Evening star., 1933-06-19
The Political Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

The political aftermath of the battle
between the President and his Director
OF the Budget, Lewis w. Douglas, on
the one hand and Congress on the
other over veterans compensation is
still in the making. When the show
down came in the end of the session
now closed, President Roosevelt, after
making some concessions regarding
rates of compensation and agreeing
that there should be review by special
boards of the so-called "presumptive"
cases, was victor. 1t is the kind of
victory, however, that may make it
difficult for his party in the future. A
lot is going to depend upon how the
economy act, plus the independent
offices appropriation act, is admin
istered in the next few months. It will
be just too bad, from a political stand
point and certainly from a humane
standpoint. if veterans whose disability
grew out CT combat and actual service
connection are cut severely.
When Congress reassembles next jan
uary, unless the President calls that
body together in second special ses-
sion prior thereto. supporters of the
veterans undoubtedly will begin an agi-
tation for the liberalization of the COM
penSation and pension laws again. The
claim Is made by many Democratic
members Of the House and Senate and
by all the Republicans that the ad-
minlStratlon has been far too drastic
in its treatment Of the veterans. The
Republicans in the Senate, for example,
voted to man for the Steiwer- Cutting
amendment to the independent Offices
bill liberalizing compensation for vet
Grams. Such an amendment will be
revived in all probability 1t is the
kind of an issue that can be made a
political issue, with the power of the
veterans vote the prize. 1t seemed al
most incredible that the present group
on the Republican side of the aisle
in the Senate chamber should ever vote
as unit on any question. When this
strange alignment was mentioned to
Senator Borah Of Idaho, that Senator
remarked rather cynically that any time
a measure affecting the veterans was
before the Senate the same kind of
unanimity might be expected, but on
nothing else.
The members of Congress were
shocked by recitals of the cuts made in
veterans compensation where the dis
ability had been incurred in combat or
while in the military service Speech
after speech was made on the floor of
the Senate depicting the sufferings of
the veterans. The cases described could
only arouse sympathy. In view of the
showing made, it is remarkable that
the Democrats were able to hold their
lines and to defeat the Steiwer- Cutting
amendment. In the end, the Demo-
cratic leaders told their recalcitrant
followers frankly that if they persisted
and sent bill to the President and
forced him to veto it, it would be
terrible embarrassment Furthermore.
they threatened the Democrats with
loss Of patronage. No vote. no jobs
How we'll these jobs have been with
held from the Democratic members of
Congress was revealed when the figures
were issued showing the number of
appointments sent to the Senate by
President Roosevelt during the quarter
year he had been in the White House
with the Senate in session. In all,
1885 appointments had been made, and
of these, only 272 were civilian ap-
pointments and, most miraculous of
all, not single postmaster had been
appointed. Nothing like it in the
history of new administration can be
recalled.
Not single one of the Progressive
Republicans in the Senate who sup
ported President Roosevelt in the cam
NnI inv 1n cf - ~f
the President in this fight over the
veterans. Norris of Nebraska, johnson
OF California, La Toilette of Wisconsin
and Cutting Of New Mexico all broke
away from the administration on this
issue In the end Senator Norris did
not vote the last night of the session,
when the Steiwer-Cutting amendment
was turned down by the Senate As to
36. He was paired, it developed, with
Senator McCarran of Nevada. AS it
happened that Mr.. Norris and Mr.. Nc
Carran had both voted for the Steiwer
amendment when it was originally
adopted by the Senate, this pair on the
final vote leaves the public up in the
air as to just which one of these gentle
men was supposed to have switched
over to the President. One is classed as
a Republican and the other as Demo-
crat and, therefore, 1t was possible to
pair one vote against the other. Mr..
Cutting, to whom President Roosevelt
had offered a post in his cabinet, the
Office of Secretary of the Interior. was
a leader In the fight against the Presi-
dent on the veterans compensation
issue SO Mr.. Roosevelt has learned, as
other Presidents have learned. that the
ProgresSives are not to be counted on
in an administration fight.
How drastic the cuts in appropria-
tions for veterans compensation have
been are shown in figures passed about
in the Senate For example, in the in
dependent Offices appropriation bill
passed at the session of Congress which
ended March 4, the total sum for COM
pensation of veterans whose disability
was service connection, or presumed to
be so. was 1921 $4,000. The Economy
League, which has been fighting to
bring down Government costs, and par
ticularly big expenditures for veterans,
recommended that this be cut to S125,-
100000. Under the plan of the Budget
Bureau and the regulations issued by
President Roosevelt after the passage
of the economy act last March, the to-
tai was cut to S64,902 ZOO. This was,
in the vernacular, some cut. Unless
all of the presumptives went off the
rolls, it was clear that the service-con-
nected disabilities were in for severe
cuts in compensation, and even under
those conditions service connected
disabilities would receive their cuts. The
reduction was $156800,00O below the
total appropriated for these cases in the
bill passed at the last session of the
Republican Congress.
X X
In the case of the widows and de-
pendents of deceased veterans, the total
amount for compensation and pension
was cut from 39,384, 900 to S13,689, 900.
The Economy League had asked for no
cut in this category of pensions. And