Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-10
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL 7. COLLINS.

President Coolidge said IL his mes
sage to Congress. at the opening OF
the present session:
IF any one desires to estimate the
esteem in which the veterans OF
America are held, ii is but necessary
to remember that the current budget
calls for an expenditure of about
$3.50. 900. 600 in their behalf.
Mr.. Coolidge was referring to the
veterans of all the wars. Including
the Civil War pensions, the Spanish
War pensions and the support of
soldiers homes for the veterans OF
those wars. His figures have been
taken enormously to refer only TO the
relief Of the veterans of the WorId
War, and surprise is manifested upon
discovering that the S65O,000,00O eX-
ceeds the figures of Cen Hines, di-
rector of the Veterans Bureau, by
more than s256.000,000. Furthermore,
the President included the money paid
out on war risk insurance, for which
| the veterans are paying premiums.
x x X
The Veterans Bureau report says:
During the fiscal year ended June
| 80. 1925, the total disbursements for
all purposes amounted to S393,755, S5 Z,
representing a reduction of S21 1872 $40.
| the decrease of men undergoing voca-
tional training, the total disbursement
| for this purpose amounting 10 S6Q,-
| 4S2,47S, compared with $106, 954 ,45O
| for the previous year.
THE disbursements during 1925 for
| both compensation and term insur'
ance showed an increase over the
previous year, compensation increas
ing from $l15.494 ,991 in 1924 to s129,-
inc, 700
payments increasing from S101.239. 64S
to s104,136,493 for these years. The
disbursements for medical and hospi-
tai service for 1925 showed an increase
over those Of 1924, being sag, 033,37
| and $2e ,61S,747, respectively.
X Y X
The increase in hospital and medical
service is partly explained by the new
| law, passed at last session of Congress
giving veterans Of all wars, back tC
and including the Spanish War Out
! not including the Civil War; free hos
pital service, regardless of service
| origin" Of their diseases. This serv
| ice covers only certain diseases, how
ever. 1t is further due to the fact
| that as the years go by, veterans who
| have heretofore fought back their dis
eases, the seeds of which were planted
| by influenza or by wounds in the war
| are now succumbing to breakdowns.
X X
| During the war Congress Instituted
| war-risk insurance for the soldiers, as
| a substitute for pensions. such as are
given Civil War and Spanish War
veterans. This insurance was calcu
| lated scientifically as to cost, and the
premiums to be paid by the veterans
| were made to cover the risk, so that
while the veterans have the advantage
of low-cost insurance, the expense
eventually, does not become a burden
on the taxpayers.
Congress must make annual appro
priations to cover losses" because no
money can ever be paid out of the
Treasury except under congressional
appropriations. The appropriations
go into the total budget, but it is mis-
| leading If one forgets that the item
| Is supported by premiums paid In by
the soldiers. 1t Is similar to the ap-
preparations made to support the Post
ONCE. which loom large when the
postal receipts offsetting the dlsburse-
| ments are ignored.
X y ~
Quoting from the report of Director
Hines of the Veterans Bureau:
ION June 80, 1925, insurance records
were maintained for 552,340 veterans,
| carrying s2,S65, o2S,729 of insurance.
u In maintaining the foregoing
| total insurance, the average number