Evening star., 1930-06-26
TREASURY DEFICIT
I IS ONE PREDICTION
discrimination Which Men in
War Would Resent Is
Another Charge.
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which, can fall TO this Office is to disap-
prove OF measures intended to benefit
our sick or disabled men who have
served our country in war. Perhaps as
much as any other person. l have full
realization of the task the hardships
and the dangers to which the Nation
ordered its sons. IN sentiment and in
sympathy, I should desire no greater
satisfaction than 70 support just meas
ures which are proposed for their bene-
lit But l want square d2a. between
Veterans-nOt unjust Determinations be-
tween special groups, and do not want
wasteful or unnecessary expenditures.
The country already generously pro-
vides for the 280, 900 men whose health
or earning-power is shown to have been
impaired by their service in the war
and for 81 900 dependents of the men
who suffered or died. That is, and
should be, a first charge upon the
Nation.
Sees Radical Departure.
This measure, except for a small
part, adds nothing TO aid of veterans
wounded or disabled in the war. 1t is
a radical departure from our full COM
nlittment to provide compensation to
men for war disability into the field Of
pensions to men who have incurred
disabilities as the incident of civil life
since the war and having no valid re-
lation to their military service. 1t pro-
Vides that in respect to veterans, who,
between the years 1925 and 1880, shall
have been afflicted with any one of an
extensive category of diseases and, thus
disabled. there is established a pre-
sumption that these diseases originated
from their service and that they should
be compensated or pensioned upon the
basis of men who suffered as a result
of actual military service.
This provision would give war dis
ability benefits to from $4,000 to 100000
men who we're not disabled as the re-
suit of war. In other words the bill
purpoTts to establish that men who
have enjoyed good health for a mini
mum of seven years Cfrom 1918 to 1925)
since the war, or maximum of II years
Ito 1930) and who have then become
afflicted, have received such affiiction
from their war service
II am informed by the director Of the
Veterans Bureau that the medical
council of the bureau, consisting of
most eminent physicians and surgeons
supported by the whole experience of
the bureau. agree conclusively that this
legal presumption that affiiction from
diseases mentioned in the bill between
1925 and $780, is not physical pos
sibility and that the presumption con-
stitutes a wholly false and fictitious
basis for legislation in veterans aid
This is confirmed by recent reSolu-
fion of so eminent body as the Amer
1can Medical Association.
Integrity at Stake.
''The spectacle Of the Government
practicing subterfuge in order TO say
that what did not happen in this war
did happen in the war, impairs the in
tegrlty OF Government, reduces the re-
Spect for Government, and undermineS
the morals of all the people.
The practical effects of this enact
ment Of fictitious presumption into
law are widespread. It creates a long
train of injustices and inequalities. The
first Is to place men of this class who
have in fact been disabled in civil life
Gnce the war upon the same basis as
the men who were wounded in battle
and suffered the exposures of the
trenches. But a second injustice imme-
olately arises. The Veterans Bureau
estimates that there are somewhere in
the neighborhood of $50 600 possible
cases OF diSabiltS incurred in civil life
since the war among the 1900. 600 Iiv-
ing veterans. BY this legislation all
except somewhere between $4,000 and
100000 of these fnen are excluded from
this aid by the Government except for
benefits which they already receive by
disqualification, the bonus and insur-
ance. This bill would. therefore. Gre
ate a preferred group of one-third
among the men who are suffering from
disabilities incurred in civil life since
the war.
THE further injustice OF this bill NAV
become more apparent when 1t is real
1zed that men who were enrolled in the
Army who remained but comparatively
few days or weeks in service. without
ever leaving their home States. will
receive aid upon the same basis as those
men who passed through the battle of
the Argonne. They may come upon the
Government payroll for life in case of
total disability at rates from $50 to 5000
per month. Beyond this again, under
the provisions of this bill as it affects
the existing law, many thousands Of
men who have in fact incurred their
disabilities in civil life may receive
larger allowances from the Government
than the men actually wounded at the
front.
Problem OF Proof.
at has been contended that the
Government has the right 10 disproye
the presumption than any Of the long
list OF diseases enumerated in this bill
are not Of war origin. But the burden
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