Evening star., 1928-03-07
RUSS DEATH DEBTS
TOBE PAID BY us.
Veterans Bureau Clears
Away Diplomatic Obstacle
to War Claims.

The tangle of diplomatic red tape due
20 the strained relations between the
United States and Soviet Russia, and
which had prevented the payment OF
hundreds of death claims of American
soldiers killed in the World War to
relatives in the old countries, has been
NRt by a special order just enacted by
The Veterans Bureau.
Approximately 100000 is due such
heneflciaries. Already 500 payments on
approximately 1000 claims have been
made through the cooperation OF the
Veterans Bureau. the Jewish Welfare
Board. the American Red Cross anc
the Russian RED Cross.
Negotiations between the welfare So
ciety officials and the Veterans Bureau
have gone on during the whole 10 years
since the armistice. At present. accord
ing 10 George c. Cohen. washington
field representative of the Jewish Well
fare Board. about 80 claims are COM
ing in every two weeks.
Ruling Causes Hardship.
After the armistice the State Depart
rient ruled that such claims need not
be paid until Russia was recognized by
the United States This worked hard
ship on many innocent persons, eSpe-
e;sliy because OF the starvation coadi-
tions in the Soviet republics. The in
surance claims ranged from $4,000 TO
$4,000. in addition to dependency
compensation. and adjusted service
compensation.
These claims now will be met if the
legal beneficiaries present affidavits to
the French or German consul. who le-
eaii5cs them with stamp and seal.
Before this order was enacted the
Veterans Bureau had advised claim
ants that il would be necessary for
them to go to a country where there is
an American consul. But in most cases
this was impossible because the Soviet
Republic has fast rules against emil
grafton. In several instances suffering
persons eluded border patrols and
escaped into neighboring country
where they appeared before the Amerl-
can consul. But ew.n so. they failed IN
their mission because the consul would
require the preSen e Of two witnesses
who could prove tie claimants identity.
One woman" said Cohen, "tourneyed
from Kief. in southern Ukrainia. to
Rovno, Poland. a distance of about 200
miles. She filed out the proper docu-
ments before an American consul and
be accepted them. Meantime. she took
lodging at Rovno rooming house
whose address she gave in the applica-
ton. First payment, check for
$4,000, was sent to that address. but
the woman already had returned to
Kief The rooming house owner opened
the letter. forged a power OF attorney
and cashed the check.
Much Work Necessary.
"As part of our routine. We had sent
her a separate letter telling that the
check was on its way to Rovno. She
cabied back that payment on the check
should stop and informed the Treas
ury Department accordingly. day
later the check came through the chan
nels of the American Express Co. They
cabIed the Soviet police TO arrest the
man and he was found with 81 500
on his person. The woman, however,
vas later paid the full $4,000. The
bank that caShed the forged check lost
$1,000.
when We started this work we
wanted TO make it complete. First We
cent through the files Of the Veterans
Bureau and separated the names Of all
soldiers who were born In Russia. Then
we eliminated all those who were known
70 be alive. We gathered evidence TO
support each claim. Some of these
claims are upheld by as many as Is
authenticated documents. They pass
successfully through the hands OF the
Veterans Bureau, Russian Red Cross,
Soviet government. French. German or