, 1925-03-26

to those who have suffered in
its service, that America takes care
of Its own; it pays it's debts of graft
tude; it pays its debts OF honor; you
and yours shall never want" As
custodian, curator and administrator
of this fund the President Of the
United States in effect has designated
The American Legion.
So much for the high purpose, and
for the lofty zeal which assumes to
give effect to that purpose. These
are all very well indeed, but 1t so
happens that by national trait and
marking we Americans are a prac-
tical people. The inquiring Why"
fall trippingly from the tongue.
why should the Legion need five
million dollars to take care OF dis
abled soldiers and sailors and their
orphans? Doesn't the Government
do that? II not. what does the Gov
eminent do with the million dollars
plus a day which the public pays to
run the Veterans Bureau?
The question is in order. This is
the answer:
1t Is the legal obligation 81 the
United States Veterans Bureau to
care for wars disabled, and, in GER
tain cases, and within certain limits.
to extend assistance to the depend
ents OF those veterans.
But government machinery, how
ever ample. ~purposeful or competent.
remains machinery. In the case OF
the Veterans Bureau it does not and
It cannot enjoy those completely in
innate contacts with the disabled
man, his family, his needs. 1t is
limited at the top by the limit OF
ability which government service, OF
any character. has been able to COM
mand. It is limited at the bottom
by the extent Of human contact poss-
bile to- a government mechanism. The
American Legion. through its veter-
an rehabilitation n child welfare
services, knows no limit at either
end.
This service. beginning with an
expert national control which is SUI
pervised by some of the most emin-
ent authorities in the science Of ply
steal, mental. social and financial re-
Mobilization in the land, extends down
to the Legion's very finger-tips-its
IL 900 local posts m the 6,400 local
units of the American Legion Auxil-
larry. By this great diffusion OF col
laborating effort the Legion can reach
down into the homes OF those afflict-
ed. not as an impersonal government
machine. but as friends and neigh
bors. No red tape binds the Legion's
efforts Legion workers require no
paper forms. no legal opinions. no
appeals to higher authority. They
are on the spot. When a call for
help comes they respond and do what
needs to be done. unfettered by rule
or regulation.
Hundreds OF thousands Of veterans
and their dependents have been
reached by this aid. Lives have been
saved. broken bodies and shattered
minds made healthy and whole again.
dire financial ant fulfilled. The
Legion has maintained this service
in the face OF fiscal hardships. II
has borrowed money when its own
Till was empty. II deprived itself
OF other necessary things to keep
work up. II has reached a stage
the work must be put on n
financial footing or the
beneficiaries OF II will suffer. When
became known TO Frank T. Hines
the present director OF the Veterans
and the man who has put
Bureau on It's feet. he declared
lh' ls'hioh , Noih WINS iHulNpfnrabies
md II the Legion could o maintain
Il he would ask the President to IL
nance It with public funds. The Lee
sion could NOT consent to hat To
n government subsidy would
De to destroy Its independence and
OF its effectiveness. But the
did decide. after long and
consideration OF every
involved. to invite the public
INTO partnership. and TO ask for five
dollars to carry on the work.
only the interest OF the fund. about
s225, 600 a year, will be expended.
The President OF the United States
iot only has endorsed the Legion's
.ffort but has accepted the position
II chairman OF the honorary COM
OF the Endowment campaign.
This campaign has Just begun. and