Evening star., 1927-11-27
Veterans of Foreign Wars.


a World War service pension for vet
Grams of the recent war. especially
those who are unable medically as
we'll as clericafly TO prove service con
nection OF tho present diSa bilitieS
1T was pointed out by the Veterans OF
Foreign Wars that the service Of these
veterans, especially the service over.
seas during the World War; had made
them susceptible to disease and dis
ability and had Handicapped them
Just as the older veterans of former
wars had been Handicapped.
Comdr. Strayer. who was accom-
panied TO the White House by Capt.
Edwin s. Bethlehem. jr. chairman OF
the Veterans of Foreign Wars national
legislative committee, and Gen. Frank
7. Hines. director of the United States
Veterans Bureau, also urged the pres
fdential interest in the consolida ton of
all Federal veteran relief agencies, es-
peCially the United States Veterans
Bureau, the Pension Bureau and the
National Home for Disabled Volunteer
Soldiers, under one department head.
Other matters of veterans relief, hos
; ritaliZation. veterans preference and
national defense were discussed.
Lieut.. Comdr. Strayer left a letter
with the President setting forth the
the twenty-sixth national encamp-
ment held recently at Providence.
II. l.. and urging his cooperation in
bringing the matter suggested to the
attention Of Congress.
The items which are urged AS as
follows:
'World g War service pension: We
have beef convinced. after careful
study OF conditions and legislation for
the relief of veterans Of the World
War over period of nearly 10 years
past. that thes service in the Army,
Navy or Marine Corps during the
World War has undoubtedly affected
the health and medical and physical
resistance against disease Of so many
veterans OF the World War that some
solution of the problem is necessary,
especially in those cases where it is
medically difficult. Is we'll as clerical
ly difficult, for them to prove service
connection of their past resulting dis
abilities.
Therefore. we believe that it is
propitious at this time TO recommend
10 you and to Congress that leGisla-
tion be enacted to grant World War
service pensions, according to the pres
ent rate of disability. of all veterans
who served honorably during the
World War.
Congress in the past has provided
service pensions for warriors of our
previous wars, and there is little
doubt but what the service of the vet
Grams during the World War made
them susceptible to disabilities. We
believe that World War service
pension legislation AT a rate from $50
to $50 a month would meet the sltua-
ton and save the Government untold
expense. investigation and eNamina-
tions, etc. which il is at present eN-
periencing in veterans attempting to
prove ups service connection of their
present disabilities.
Decentralization: We would ask you
to urge Congress to complete the
work which they started during
the last session of Congress to provide
proper hospital and out-patient care
of all veterans of all wars, and that
no discrimination be made between
veterans, whether they were placed on
the retired list or in the Reserves, or
tust plain discharged.
Long and continued service in our
military and naval establishments
should not in any way jeopardize the
veterans right to hospitaliZati We
would urge greater bed capacity for
the growing need of neuro-psychiatric
patient veterans.
consolidation of Federal veteran
relief agencies: We commend 10 your
the recommendation or
the comma anderin-chief and national
of the veteran Organiza.
tons in seeking to bring about the
of all Federal veteran re-
lief agencies under one department
head, as good business judgment and
economical procedure To this end we
urge the consolidation of the veteran
relief activities of the Pension Bureau,
the Veterans Bureau and the National
Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
under one head.
COMPENSATION and insurance: We
would urge that there be no time limit
for applying for compensation In the
United States Veterans Bureau, or
for the reinstatement and conversion
of war risk insurance, any more than
there would be time limit for appli-
cation for pension. Many veterans
have endeavored to get along on their
own without calling upon the Gov.
ernment for aid. Some Of these have
ultimately found themselves unable 10
do so. and they should not be Jeop.
srdized for their good intentions.
"The Government would be placed
in no worse position. as the burden OF
nroof becomes more difficult on the
part of the veteran as time progresses.
We would urge that certain organic
diseases be included under section 202.
paragraph 7, of the World War Vet
erans' act.
Veteran preference: We respect
fully call to your attention that there
is in reality today no such thing as
veterans preference in civil service.
The expression is a myth. Govern
ment departments have not been CIV
ing preference TO the veterans either
in original appointments. retention or
in cases of reduction of personnel. We
urge the elimination of the Personal
Classification Board and the Bureau
of Efficiency, from handling civil serV-
ice employment matters.
DISABLED emergency officers We
believe at this late date that at last
pra ctically all opposition to legislation
seeking for the retirement of disabled
emergency officers of the World War
under the same privileges and rights
ss afforded TO those in Regular service
has been eliminated and we ask your
cooperation in having this legislation
enacted.
Pensions. We urge that certain
omminus pension bills now awaiting
action in Congress he passed and sew
pral matters pertaining TO ClNli w DR.
widows and others be ironed out.
National Defense We urge your co.
operation in bringing about sufficient
eppropria ton for the upkeep of the
Army, Navy and Marine Corps. the
National Guard and the Reserves. We
especially commend to your attention
the encoura cement of the civilian
military training camps and the Re-
serve officers training camps, which
ere doing wonders toward bringing
up the future generation, in mental
and physical fitness, we'll disciplined
and conscientious Of the ideals of their
Government. They bespeak Of clean
and healthy manhood for the coming
generations.
1--WE urge the ecognition of Armi-
Stice day as a national holiday. We
call to your attention the general prog