Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-24
NEW DRIVE SEEN
FOR VETERAN AID
Proposals to Ask Face Value
of Certificates and Rebate
of Interest.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
In the midst of President Hoover's
intensive economy drive and in the
teeth of a prospective $500 600, 900
Treasury deficit next year. indications
have come to official Washington that
another high-powered drive for veterans
legislation is just over the horizon.
If current reports are verified by
events, forthcoming proposals will call
for something like another $4,000, 000,-
600. This would be in addition to the
round $750,000,000 already distributed
in loans to some 100000 applicants
entitled to borrow on bonus certificates
under the amendment to the adjusted
compensation act, voted by the late
Congress
The amendment authorized loans up
to so per cent of the certificates held by
service men, or total of It'll 100000.
The new legislation said to be in the
of1ng would call for payment of the
face-value balance, making a grand
total bonus-certificate grant of $3,423,-
100000.
$4,000, 000,00 Would Be Needed.
Other mooted veterans legislation
involves the amount that would be con-
cerned were Congress to wipe out in
terest charged on present loans, not only
retroactively, but prospectively for the
next IA years. No estimate is possible
at this time as to what these interest
rebates, If ordered, would aggregate.
There are loans totaling roughly $1,000
600 1000 outstanding now including those
made prior to the recent bonus-certifi-
cate legislation and those made subse-
quently. In the best of conditions, any
interest legislation would run into
figures that would bring the gross sum
of new Treasury requirements for veter-
ans Inclusive of the distribution of the
SO per cent balance payable on certifl-
catesl to, and probably over, $4,000
100000.
Impossible" to Resist.
Members Of Congress recently in
Washington have made confidential
confessions that If veterans organiza-
tons come forward with fresh demands,
it will probably be found impossible"
to resist them. Both the House and
Senate are apparently filed with men
who think it would be suicidal to op-
pose these recurring requests for more
and more Federal bounty for World
War soldiers and their dependents. The
plea is that with a presidential and
COIlkICSSADkld1 CdIlpdAHn III S1BlL, rep
reSentatiYe or Senator anxious for re-
election might just as well write lame
duck" after his name right now as to
go on record against new veterans
grants The hour, denizens of Capitol
Hill point out. Is again one in which
Statesmen must rise above principle"
and, in a spirit of political self-preser-
walton, vote the boys" what "the boys"
ask for
Xyafara,,et 1aaSsorr xyfo,1rr,,el,, ,Sax,,, @t,o&
either the American Legion or the Vet
Grams of Foreign Wars are the motive
power behind so-called Treasury raids"
They resent the grabbing" reputation
they have acquired They say that
Congress is the culprit, even though the
former soldiers may be the beneficiaries.
One of the outstanding figures in the
high command Of the Legion. George
Malone Of Nevada, was In washington
last week. This writer brought to his
attention the circumstsntial stories now
in circulation regarding coming plans
for still fatter veterans legislation. Ma
lone Is national committeeman from
Nevada in the Legion's executive body
and a former national vice commander
OF the organization.
Loan Initiated in Congress.
aBonus legislation" said Mr.. Ma
lone, who is State engineer of Nevada
and member of President Hoover,s
Commission on Western Public Lands
and Reclamation Projects, especially
last Winters bonus certificate law, was
initiated in Congress, not in the Amer
lean Legion. You viii recall that at
our 1880 national convention in Boston
the proposition Of a cash payment on
the veterans insurance certificates was
turned down. Soon after Congress con-
vened in December. "a separate bills
were introduced for some form Of
cash payment Eventually the Legion
National Executive Committee Endorsed
the principle of cash payment, but
without approving any Of the bills pend
ing in Congress. Even then there was
no demand from the Legion that money
be paid. The Executive Committees
action was taken with the categorical
understanding that If Congress did any
thing, 1t was not to interfere with the
pending disabled veterans legislation,
which provided for an expansion Of the
disqualification program.
Origin win Be in Congress.
IT am convinced that if there is any
thing in the wind OF still farther
reaching financial character on veter-
ans behalf 1t viii be found that its
origin is again in Congress. If mem
either an individual or any organized
body Of constituents, and holds out the
prospects Of easy legitimate money I
guess it's nothing but human nature
running true to form If the offer is
accepted with thanks. That Is roughly
lust about what happened last Winter.
The American Legion is growing in
membership. National Comdr. O'Neill
believes it will go over the 100000
mark for the first time in 1881. But
as We grow in membership and power
we also grow in responsibility. am
confident that the Legion will continue
10 stand for only what is reasonable.
Just and the all-around interests Of the
country as a whole"
Only Heard From Minority.
II Congress-as is almost certainly
the case-is impressed" by the politi-
cal power OF the veterans vote as
represented by the American Legion
and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, it
is covering before a demonStrable mi
nority. The 100000 members Of the
Legion and the immensely smaller
membership Of the v. F. w. do not
jointly exceed % per cent Of the men
who saw World War service. Organ
lied minorities VIGOROUSLY WELD influ-
ence in Washington because the I'M
organized majorities do not take the
trouble TO make their vastly superior
power felt. It has been suggested that
If the business men OF the country, who
outnumber organized veterans over
whelmingly and who mainly foot the
Nations tax bill, were to league them
selves for fight on veterans legisla-
ton Congress would at least give the
voice Of the majority a hearing. To
date the politicians indicate, they have
heard only from the minority, and mi
nority has ruled.
Copyright, 1917