Evening star., 1932-03-09
Veteran Finds Reason
For a Change of Mind
To the Editor OF The Star:


There have recently been published
In your columns several letters yoicin0
both sides OF the question as 20 vheth.
er veterans Of the World War are or
are not, should or should not be, ia
| vored by employers in this unprece-
dented world depression.
As q veteran, 1t has always been nv
contention that q man should claim no
prerogatives, just because he is a vet
eran. What a cheap form of patriot
ism that would be! But at the same
| time I do hold that a man who did"
all other conditions being equal, should
be given q degree Of consideration over
and above the man who didn't" For
obvious reasons such a preference can
not be all embracing. as the man of
80 today was only 10 in 1917; and
again. many who didn't" NAV have
had the same patriotic desires as those
who did, but were prevented by physi-
cal disability or other perfectly good
causes.
However, my recent experience in
Washington prompts me TO ask the
question: Is 1t not perhaps a detri-
ment to say Il am a veteran?
I am what Is termed "a white-collar
man." although my collar is not quite
as white now as 1t was: went to France
as captain volunteer and received
honorable discharge with the rank of
major
Today, because Of a combination Of
mls1ortunes, l am broke. meaning lit
orally all that that word implies. When
the Reconstruction Finance Corporation
was authorized by Congress l said to
| my wife and son that here at last was
the silver lining to our cloud. for did
not my 20 years experience in the
financial world, combined with my
overseas record, Justify my expectation
OF an assignment with such q corpora
ton?
Early In January I procured q letter
which gained me an interview with a
prominent member of Mr.. Hoover's
cabinet. At this gentlemans request I
forwarded to him a history OF my
business experience-and waited. A
few days later I learned of the ap-
pointment OF prominent man-under
whom had served in FYance-to one
OF the big administrative positions with
this corporation. / extended congratu-
lations by letter not only to him, but
to the country. upon the Presidents Sc
lection, and in the same letter stated
my hopes and suggested that he might
feel I could do some good work under
his leadership. Heard nothing! then
made another trip to Washington, with
funds kindly given me by friend, in
the hope OF seeing him personally. The
seeing him" part Of my hope was full
f1lled, But what q rude awakening to
my basic hopes I was told to see
somebody else, who in turn told me to
see somebody else, and then somebody
else, and several other somebody elses
the Army term for this Is passing
the buck" So I am again waiting"
with not much hope left, but my wife
and boy back home hoping agains5
hope for news that my quest has met
with some measure OF success. so that
the financial strain under which We
are living might at least be partially
relieved. In the meantime, I am try
ing to sell books In Washington, so that
1 may remain ION the spot" in the
hope of finally convincing somebody
that I am qualified to fill mans job
but now willing to do it for boys pay.
May not be forgiven, under the cir
cumstances for finding it little diff
cult to understand why in February,
1918, my services were so valuable to
what was strictly legal branch of the
Army as to influence my commanding
officer to raise objections to my trans
fer to another branch of the service
because of the good work he is doing"
even though I had had no legal train
ing whatsoever. and yet of no value at
all in February, 1882, when my busi-
ness training would seem to contradict
such a verdict. 1t would seem reason
able to suppose that, with all this con-
structive legislation now being enacted
by Congress, involving as it does SO
many additional Government activities.
somewhere there must be corner into
(which a man, and other men for that
matter, with my qualifications. can
ft. So / again ask is it not perhaps
detriment to say-whcn looking for
a lob-I am a vctersn?"
j. c. RIDER.