The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-07-22
GET THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Much mistatement is being peddlec
by interested politicians during these
days of Bonus" agitation. Let us
pause long enough to get the RECORD
straight, before we make up oul
minds that either the President or the
Republican party, are not giving the
soldiers the best that is in them.
For one thing the Republican party
did not come into power on any speci.
fic cash bonus promise, if it had done
so it would have been guilty of cor
rupt practice. The Republican plat
form of 1920 distinctly said:
"We hold in imperishable remem-
brance the valor and the patriotism
of the soldiers and sailors of Ameri-
ca who fought in the great wal for
human liberty, and we pledge our
selves to discharge to the fullest
obligations which a grateful nation
justly should fulfill, in appreciation
of the services rendered by it's de-
lcIlueIS vi Scd anu ~ III IIDCIdl
legislation for the care of the dis
abled and infirm and their DEEPEN
dents has ever marked Republican
policy toward the soldier and sailor
of all the war in which our coun-
try has participated"
Now what has been done by the
party, up to date is best shown by the
Presidents recent message to congress
on the subject, in which he said:
"In view of some of the things
which have been said and, very care
lessly said, perhaps | ought to re-
port officially some of the things
which have been done. In the de-
partment of war risk insurance
there have been filed up to July 7,
1921, compensation and insurance
claims numbering 813,442. Of these
747,786 have been adjudicated at an
expenditure of SAT-, 946, 1862. There
were 100000 claims pending when
the war-risk department was re-
organized late in April this year,
and the number of pending claims
has been reduced by 134,344. All
work in this department will be cur
IeIG ny lIc LlSI VI CHiS July, llla 10
to say, all action which the bureau
may take on a given case will be
current, though new claims being
filed at the rate of 700 a day.
"There have been requested, $751;
GA medical examinations and less
than $4,000 await medical action.
Up to July 7 there have been 26,237
disabled soldiers hospitalized and in
government controlled hospitals to-
day there are 5000 available beds
with out occupants. You are already
aware of the progress made toward
the construction of additional gov
eminent hospitals, not because we
are not meeting all demands but to
better meet them and the better to
specialize in the treatment of those
who come under are.
"There has been paid out in allot-
ment and allowances the sum of
$57S ,465 ,65S and nearly four billion
of government assurances in force.
"In vocational training and re-
Mobilization of disabled soldiers there
have been enrolled to date 107 1924
men. Today there are 1882 men
who are training with pay, at the
maximum cost of $3.50 a month;
8,2O8 training without pay, but at a
tuition and supply outlay of $50 a
month. Four thousand disabled men
have completed their training and
have been returned to gainful en-
iployment. These earned an average
of $1,O51 a year before entering
the army and are earning today, in
spite of their war disability and in
spite of diminished wage Or salary
levels, average of $3.50 per nnu
ut is ar interesting revelation
anda fine achievement, attended by
both abuses and triumphs. Congress
has appropriated SEE, 900, 900 for
this noble work for the current year,
but the estimated acceptance of
training for the year before us con-
templates an average of $4,000 dis
abled men, and the cost will be in
excess of S163,000,0 900, or nearly a
hundred millions more than congress
has provided. This additional sum
must be made available. With the
increase of availability to training,
as recently urged upon congress-,
the estimated additional expenditure
will be S46S, 900 900 per annum until
the pledge of training is discharged.
These figures suggest neither ne
glect nor ingratitude. 1t is more
than the entire cost of federal gov
eminent for many years following
the Civil war and challenges every
charge of failure to deal with our
nations defenders. | do not recite
the figures to suggest that is all we
may do, or ultimately ought to do. 1t
is inevitable that our obligations
will grow and grow enormously. We
have never neglected and V will
neglect the dependent soldier, and
there is no way to avoid times re-
morseless classifications."