Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-02
Roasting the Pensions.

again. Despite the fact that the Amert-
can Legion through its head gave its
approval to the Johnson World War
veterans pension bill, a majority OF
the Senate has amended the MEASURE
by increasing the rates Of pension and
decreasing the amount of disability
necessary to obtain q pension to a de-
gree which may bring presidential
veto of the measure IL 1t reaches the
White House in its present form. Pen
sions to men who have served their
country In war time and emergencies
arising out of extraordinary conditions
are fair and just. They are a means
of expressing q ceuntry's gratitude to
its defenders. Quite naturally the peo-
pie would desire to make th.se PEN
siens as high as they are able to make
them. But there is a limit. War veter-
ans pensions are not q novelty. The
country has had some experience and
knows to what proportions pensions may
be swelled. 1t knows, too that pensions
go to those who deserve them and some
times to those who may not.
The Senate. by its action yesterday
boosted the rates of pension to the
World War veterans to the same level
as those recently provided for Spanish
War veterans. The World War vet
errans are on an average far younger
than are the veterans of the Spanish
American War. Nearly q score of years
separated the one war from the other
President Hoover vetoed the bill increas-
ing pensions for Spanish War veterans
for reasons which he presented cogently
to the Congress. But that body put
the bill through over his veto. The
Spanish War veterans bill meant, it
is true, only an additional annual cost
Of $ll 100000 to the Government. The
World War veterans' bill, however, is
a different proposition when 1t comes
TO cost-Feaehing. In the form it passed
the Senate, to $5s,000,oO0 In the first
year Of operation and to $16o, 900 900 in
the next five or six years.
The bill Is intended to benefit vet
Grams who are unable to trace their
disability to military service. In other
words, their disabilities have arisen, not
as q result Of their war service, but from
causes which affected them after they
had left the military service The war
veterans who can trace their disabili-
ties TO their military service will con-
tinue to benefit under the compensa-
ton legislation, which gives them much
higher rates. The new bill is to care
for those who cannot so trace their
disabilities. The Senate went ahead
and placed in the bill 1t passed yester-
day provision that veterans suffering
from disabilities growing out of their
own willful misconduct also are to re-
eeive a pension. This is a provision to
which President Hoover has repeatedly
objected in his dealing with veteran
legislation,
The action In the Senate yesterday
was that body's answer to the House,
which sustained the Presidents veto Of
the original World War veterans bill.
The House now must consider the SEN
ate's answer. If it continues to back
up the President in this matter, the
Senate In the end may be compelled to
yield. If the House should permit the
bill as amended by the Senate to pass
and President Hoover should veto it, as
he might be expected TO do, the end
less chain of ineffective legislative effort
may have been set in motion. providing
that a sufficient number of House mem
bers may be found to sustain the Presi-
dents veto. The bill launches the
country upon a system Of pensions for
World War veterans that have nothing
TO do with their actual military service
except that they are gift, a recognition
OF the service. The country will watch
| the progress of this system with great
deal Of interest. The people, among
whom are the veterans themselves, must
in the end pay for these pensions.
Naturally they will desire TO see that
the pensions are well applied and Just.