Evening star., 1924-08-24
EVIDENCE OF Fraud
|NPLEASF0R b0NUS|
War and Navy Officials Han.
ding Applications Report
Misstatement of Facts.

: War and Navy Department officfals
Rambling bonus work have discovered
c wholesale effort by a large number
of veteran applicants to defrAud the
Government. Thousands OF applica-
tions received and reviewed reveal the
fact that many veterans are not truth.
fully stating the date OF their birth.
As the value Of adjusted service GER
tificates is based upon the age OF the
applicant, the departments are con
fronted with a difficult problem. The
younger veterans certificate is worth
more than the "old timers" because he
is a better insurance risk. Government
officials in charge of paying the bonus
are determined to give each veteran q
square deal and the benefit of any
doubt. but they add most emphatically
that they are equally determined that
the veteran applicant who is trying to
cheat the Government out Of one or
one hundred dollars shall not get away
with it
What the Records show.
: The records would seem to show that
many applicants for the bonus do not
know when they were born. Thousands
advanced their ages to get into the
service and do not now remember the
date OF birth given at the time Of en-
fstment or induction. A study OF the
facts. though. reveals that a majority
of those giving incorrect ages are do
ing so deliberately. thereby hoping to
increase the face value OF the adjusted
service certificates to which they may
be entitled.
The value OF a veterans certificate
Is based upon the number Of days
served. for which he is allowed 4
credit. To this credit is donated q
% per cent increase. a veterans GER
t,fcate is worth what this credit in
creased by 25 per cent would pur-
chase in 20-year endowment insur-
ance. The younger applicant for in
surance, of course. receives a certifi-
cate OF greater value than an older
man would get That is why thou
sands upon thousands Of applicants
for the bonus are advancing the date
of birth from one to five years.
Change of Plans Necessary.
e. At first the War and Navy De-
partments contemplated correcting
these dates to conform with its rec
ords of military service rendered by
the applicant. But the wholesale
effort Of veterans to increase the
value of certificates has necesSitated
a change of plans. Officials have de-
cided to return all applications to
Claimants wherein the date of birth
does not correspond with the date Of
Diltn DIS SHOWN Oy tne RECORDS OF the
departments. Each erring veteran
will be asked to correct his applica-
tfon and will be warned of the pen
atty for making false statements.
Other dates used in applications for
the bonus are not of great impor-
ance, because, generally speaking.
they will not affect the amount Of
the face value of certificates to which
veterans may be entitled.
: 1t would seem that the dimculties
of administering the law are great
enough and that veterans would not
Intentionally and deliberately in
crease the burden. Thousands Of ap-
plicants forget to sign their applica-
tions. When complete figures are
available it is expected that they will
show that at least 25 per cent of the
applications are not correctly filled in.
Z Warn of Deliberate Errors.
Veterans will not gain any benefits
by intentional or deliberate errors.
Do not guess at dates, the War and
Navy Departments say. for your ap-
plication is being compared with data
and complete records. II you do not
know the correct date of an event
say so in your application. Veterans
who have made errors or failed to
fill out their applications properly are
getting them back with red ink
checks asking for corrections. There
is an appalling delay caused by care
lessness and the departments are
urging all veterans to study their ap-
pIications and correct mistakes before
mailing.