Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-14
I BILLION VETERAN
AID SEEN BY 1910
Bureau Has Already Spent
$1,000, 1000, 600, Gen. Hines
Says in Forum Talk
Continued From First Page.)

find a responsible movement to do away
with the service connected clause In
existing compensation legislation, so
that the Government may come finan-
cially to the relief of the many veterans
throughout the country who are In
need as a result of disability, the origin
of which cannot be traced to their mill
tary service These veterans require
material assistance" explained Gen.
Hines, land naturally appeal to their
Government for it, just as those other
veterans who have preceded them.
Probably" right now there is no
greater problem before the Government.
connected with veterans relief, than
what policy it should adopt to meet this
increasing need on behalf of World War
veterans, for whom no legislation now
is in force other than to provide them
with disqualification.
New Policy Must Be Formulated.
This problem will grow, both in
urgency and scope, and is problem
which must be approached with full
knowledge of our past policies and with
a careful and earnest study OF all its
phases It is evident that there must
be formulated a new general policy
affecting benefits for our veterans, not
only for the present, but, so far as prac-
ticable, to be prospective in scope"
Gen. Hines reiterated his proposal for
consolidation of veterans relief, and ex-
pressed his approval of bill introduced
in the House on Tuesday, looking to the
consolidation of all present agencies in
the Government dealing with the
granting of benefits to veterans. 1t
would establish a new Government
agency to be known as the Admins
tration of Veterans Affairs, and to it
would be transferred, Gen. Hines ex-
planned. the activities of the present
Veterans Bureau, of the Pension Blu
reau and of the national homes for dis
abled volunteer soldiers
Discussing the need of general ma
tional policy Gen. Hines said that the
establishment of the central agency
would be preliminary to "the study
which will be necessary before we can
adopt a national policy, which would
provide definite program for uniform
veteran relief
Gen. Hines address In full follows:
When was asked to speak to you to-
night on the subject of veterans relief,
] intellectually welcomed the oppor-
tunity. While many Of you are aware
of individual veterans receiving or need
ing the Governments assistance to carry
on, only relatively few of you can APP
preciate the great extent to which your
Government has gone in providing for
the care Of its veterans.
There were called to the colors during
the World War nearly 100000 men
and women. Applications on behalf of
one out Of every four Of this great force
have been received for the death and
disability benefits provided by law. Five
hundred and seventy thousand claims
for these benefits have been allowed.
That represents paid claim for one out
of every nine who served, and to date,
on their behalf, for this type of benefit
alone, your Government has expended
more than 81 zoo, 100000. Project this
item alone into the future on the basis
of reasonable expectation OF life Tor
our present beneficiaries, say conserva-
lively for only 20 years, and we reach
future obligation in compensation, un-
der present laws, totaling $4,000, 000, 900
an amount adequate for the ordinary
operating expense Of our Government
for some two years.
2l7,0O0 Receive Compensation.
Today all 900 disabled veterans are
receiving disability compensation bene-
fits, In amounts varying from So month
to $3.50 a month. These veterans ap-
proximate the population of city the
size of Atlanta, Ca. If they were formed
in regiments of fun wartime strength,
and marched by you In columns Of fours
at the regulation Army pace, it would
take them IS hours to pass.
Now, what Is this compensation OF
which we speak? In general, Of course.
It is an expression on the part OF the
country, through Congress, Of our graft
tude for those who lost their lives or
were disabled in military service, and OF
our continuous concern for their welfare
or that of their families. 1t is part OF
the harvest of that seed sown so early
in the minds Of our people, when, IN
1886, the Plymouth colony enacted In
their SQUIRT that If any man who was
sent forth as soldier should return
manned he should be maintained COM
petently by the colony as long as ne
subsequently to be taken up by
the Continental Congress, which, In
ITS, enacted the first pension law: When
there was promised half pay for lie OF
during disability OF every ofncer, sallor
or soldier losing limb in any engage
noent ar who was so disabled in the
service as to render him incapable OF
earning a livelihood-and later, ana
more or less continuously, to be de-
yeloped by Congress In the form OF mill
tary pension legislation to take care OF
our veterans of the War OF 1872, Inc
Indian Wars, the Civil War ana the
Spanish American War.
Then came our declaration OF We,
against Germany and her alies, m A 1I,...
Of 1917. With az years OF WorIu va a.
behind us. and all too well aware OF IsS
devastation. we realized that, potentlaliy
at least. our man-power was to be Caxeo
as never before. The age-old problem %
IooUv hest TO provide a reasonaple meas
IRE of indemnity against the rlskS II
Cured and losses sustained In war, va
again before Congress. AlIea1y, ap hos,,
Ing to prior conflicts, hao CneTe UJer
enacted laws providing, 1or n a,,.
Army retirement, genera peIislon .,.i tc
FAR the disabled, and service pensions y.
Ut new system was suggested "
D1,'asrsade the older military pension
st.eer,, and 10 be in line with the tneoIS
~ N,crlrner's compensation laws; WnicA
Iad developed with our EXPANDING III
S,,strialism. The soldier or SAILOR wa o.,t
S,oiIitarv enploye Of the GoVern!Iieir -.
and if, in the course OF serVlc go az con.
d,,rv was suffered or disease was So =,
11uaS+eS he was to be compensated pA
tiea C.oyernnnent to the extent ms ear,
AZ canacitv was reduced by ms oisap IN
a., s TThis principal was adopted IN Oil !
We pisk Insurance Act OF OcUoDei
~ Service Must Be Shown.
A. arst ratings were based upon tn
.yaraoe impairment Of earning Capa w
h,,t This later was amended SO InaI w
were, we're y the y average impairment Of earn ?,
upon ;,Is ca ma resulting from injuries II
aII.,, occupation similar to the occupa
49,. NJ the injured man at the tlne
Enlistment. necessitating the compn is,
ton of an intricate rating scn oti1H
Which today is the guide for all rating
a, erect. But-and this is Important
the law states that payment on co'd spet,
S or disability results from an injury Q
disease contracted in active service