The Washington times., 1921-05-07
WAR R|SKACT
HELD Menace
Sen. Walsh Declares Lack OF Vet
Aid Spreads Communism
Among Hurt Yanks.

"The present War Risk Insur-
ance Act is all poppycock. 1t was
framed at . time when no one
could even estimate the number OF
i'll, wounded and mentally Diseased
men who would come out OF tho
world war, and for that reason, II
none other, it should be changed
at once"
SENATOR WALSH Is ORATOR.
Senator David l., Walsh of Aassa-
chusetts made the foregoing remarks
Corps Post, No. 10. American Legion,
ut tho posts regular meeting In the
Chamber Of Commerce rooms.
Now. the burden Of proof rests
upon the service man. When we
needed him to night, we didn't ask him
to prove that he didn't want to night
that he was III. but promised him
anything he wanted after the war was
over. That's all been changed now.
The war Is over. and the public SER
wants, the men who should and who
must remedy this condition, IL the
proper pressure is brought to bear,
are too busy now with taxation. tho
tsrin, anti-dumping bills and the like,
and In the mean time. the former
service man is saying. To hell with
the Government
NO VOLUNTEERS THERE.
Recently, had the chance to talk
to forty wounded men. I asked how
many OF them would volunteer again
II this country were to go to war. Not
a man said he would. but they all de-
clared themselves against going. In
other words. they said that they were
asked to fght once, but the treatment
they received had killed all loyalty
and devotion to their country. This
only tends towards one end-the men
are beginning to ask themselves rs
our Government right?-maybe the
Russians are right-what about
Socialism and, as a result, we have
ground for the soap-boX orator.
81 have introduced bills in the
Senate which will remedy all this.
But. I'm not kidding myself into the
belief that they will be adopted. Oh.
no. It's an easy matter to introduce
q bill-just try and get one passed.
and see how different II Is. 1t takes
a real organization to put over a
biIl-and. there Is no organization
behind the present bills to remedy
the serious defects which are being
shown up every day in the Bureau
OF War Risk Insurance, and other
agencies dealing with the former
service men.
WOULD SHIFT PROOF BURDEN.
"Ope feature OF my plan would
force the Government to prove that
the FORMER service man did not re-
ceive his ailment in the service, and
not make him chase all over the
country for afndavits, and lose six
months to a year waiting for them
to turn his application for compensa-
tion and treatment down-because O..
lack of evidence
These things must change, ana
it's up to the American Legion and
other veteran organizations to force
the men in public office to change
them. These public servants would
not dare to go home without putting
these bills over. II the American
Legion posts in their home towns
were to get after them good and
strong"
Senator Walsh made a profound In
preston upon the Tankers last night,
and his plan for the revision of the
existing laws was adopted by a ris-
ing vote. He was rendered vote of
thanks for his work on behalf OF the
former service man, and was present.
ed with a testimonial by the post. Com
mander c. w. Swan presided.