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

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as it ISIS a perfectly legal
institution. Yet the growth of
that system in this country
has served to change the OPP
Grafton of the government
from the pure democratic
form into a government of
powerful minority groups.
These groups put on pressure for
legislation which frequently is
against the interest of the great
rank and file of unorganized citi-
zens who nevertheless pay a major
portion of the bill.
Lobby Is Powerful
The veterans lobby in Washing
ton is especially powerful in that
it has on its side that political ira
dition which says that it is political
suicide to vote against anything the
ex-soldier may desire.
Memories of the G. A. R. and of
the political power it represented
a generation ago are still fresh in
the minds of many who today make
the nations laws. And earlier his
tory tells the same story, back to
Washington's time. SO the lobby
that grew out of the World war
has been consistently successful in
getting the laws it has wanted.
Until the depression hit, and the
d government went into the red, and
the budget became unbalanced, and
congress was faced with the stu
pendous task of making income
meet outgo, there was little resist
ance. Then it suddenly was realized
what a billion dollars actually
means, and the great, unorganized
rank and file began to be heard
from.
Nation Is Aroused
The nation as a whole awoke to
the fact that the expensive veter-
ans relief had risen to the billion
mark, that it had become the most
costly activity of the government,
that the total price exceeded al
ready the cost of the dole to the
British government, that it had
passed the total expense for the
army and the navy, that no other
country in the World war, despite
very much great casualties, paid so
much-those facts become vivid.
And on top of all that appeared
the two and one-half million bonus
proposal.
The American Legion lobby in
Washington makes no effort to con-
ceal its energy in behalf of veterans,
nor is it modest about its ability
to get results. 1t frankly represents
a particular group and is proud of
its efficiency and effectiveness.
An example of that efficiency is
its liason system. 1t keeps its mil
lion members-one fourth of the
number of men in the World wsr
forces-informed weekly of the at
titude of individual congressman,
and stimulates its members to bring
pressure to bear on senators and
representatives.
Is Quasi Official Body
Since its organization Immediately
after the World war, it has sue
ceeded in obtaining appointive pow
ers of officials paid by the several
states to look out for disabled vet
Grams, thus becoming a quasi-of1-
cial body.
It has succeeded-by congression-
al change in the LAWN gaining
access to confidential medical rec
ords of veterans without asking
their permission. These intensely
personal files are guarded careful
ly from the rest of the public.
OF its past-and future-activi-
ties, the legion lobby is cheerfully
outspoken. Any responsible citizen
inouiring at the legion in its simply
furnished offices in Washington will
be told all about its legislative
achievements and its aims.
The lobby frankly considers that
IT. is maintained for the purpose of
taking care of ex-service men, to
see that their interests are fully
protected and promoted. That's the
lobby's job. That's what its OH
Gals are paid to do.
Years program Mapped
Here is a summary of the orders
for this year, compiled from the
Official legion record:
The passage of legislation to put
widows and orphans of men who
died of non-service- connected dis
abilities on government pensions.
Thus the widow of man killed by
a taxicab today would be on equal
footing with the wife of a soldier
killed in the Argonne.
To oppose any effort to have leg
islation passed which would make
the amount of veterans compen-
sation dependent on how much he
needed it. In other words, under the
legion policy, a man with a $4,000
a year income is entitled to just as
much for q given disability as a man
on the breadline.
To make men disabled because OF
"wilful misconduct" eligible for COM
pensation Thus the ran who shot
in the foot . get out of ac-
ton would be placed on the same
basis with the man disabled in a
bayonet fight with the enemy; the
man who fell down a coal chute
while absent without leave would be
on all tours with one permanently
Injured in a single-handed attack on
a German pill-box; all permanently