The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-18

injured cases of venereaI disease
would be compensate, instead of
just the bedridden ones as now.
Seek Insurance Concession
To remove the time limit under
which suits can be brought on war
risk insurance claims. Raising of
the time limit, which expires this
year, already has cost the govern
ment millions of dollars in judg-
ments
To furnish veterans of all wars
with outpatient MISUNDERSTANDING
already gained free disqualification
for all World war veterans suffering
any disability. 1t also wants more
hospitals, SO that veterans with nom
serVice-connected disabilities will
not have TO wait their turn, as they
do now occasionally when there are
no beds available.
To get a reduction in interest
rates on bonus certificates. This
would reduce or even wipe out the
dividend of 100000 veterans who
were thrifty enough to invest in
converted government life insur-
ance and whose premium funds
have been invested partially in
their bonus certificates.
To extend the time limit on mar
raiges to 1941, in which marriages
in World war veteran cases may
take place and the widow still be
eligible to compensation award.
Prohibition on List
To oppose the reduction or army
appropriations, build the navy up
to London treaty strength and pro-
mote a prohibition referendum.
That is the program for the year,
and economists will not hazard an
opinion on just how many hundreds
of millions of dollars it would cost
if passed.
These measures are brought to
the attention of congress by very
simple method. First the bill is
written in the lobbys office. Then
1T is introduced in the house, al
most invariably by a legionnaire.
The legislation then goes to the
committee on World war veterans.
This committee is made I'D of
twenty-one members, of which a
majority of twelve are members of
the legion.
1t then is turned over to sub
committee, usually we'll represented
with legionnaires. The subcommit-
tee now considering the widows and
orphans pension bill has seven con-
greSsmen on it, five of them legion
members.
After the committee has reported
favorably, the bill comes before the
house and usually is passed under
suspension of the rules. This means
that debate is limited and no
amendments are permitted from the
floor. 1t then goes to the senate.
Everything Is Set
Everything is arranged carefully
in advance. The lobby checks on
every member of the house and
senate. Those who are opposed, or
who are noncommittal, begin to re-
ceive letters and kilograms from
their home districts. These are pro-
noted by legion bulletin which
reaches all posts once a week, ask
ing local eX-service men to register.
One word further about the man
date of the legion convention under
which the lobby works:
The bonus proposal was a major
issue in the last convention, in De-
troit. 1t was voted down. But agi-
tation for it continued actively.
And much of that agitation was
within the posts of the American
Legion, which, in national conven-
ton, had declared that the bonus
plan should not be asked.
A few days ago Commander
Henry Stevens of the American
Legion issued statement, saying
that the Legion, as a national Or
ganization, stood Squarely against
the bonus. The statement was made
from Washington. 1t preceded by
only a short time the presentation
of the petitions for the bonus in
behalf of the veterans, with names
mounting into the millions.
Protest Is Strong
So dramatic was the timing of
the commanders statement, issued
as it was just ahead of the hear
ings on the bonus bill, that a heavy
fire of protest has been directed
toward him, not only on the part of
many of the members in the posts
k5!IK23'J5 Expenses