Evening star., 1932-10-27
NEW POLICY URGED
IN VETERANS AID.
Maj. O. W. Clark, Assistant
to Hines, Terms 1t "Crazy
Quilt" in Forum.

The program of veterans relief now
followed in this country was described
as crazy quilt of legislation. i'm
mense in its scope" by Maj. o. w.
Clark. assistant administrator for Vet
eran5' Affairs. speaking last night in
the National Radio Forum arranged by
The Evening Star and broadcast over
q coast forecast network Of the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co.
Mai. ClarkS address was delivered
through WRC and is known to have re-
fected accurately the views Of the ad-
ministretol, Brig Gen Frank T. Hines,
whose scheduled appearance in the
forum was prevented by illness.
Pointing out that expenditures for
veterans involves 80 per cent of the
Federal budget for ordinary eXpendi-
charges. trust and refund services and
expenditures on the Army and Navy
are excluded Maj Clark declared this
subject should be given deep study and
a new policy adopted for present and
future.
Plans Recommendations.
This, he said. should reflect fitting
and liberal recognition of the Govern
merits moral obligation to those who
have served, while at the same time
having due regard TO the cost such
policy will impose upon our citizens.
The Veterans Administration is Going
before the next Congress with definite
recommendation in this regard, he
amplifed.
Mai Clark surveyed the entire nelo
Of veterans relief. He pointed out that
postwar benefits covering the PERIOD
1rcm the War OF 1872, through the
Spanish American War, have lotalSd
$500 ,000,0 900 end that All GOO bench
carries of these wars still are on lne
rolls For the Wcrld War, he continued,
s6 900 coo. 900 has been paid, excluding
disbursements from insurance preml-
inns. allotmentS that soldiers mace from
their pay for their families. and loans
on adjusted service certificates.
There are GOO COO veterans and 0e-
cenSents who are World war oenen-
c;aries Clark said, in comparison TO
about 100000 men and women VINO
served in that conflict. In the next III
wears. he said, if no further hberanza,
ton is effected payments VIII to;al
more than s9.130. 100000. and the
Government will have expended S26,-
Ooo.O9CrOO for all veterans OF all wars
Hits Immediate Payment.
Arc,Ilng against immeai3te payment
of the borus. MAJ Clark said this would
cost right now $4,000 1000 900. He eX-
rlaircd in this connection that pay
ment of the face value CT the ceru-
ficates is not due. this face value IN
Guiding a 25 per cent allowance for
deferred payment. together with IN
tercst over the 2O-year maturity period
For instance. he said. On ccrtlncatc
for $1,000. the basic credit, on an
average was 1898.
Ncn-servicc connected dlsablllty al.
lowances, and the same character OF
decentralization expenditures were Two /
ether items treated By the speaker. Wlo
said these costs we're increasing.
Text of Address.
The text Of Mai Clarks address
follows:
probably at no time in our history
has 50 much beer known generally Oh
the nroblen of veterans relief; nor mas
nublic discussion conferred more on TINS
nhase of Federal activity than curing
fhe mast wear. 1t is small wonder when
ve consider that the expenditures re-
ouired for the maintenance OF our pres
ent system for the current year mVo!Ve
40 per cent of the Federal budget LOT
ordinary expenditures, or 40 per cent IL
we exclude public debt charges, trusI
and refund services and eXpenaltures
upon the Army and Navy NaIuIalS;
with such a proportion of our Fcoeral
exnenditures going into postwar bene-
fits to our veterans, we become soH'e-
what curious as to how i is spent ana
anprehensive whether such a proper
tion can be increased without cor
responding increase in our income ana
other taxes. as well as attentive TO sus-
ceztions coming persiStently from Ger
tain groups that the proportions OF FED
erak expenditures in this direction are
too high and properly can and shoula
be curtailed.
which requires some 5000 ooo,oOo year
deserves close scrutiny. Bcnenclal
measures for World War veterans were
piaced upon our statute books in an era
of high wages, high prices and general
prcsperity-a time when generosity was
limited only by the degree of apprecla-
tion. The Nation was anxious ana ao!e
to meet the then apparent costs. IL
reckcned at that time not too closely
upon the fact that our reservoir OF
beneficiaries was composed OF some
S 5000 900 veterans. all of whom were
growing older each year and many OF
whom were to become incapacltated ana
in need of relief. Our previous wars
had left no such potential demand for
aid. Then, too. with but 10000 killed
in war and died of disease and but
$4,000 wounded, our problem perhaps
appeared definitely limited, having IN
mind the plans inaugurated to prevent
for the World War group OF veterans
the pension, with its recognized 1aults.
Necessary Taxation.
But thin times have come upon us.
Assessments in the form of Feaeral,
State and municipal taxes have become
more than a matter of course, and our
Government has had to take measure
Of it's capacity and must map its course
accordingly. The taxpayer is an lnte-
gral factor of this appraisal and becomes
a keenly interested party.
Let us briefly scrutizine the problem
of veterans relief as it now OBTAINS,
noting its development.
The origin Of pensions for disabled
warriors may be traced back to the
Roman Empire We see it developed
through the medieval times. with bene-
fits or privileges granted in one form
or another not always in keeping with
the dignity OF service for ones country.
In our Colonies that of Virginia first
officially recognized its obligation,
CLOSELY followed by the Plymouth Colony
and later in 1893 by the Massachusetts,
Colony. Then the Continental Con-
gress. after the terrible Winter of 1778-
1879. passed the first act of our Congress
looking to pensions for service, but this
to officers only. During the 36 years
following the Revolutionary War at no
time were more than l.6C0 names on
the pension rolls. and the annual ex-
IN,