The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-09-17
NO VETERAN ''RAID ON THE
TREASURY"

The president of the Carnegie Foun-
dation makes a violent attack on the
American Legion and the Grand Army
of the Republic on the charge that
through political coercion they have
Graded the treasury" to provide I'M
just pensions and other forms of COM
pensation for veterans. He declares
that the G. A. r. twas transformed
from patriotic society to a subsidy
seeking organization"
The Grand Army of the Republic
has been the target of such accusa-
tions before. Looking back over the
record of what the nation has done
for the men who saved the Union
from dissolution in the sixties, and
thus made it possible for Mr.. Carnegie
to accumulate the fortune with which
he endowed the Carnegie Foundation,
few Americans will agree that the
government has been too generous.
One familiar with the operations of
the pension laws knows how difficult
it was at any time to procure for a
veteran pension to which he was
entitled. That there were individual
cases of imposition in so large
number of pension applications is
doubtless true, but that general pen
sion legislation was unfair or that
many cases of injustice developed
under it, is not true.
When the nation, soon after Am
erica's entrance into the World War,
set aside certain portion of the pop
ulation as obligated to military SER
vice, and permitted the remainder to
continue civil pursuits, and in many
instances to personally profit by the
war, it incurred special obligation
to those who were called to the ma
tional colors. 1t incurred moral OBJ
legation for some adjustment finan-
cially between those who went to war
and those who stayed at home. That
the adjustment has been overdone to
date no Thoughtful persons will be in
clined to believe.
The money paid out by the nation
to World War veterans does not rep
resent loss to the American people
as whole. 1t comes out Of the pock-
cts of those who can afford to pay,
and put it into the pockets of many
who need it, and who have claim on
the nations gratitude. But for their
service there would be no values in
this country; the endowment fund Of
the Carnegie Foundation would be
worthless. Some excessive demands
would have been made on the govern
ment by some representatives of the
World War soldiers. But what has
been done up to date has been mod
crate. The additional loans made on
bonus certificates, described by the
president of the Carnegie Foundation
as a "raid on the treasury" did not
increase the obligation of the govern
ment penny; on the contrary, since
the loans are made to veterans at
higher rate of interest than the gov
eminent pays for its money, it is a
profitable transaction.
The Carnegie Foundation, along
with some highly useful activities,
has some of less value. It agitates
for internationalism and the disarm-
ing of the nation. It's eminent foun-
der, who made many notable benefac-
tons, nevertheless expressed a wish
for a consolidation of the United
States and the British Empire. Ger
tainly the cause of peace is not
harmed when war is made more costly
because our people vote on themselves
heavy burdens in caring for veterans,
and to some extent making up for
what they lost financially by their war