The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-07-02
CONGRESSMAN
| DALE WORKS
FOR SOLDIERS
Some Of His Successful
Efforts With the War
Risk Bureau

ter friend in all Congress-no,
anywhere else, for that matter
than the Honorable Porter Hin
man Dale, of Island Pond, Yer
mont. And his friendship TO
them, as demonstrated times with
out number, takes a preeminentl!
practical form that for real help
fulness transcends all mere senti
mental hero-worship and rises fal
above any spectacular forensic
flights of soldier adulation.
Abundant testimony to the cub,
stantial character of this Con.
CHEESEMAN'S efforts in their behalf
is embodied in hundreds of letter,
in Mr.. Dale's files, bearing witnes,
to his efficiency in obtaining fol-
American Legionaries Throughout
Vermont, and other states as well
the benefits due them from a
doubtless well-intentioned but oft.
times unaccountably and inexcus.
ably dilatory overnment.
words cannot express my
thanks for the work you have
done in seeing this case through
Iof'' writes one sorrowing Yer
mont mother whose son TO-DAY
sleeps in Flanders Field, and adds
: pathetic touch: "Would you
please send on his letters, / don't
care for the rest of the evidence,
but l want to keep his letters, as
they are dear to me-"
Another, from a veteran him
self: "Now Mr.. Dale, | cannot
thank you enough for what you
Rave done for me, also other boys
| know in this state, but trusting
and hoping some day l can be of
use to you"
From the father of a soldier:
"My son asks me to convey to you
his thanks for your kindly and
energetic interest in his behalf"
These are letters merely taken
at random from the Congress
mans voluminous files, but they
are typical of the spirit of graft
tude wherewith his work in OBJ
tanning emoluments for World war
participants or i,leir surviving
beneficiaries from the War Risk
Bureau is universally regarded
throughout the state which he so
ably represents in Congress.
Mr.. Dale has handled something
like twelve hundred War Risk
cases and of these more than 80
per cent, or some TOO in round
numbers, relate to the welfare of
Vermonters. So remarkably sue
cessful has he been in obtaining
compensation and insurance for
benefciaries of his own state that
his fame and reputation in that
respect to solve have finally been
turned over to him as the recog-
nized expert in this particular sort
of activity. Seldom if ever has
he been unsuccessful, although in
the vast majority Of these referred
cases they have been placed in mis-
hands only after being flatly
turned down by the War Risk
Bureau.
To enumerate Mr.. Dale's sue
cesses in obtaining awards for his
constituents would fill columns of
newspaper space. Two or three
typical examples alone can be
cited here. The case Of Howard
K. Spaulding of Lyndonville, who
gave his life in France, Nov. q,
1918, has become we'll known to
many Vermonters. Spaulding's
application for insurance was said
to have been executed at Camp
Greene, April 6, 1918. The in
surance claim was first taken up
with Col. Dale early in 1919. Be-
cause of the loss of important pa
pers either by the department OF
in transit, the War Risk Bureau
took the ground that insurance
was not in force at the time of the
soldiers death, and turned down
he claim accordingly. Col. Dale
took up the case in connection
with the committees inquiry and
summoned witnesses to testify to
their knowledge that Spaulding
had applied for insurance, etc.
Among these witnesses We're
three Vermont comrades Of the
dead soldier boy, Ernest O.. La
Bounty, Edward j. Vigneault, and
Ernest ittredge, all Of Lyndonville.
Col. Evan NJ. Sheriff., formerly
Spaulding's company officer, and
Assistant Director of War Risk
Col. r. H. Hallett, also testified.
Some of the evidence of these Off
GERS ard some of Col. Dale's Wig
orous cross examination makes
highly interesting reading in the
report of the hearings. The case
dragged along. Numberless calls
were made to the Bureau, the
War Department and other
branches during the period from
early 1919 up to the date of final
settlement in Julv. 1920. AS one
sidelight on the difficulty Of run
ming the case down it may be mer-
toned incidentally that the Bureau
had in its soldier lists no fewer
than 1,018 Spauldings or Spald-
ings. Col. Dale's files contain ap-
proXimately n hundred letters
bearing on this case alone. For
a time it seemed impossible to es-