The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-11-01
LEGION TOKEEP
UPBATI'LEF0R
COMPENSATION
National Commander Emery
Tells Convention That
Fight Will Continue
PAYS HIGH TRIBUTE
TO LATE COMMANDER
Declares Legion's CIR e a e st
Achievement Has Been
.0 Won for Disabled
fRv United Press)


Kansas City, Oct. 31.--The Amer
can Legion will continue to hght 10
have congress pass the adjusted com
nensation (bonus) bill, Commander
John G. Emery of Grand Rapids, told
the opening session of the third an
nual convention of the Legion today
Emery sharply criticized President
Harding's attitude on the subject.
Commander Emery paid high trib-
ute tn the late Frederic w. Galbraith,
Jr., national commander, who died IN
office during the year and VINO was
Emery's predecessor.
"The greatest Legion achievement
of the year has been won Tor our dis-
abled comrades" Emery said. "Ihe
second national convention of the
Legion at Cleveland declared most
properly that the interests of the dis
abled soldier should have preference
on the legislative program of the Lee
gion. With these instructions Com
mander Galbraith visited hospitals
called on bureau chiefs at Washing
ton and inspected their organizations.
Galbraith found the situation dis
graceful almost beyond belief. The
nation and the Legion itself was ig-
norant of the true conditions of mis-
management and neglect surround
ing the administration of the affairs
of our disabled comrades. This state
of affairs was reflected in the mae
tivity of congress and the incompe-
tency of the government agencies. In
the War Risk Insurance Bureau more
than 100000 claims were pending
which were more than d year old.
The surgeon general OF the Public
Health Service was vainly pleading
for money to equip 10000. Disabled
veterans were in dire want. Thous-
ands. were without medical care or
compensation with which to obtain
it. Many had tatken refuge ir insane
asylums, almshouses and even iails.
Galbraith's first stroke was to in.
stitute vivid and fore eful publicity
campaign bringing the truc condi-
tions before the nation. rhe effect
was almost instantapeous. In two
months the case ofsathe disabled had
become national issue. The begin
ming of the new year found the coun-
try and the congress aroused and
sympathetic. Instinctively they turned
to the Legion for remedy. Galbraith
had one ready. Mr.. Harding, who had
meantime become president, was pre-
vailed upon to assemble a committee
headed by Charles G. Dawes to hear
testimony and to make recommend
ations.
"Our second great legislative fight
has been for another class of disabled
veterans--the financially disabled
Repeatedly, during the disabled fight,
Galbraith served notice on Official
Washington that the Legion had not
receded an inch on the question of
adjusted compensation. A year be-
fore the Legion's .four-fold bill had
passed the house by an overwhelming
majority and died in senate commit.
favorably on the measure again. The
seat Of a confirmed opposition was in
the senate. The Legion received as.
surances that the bill would be re.
ported out of the committee in the
senate. The bill was reported out. The
" anti-compensationists made their last
desperate stand, and by series OF
unprecedented measures succeeded in
returning the McCumber bill to com.
4 mittee.
First came the sensational letter
of the secretary of the treasury tc
Senator Frelinghuysen, declaring thai
the payment of this just and legiti
mate debt to our country's defender:
would bankrupt the treasury The
cost of the bill was grossly exagger
n ated, and the hysterical cry of ma
s tional bankruptcy was raised. Mel
Ions Incorporate statements failed oil
their purpose ~.
&. Eat this state the President ap
peared. After a conference with ;
group Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. sena
tors, the executive was told that if thu
passage of the McCumber bill was tt
be forestalled, nothing but dramati,
! personal appeal by the Presiden
could do it. Mr.. Harding then decided
on his extraordinary course, and ad
5 dressed the senate, with the resul
that the bill was reintered in com
J mittee. When the senate yielded t,
the Presidents sdictation it bowed t,
the will of the executive and not t,
/. fact or reason. w -
= "Such means as we're used las
I summer to beat adjusted compensa
tiont cannot ultimately succeed. Moth
ing is settled until it is settled right
And the national adjusted compensa
ton issue has not-been settled at all
l cannot conceivGTof a congress 81
derelict in it's duty, so unmindful o
it's Just obligation to those who served
their country at great financial loss
or so blind to the wishes of our PEG
pie as to be misled again into refus
ing to adjust the economic 'balanc
between the man who went to wa
and the man who did not.
in connection with our attitud
Il toward those in authority in connec
ton with the Legislative matters, you
commander has hlt that we shoul
act as fearlessly as did our brother
who lie in Flanders fields when the