Evening star., 1932-12-04
BATTLE |MPENDS
| ON VETERAN FUNDS
Move for Cut of Half Billion
f In Benefits Meets Deter
mined Resistance.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The lines of battle are being drawn
between the American Legion and vet
erans' organizations on the one hand,
and the National Economy League and
the various business organizations on the
other which believe that anywhere from
s400, ,000, 900 to $3.50, ,000,0 600 can be cut
pf the annual appropriations for vet
erans in America.
While the Veterans Administration Is
taking no part in the controversy, pre-
ferring to remain neutral, members of
Congress who have been inquiring at
the bureau lately to determine whether
economies can be made totaling $780,
100000 or thereaboutS have been met
with replies that unless Congress is will
ing to change disability allowances ma
teria1ly and to withdraw pensions now
granted to Spanish-American War vet
Grams. most of whom now are about 60
years old, or to Civil War veterans. all
of whom are past the age when they
can earn living, the prospects of any
substantial economy like half billion
Dollars year are dim.
Out of the $948, 100000 appropriated
this year for veterans, approximately
S226,000,000 goes for veterans of the
Civil War and the Spanish-American
War and their dependents. Congress
sional opinion is virtually unanimous
that these pensions will never be mate
rially revised, if touched at all.
This leaves a total of approximately
100000 for the World War vet
Grams.
S117,000,000 for War Risk.
Out of the sum, $117,000,000 a year
Is appropriated for the war risk insur-
ance fund, the policies taken out dur
inc Exyor ic
allotted to make good the Govern
ment's promise to pay adjusted certifi-
cate compensation by l945. These two
items leave about $500, 100000, OF
which approximately Sis, 100000 is
spent for disqualification and the care
of the disabled veterans in national
and State homes
This leaves s385,00o,o00. OF this
sum approximately 5000 ,000, 900 Is COM
pensation for those totally or partially
disabled in actual service; $l1, 600 is
for emergency officers retirement pay:
$12,000,000 is for new hospitals, an
other $2l ,000,0 900 Is for the civil service
retirement fund, and about $36, 900
is to meet adjudicated claims in which
appeals are taken from Veterans Blu
reau decisions, and the balance, name |
1y, about $104,00 900, is for what is
known as non-service disability allow
Rnces.
1t is most of this last item which 1t
Is figured can be repealed together,
with some minor economics in other
directions, so that total Of approxi-
mately s115,0O0,000 is the total now
considered as a likely and practical
saving in administration quarters.
The Veterans Administration has not !
made public its views with respect to |
the proposals of the National Economy
League nor does it wish to enter the
controversy being waged with the
American Legion. 1t is known, how |
ever, that the Veterans Administration |
does not concur in the estimated pos
sible savings in many different items. |
of claims and other facts have been |
made available to responsible organ |
izations with the understanding that |
they must draw their own conclusions. |
Position Of Administration.
The most that the Veterans Admins
tration has been willing to say is that |
modification of the veterans budget |
should be brought about through a
payable, to the end that savings may be |
accomplished in those cases where there |
lis a duplication in relief, where there !
Is no special merit to the relief now |
afforded, and finally. where the modi-
fication will cause the least hardship. |
The Veterans Administration is in q |
position to render advice on the subject |
to Congress and is planning to do SO, |
but 1t is not probable that any econo-
mics much beyond $100,000,000 will be |
recommended unless Congress is willing |
10 revise the whole rating structure.
1t is doubtful whether commitments |
made to the veterans in the past would |
be altered to any appreciable extent |
by any Congress.
But there Is no telling what public |
sentiment might demand in the event |
Economy League succeeded in develop |
ing more political power at the polls
than do the service organizations. In the
last session of Congress the American
Legion did not join with the Veterans of
Foreign Wars and other organizations
demanding prepayment of the bonus.
The American Legion Convention in
Portland, however, recently took action
demanding that there be prepayment
and many members of Congress who
during the last session did not vote for
the bonus will find themselves con-
fronted by the Legion in their various
districts when the issue comes up
The veterans organizations unques-
donably are lining up to fight every
possible suggestion that economies
amounting to $450,000,000 be made In
the expenses Of the Veterans Admins
tration.