Nogales international., 1930-08-26
Ceetings, Members OF The American Legion!
Achievements
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ed attention could be given to the
Legion's program of service.
Reviewing the legislative achieve
ments in the session of congress
which adjourned July 3, the ma
tional commander said, in part:
''The first legislative proposal of
The American Legion was enacted
into law during the closing days of
December, 1929. This was the Rog-
ers Hospital Bill which authorized
an appropriation of more than fiji
teen millions of dollars for hospital
construction, thus providing for the
building of some forty-five hundred
beds. Never before in the history of
soldier legislation has measure of
such Importance been pushed to such
prompt conclusion at the begin
ming of legislative esssion. It was
indeed a splendid Christmas gift
for our disable men.
BASED upon the recommendations
of the Louisville convention, there
is needed an additional appropria-
ton to provide for the construction
of some forty-five hundred more
beds in order to take care of the
waiting list of disabled men, The
Legion has bills before congress for
this construction, and they should
be enacted into law if these dis
abled men are to receive the hos
pital treatment from the federal
government for which they fought
and in whose behalf they became
disabled"
Hospital Construction
The national commander an
nounced the Legion's policy regard
ing future hospital construction, as
follows:
''n view of the unfair neglect of
the disabled, and in view of the
fact that it is poor economy for the
government to wait until an acute
situation confronts it, the Legion
favors a hospital policy which con-
templates a government agency to
anticipate the need, and to provide
facilities at any future date, as in
1885, 1910 or 1945, in order that
man can get just fair care in time,
perhaps, to give him a fighting
chance for recovery"
Mr.. Bodenhamer asked all vet
Grams to urge their comrades who
have not yet applied for the be-
nefits of the adjusted compensation
act to do SO at once.
"The closing date for applicants
was fixed as January 2, 1880, and
there remained 100000 veterans
who, for one reason or another, had
failed to make application. The LIE
gion sought to extend the time, and
on June 5, the HaWley bill was put
into law This bill extends the time
for the filing of applications to
January 2, 1885, and it allows a
period of one year in which the de-
pendents Of veterans may make ap-
plicaticn for the benefits of the law
IL the event Of a disappearance of
seven years."
UNIVERSAL SERVICE
The national commander told of
The Legin's fight on behalf Of the
principle CT universal service in time
of war, and said, in part:
FOR more than eight years the
Legion has been urging the justice
and wisdom Of q piece of legisla-
ton by which this principal of un-
ivcrSal service in time of war would
be made a part Of the fundamental
law CT the and.
There were some in America
who we're opposed to this principle.
There we're some who did not be-
licve that plan could be devised
by which such principle could be
made operative. In fairness to
those, as well as in fairness to the
supporters of such a principale. The
American Legion insisted that con-
gresS authorize competent and Of
ficial commission to study this
principle and to make recommended
tions as to the plan by which such
principal can be made effective.
Accordingly, at the inStigation of
the Legion, resolution known as
the Reed Wainwright resolution,
and later as the Reed-Snell resolu-
ton, was adopted by the House and
Senate and approved by the Pres
ident. This resolution creates
commission composed of four men,
bers of the House, four members of
the Senate and six members of the
Presidents cabinet. Regardless of
the wording of the resolution, the
objective of the Legion has been
accomplished in that the congress
has recognized the Importance of
this principle and has authorized
an official Commission to study the