The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-29

Washington, Aug. 27.-This city
is being made a Mecca by an in
creasing number Of veterans OF the
World war, who find dealing with
the government by mail too slow
for their taste
The other day an ex-soldier with
three medals for valor and achieve
ment in the war; dropped into
Washington from distant city via
an express. He felt that compen-
sation was due him because be had
served throughout the war and had
been wounded. He claimed shell
shock, but an examination showed
that if he had been affected, he was
now in excellent health. So he set
out on the long journey home with
the same answer that would have
been given him in less time had he
gone to his American Legion post
back homo and asked il to help him.
This is one case. The general
condition is that Is 70 25 ex-service
men have been coming to Wash
ington each day to see about COM
pensation which they claim is due
them. Now that the Sweet bill is a
law, arrivals are increasing to
about thirty day, all hoping that
the new law will favor them.
Sooner or later, these men are in
terviewed by Commander W. F.
Franklin of the Costello post of the
American legion. Costello post
takes care of them and helps them
to get their cases considered. In
yestigation shows that only 40 per
cent of these men have any leg1ti-
mate grounds for asking compen-
sation. The other so per cent are
men who either misunderstood the
government laws on compensation,
or as Commander Franklin puts it,
have acquired chronic dislike
for work" and think the govern.
ment owes them living.
ITO take a typical case" Com
mander Franklin explained. "A
man was drafted and sent to train
ing camp. He took the flu and
pneumonia set in. He has never
fully recovered his health. So he
is discharged and gets some COM
pensation.
Another man in the same town
volunteers and goes to France. He
is wounded and spends several
months in a hospital He gets we'll
and comes home. Now, he sees this
other man who never went to
France, drawing $25 d month, and
he feels that here is an injustice.
He himself was wounded, he argues,
and surely he is entitled to COM
pensatlOn if this other fellow is.
THE more he thinks about his
case, the surer he is that the gov
eminent owes him something He
does not reason that the country
can no more pay him a. monthly
salary than any other wounded
man who has been restored to
health. In this frame of mind,
some men do not look favorably on
offers of work. They want Justice
They simply do not understand the
Seek Open Door To Treasury.
so he sets out for Washington,
generally beating his way on the
trains and tramping and working
here and there for a meal. He is
convinced that once he tolls his
story to his congressman, that dig
nitary will say the magic word and
the doors OF the treasury will be
flung open for him"
How to deal with these men
many of them war heroes-has
been problem for Washington,
and especially for the Costello post. |
This post of the American legion is
composed of veterans employed in
the municipal government offices !
of Washington. When policemen
began picking up jobless ex-sol- !
Giers on the streets, and bringing !
them to the municipal building, |
members OF the Costello post at !
work there heard about the cases, |
and so the post began to help these !
men out
Now, Commander Franklin sees |
them, listens to their troubles, |