Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-21
Legion Divided on Aid
State Commanders Differ on Complete Payment of
Compensation, but Believe Disabled and
Families Need More Help.

ment OF the adjusted compensation ceE
tiflcates in full. Should Congress enac
law directing the same, it will be
relatively simple matter to finance thii
transaction by the Federal Government
and the effect on our country will b.
completely salutary. AS a f1nancia
transaction 1t would affect only slightly
the economic status of the country
which can we'll bear 1t, and the country
may well expect the veteran to demand
such payment because Congress saw
At to defer to 1915 payment for service
rendered in 1917, 1918 and 1919.
Sees Misunderstanding.
eff any law is to be enacted having
| the adjusted compensation certificate:
as basis, 1 believe the certificate:
should be paid in full. eliminating then
| from further discussion.
'I wish to state definitely that the
Government has never given able
bodied World War veterans one cent
This is not generally recognized by tht
newspaper-reading public. what ma;
been received by able-bodied Worlc
War veterans was the daily wage foi
service, which for enlisted men was 81
and $1.25 per day for domestic anc
foreign service, respectively, and tne
adjusted service compensation cert1n-
cate maturing In 1945. The able
bodied World War veteran has received
no bonuses or pensions from the Gov
eminent"
Henry C. Armstrong, Arkansas: Per
sonally and for the Executive Commit
tee of the Department of Arkansas, we
oppose any further payment on the
adjusted compensation certificates 1or
the present. do not think economic
conditions will warrant any Such OUT
lay of money.
1.-THE primary purpose and major rea-
son for an organization such as the
American Legion is to demand and IN
siSt that our weak and disabled buddies
are given the proper care while on this
earth. This has cost great deal more
than the most conservative estimates.
Therefore, until our promise has been
fulfilled and their faith sustained we
who are physically able should forgo
anything that might hinder this work.
do think the Government should can
eel the interest on loans now in force
and declare thsm a cash payment.
FavOrs Aiding Disabled.
Hal Brennan, Texas: When the
American Legion considers legislation
for veterans relief we will always sp-
proach the problem from two angles
First, relisf and assistance should be
sought only for those who suffered In
flrmitieS due to their service to our
country, and their dependents: second,
the ability of the Nation to pay.
THE American Legion is unaltersbly
opposed to a pension for the well Of
the World War, not for sentimental
reasons, but. due to the inability of the
Nation to pay. But we do sincerely
believe that the grateful Nation should
spend lavishly Of its wealth to care
adequately for the sick and disabled
and their dependents.
There should be additional legisla-
tive relief granted by Congress to pro-
vide sufi1cient hospital facilities to care
for the casualties now existent in the
Nation and liberalization Of relief mea-
sures for the care and protection of
service connected disabilities, and COM
penss ton should be granted to the i'm
mediate dependents Of a service man
still doing duty to the Nation in Gov
eminent hospitals.
Our jails and State institutions are
over-crowded with mental casuals of
the World War, and private and State
hospitals are caring for our wounded
and tubercular cases; these, being wards
of the Nation. should be provided with
governmental facilities Immediately,
and their dependents should receive
Government compensation during their
infirmitieS. widows and orphans of
those men who gave their lives in active
service during the war have not been
compensated. and they should be OF
prime concern to the American Legion
in its relief effort before the next seS-
sion of Congress.
II candidly believe that the American
Legion should seek immediate retire
ment of the full face value of the ad-
justed service certificates, for two speci-
flc reasons: First, to remove this prob
lem from partisan politics, and second
as a momentary relief measure to
equslize our circulation medium. Our
per capita circulation Of specie and cur
rency is far below the standard neces-
sary for the well-being of the plain
people, and the national treasury can
well afford to pledge the funded adj
| justed service certificates for the Is
suance of new currency to the tenure OF
the outstanding face value of said
certificates.
Urges Need for Payments.
Exchanging the certificates for tht
/
actual circulation SUFFICIENT money Il
raise the per capita circulation to nearly
| SAT, Is plan that would cost the
| Nation no additional tax and woulC
place more than one billion dollars Ii
the hands of the plain \ople, which
will have tendency to improve oul
present economic crisis and pay of 8
well defined public Indebtedness.
II personally feel that the amend.
ments to the veterans act of July, 1880
granting non-service connected disa.
bility compensation, was a politica
subterfuge and very dangerous in MANI
respects, and too underlined and burden.
some Of administration to be OF a grea
deal OF benefit to the rank and file o
World War veterans. I have always fel
that our Government should have pro
vided all World War veterans. not dis
abled. with an insurance policy agains
unemployment and old age rather thar
small disability compensation which
is burdensome for the veteran to obtair
and expensive for the Government t,
maintain.
The American Legion is grateful Il
Congress for it's sympathetic attit,Id,
toward veterans relief. and we vii
never assume the attitude of abusin(
that coincidence in which our organiza
ton Is held by the American people"
Henry c. DwOrshak, Idaho: "Obvi
ously there will be certain request
made during the next session of Con
gress to correct existing inequalities IL
laws affecting veterans of the Worlt
War. The need for relief has been in
tenSltled by the general economi
situation, but am confident that tn
american Legion will make no I'm
reasonable demands of our Govern
ment"
FaVOrs More Relief.
DIR. c. A. Dawson, Wisconsin: II an
sure the American Legion will not pro
mote or indorse any project that woul'
handicap sound and worthy efforts +