Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-09-15
A RAID ON THE DISABLED
An Expose of the National Economy League and the
'Lowdown" on Those in Command.

unteered my services with an even
deeper sense of duty than were we
at war"
Early in his career Byrd was re-
tired from the navy for physical dis
Abilities" which did not, however,
prevent him from later flying over
the Atlantic Ocean and both poles.
He receives approximately $1,000 a
year from the government in retire
ment pay-a sum that cannot be
classed as anything other than pen
sion. Yet he has cancelled elabor-
ately laid plans so that he can direct
the fight on disabled doughboys re-
ceiving from $12 to $40 a month in
pensions.
In accepting che Craftsmanship of
the League Admiral Byrd said: "The
crisis calls for prompt emergency
treatment. We must recruit at least
2O,0OO,OOO citizens into a peaceful
army of constructive protest. and
these recruits must be we'll informed
of the governments finances. We
should fight this out to finish"
Agreeing with Byrd's statement
that the people should be we'll in
formed of the governments finances,
let us turn for enlightenment to
Federal expenditures benefiting Ar
chic Roosevelt, arch enemy of graft"
in veteran appropriations. When he
speaks of graft Archie knows what
he is talking about. The Congress
sional Record of May Is, 1882, con-
tains the following remarks of the
Hon. Wright Patman, representative
from Texas:
"Mr. Archibald Roosevelt heads the
self-styled national economy COM
mittee (now National Economy
League) which wants to reduce vet
Grams relief. In 1880 the Roosevelt
Steamship Co., of which Mr.. Roose-
welt was part owner and director, Sc
cured a contract from the Govern
ment to carry the mail from Balti-
more to Hamburg. The distance is
4,077 miles. The contract price is
Sc per mile for SO trips a year, which
amounts to $24,462 trip or $1,272,-
OLA year. The service commenced
July 1, 1881. To date MAY 10, 1882,
the Government has actually paid by
reason of that contract the sum of
1907 ,246. Other steamship lines would
have rendered the same service for
not to exceed $28,246. Therefore Mr..
Roosevelt's company received a gift
| from the Government amounting to
| S779,OO4.
"The Roosevelts are jointly inter-
ested with ]. P. Morgan in several
steamship lines that have contracts
to carry ocean mail. One of their
vessels went from New York by
Plymouth to London recently. 1t car
ried two pounds of letters. The statu-
tory price for such service is 80 cents
a pound. The Roosevelts and Mr..
Morgan received the contract price
at Sc per mile, $2O,214 for the trip,
or a gift of more than $2O,212."
Taxpayers of the nation, who paid
the $20.212 that Mr.. Roosevelt's COM
pany received for transporting two
pounds of letters, must wonder why
he has so militantly espoused the war
against governmental graft. Is Ar
chie's conscience troubling him, or
does he fear that if the Government
continues to pay veteran relief to the
exent of some $45O,OOO,OOO per year
nothing will be left for the mail
graft?
Asserting that government sub
sidized individuals now seeking cur
tailment of veteran appropriations are
violating every sense of decency,"
Mr.. Patman Tin the Congressional
Record) says:
1.-THE names of representatives of
favored shipping interest and inter-
national banks appear on the list of
Economy committee members. This
committee would like to distract at
tention of the people from ocean mail
subsidies and Colombian bonds to vet
Grams relief"
And what has Archie to say by way
of squaring what he says he would do
with what he has done? He issues a
statement denying that he was part
owner of the Roosevelt Steamship Co.
He was, he said, only temporary"
director, and received none of the
profits of the company. To which Mr..
Patman replied, in the Congressional
Record of July 10, 1892:
"Mr. Speaker, Archibald Roosevelt
should stick to the facts. Some time
ago inserted statement in the Con-
gressional Record in answer to the Pc
tition of Archibald Roosevelt's So
called economy committee. In the
statement 1 showed that Archie was
in no position to complain about the
Government being liberal with the
veterans. that he was the mart owner