbered SOS, ,343.
More than 90 per cent of the pen
.ions paid for the past fiscal year went
10 veterans Of the Civil War and their
widows or orphans.
Since 1870 the United States Gov
rrnment has paid more than six and a
this sum approximately $500, 600, 900
went to pensioners Of the Civil War
pILLHoNs TO PENSIONERS.
An interesting statement of the pen
son apportionment among the veterans
IF the various wars in which the United
states engaged is supplied by Mr.. Can
non. In round figures, he reports that
from 1890 to 1919, inclusive, the Fed
eral pension payments have been rs
follows.
War of the Revolution, so 900, 900;
War Of 1912, s46, 900, 900; Indian wars,
lb,IUu,ubt: war with Mexico. S0z,-
200 900: Civil War, So, ,299. .O00, 900: war
with Spain and Philippine Insurrec-
tion, sos, ,2l1 900: regular establishment
$4,000, 900; War of 1917, S3T,275 (this
small amount being to pensioners entitled
TO such before the War Insurance act
became effective in October, 1910;
unclassifed. SIG, ,J0S.000
In addition to the S214 900 900 car
ried in the current bill. the House com
mittee says that if pension legislation
proved there must be further arpr6
priation of about S777 100000. These
pending bills propose another increase
10 pensioners of the Civil War. as well
rs the Spanish-American War. the Philip
pine insurrection and the China relief
expedition.
STEADILY INCREASES AMOUNTS.
Although there has been a net loss to
the rolls OF more than $4,000 persons
since the last pension bill, the reduction
i'll the current bill. as compared with
that for the past fiscal wear. Is only about
one million dollars Failure Of the
reduction to keep pace with the number
Of deaths Of the veterans and their widows