Evening star., 1932-11-02
PROTEST
RULING ON GUARDS
Disabled Point Out Inequal-
tiles in Stand on
Pay.

Protest against the plan Of Lieut..
Col. U. S. Grant Sd Of frloughing
building guards, who are receiving
compensations as disabled veterans. has
been lodged with the Office of Public
Buildings and Public Parks by the Fed
eral chapter of the Disabled American
Veterans of the World War.
Col. Grant holds that these men are
better able than other guards to stand
the furlough, because OF compensation
as disabled veterans.
The veterans contend that Col.
Grants order. which resulted from
sharply reduced funds for paying these
guards, 'in fact, reduces the cOmpen-
sation for service connected disabili-
ties by exactly 13 per cent, and dis
tributes that 13 per cent among
non-veterans."
Some of the building guards, under
the order. have been furloughed with
out pay for as much as four months
this fiscal year, because Of the short
age of funds.
A special meeting Of the chapter was
called yesterday, upon receipt OF Col.
Grants letter of October %, outlining
his plan for furloughs on the Guard
Force AS q result Of this delibera-
ton, John j. McMeel, adjutant of the
chapter, has forwarded this letter to
Col. Grant:
Text of Letter.
"I am instructed by the chapter to
make the following representations to
you with a view to having the order
rescinded in so far as it operates to
bring about a reduction in compensa-
tion of service-connected disabled men,
received because of disabilities incurred
during armed service for their Country.
Your attention is invited to the fact
that your order in fact reduces the COM
penSation for service-connected dis
abilities by exactly. 13 per cent and
distributes that 13 per cent of the COM
pensation of service-connected disabled
men among the non-veterans. This re-
duction in compensation Is unauthor-
lied by law
In other words, your order allocates
to non-veterans damages paid because
OF disabilities incurred in line of mill
tary duty. A non-veteran by serving
on your guard force is thus paid more
because there is on the force a man
who was injured during the war and
who contributes to this increased pay
ment.
This organization restricts its ac-
tivities to the protection of men in
jured in line of duty during the war.
It desires to make no comment con-
cerning furloughs you may have ordered
for veterans, who do not have service
connected disabilities, but 1t most
strenuously resents any effort to pay
the compensation of service-connected
disabled men to non-veterans. There
is no authority, in the opinion of the
chapter, in law, in justice, or in reason
for such a distribution of the compen-
sation due to war injuries.
Held Violation Of Sentiment
every representative public citizen,
including the President of the United
States, in the present financial crisis,
has insisted that compensation due to
war-incurred disabilities shall not be
touched. Your order Is In violation OF
this sentiment.
Your attention is again invited to
to the fact that man who receives
damages because Of civilian injury or
compensation because of non-war dis
ability from private sources, is not call
ed upon by order to contribute to the
income of the non-veteraus, whereas
man with war disabilities is called upon
to so contribute.
your past attitude with respect to
men with service connected disabilities
has led this organization to have conf
dence in you and in your administration
OF your Office. This organization de-
sires, in the most friendly spirit, to call
to your attention the fact that this
order, distributing the compensation Tor
war disabilities among non-veterans, y