Evening star., 1933-03-13
Up to the Senate.

138 passed President Roosevelt's econc-
my bill 1t virtually assured the meas
ure's becoming a law. The Senate
may not act SO quickly. The rule of
unlimited debate. in that body makes
for delay, particularly over contro-
versial questions, and the opponents
of the proposed $400, ,000,0 900 slash in
the Government expenditures for vet
Grams are likely to make themselves
heard. Nevertheless, the impressive
victory Of the economy bill in the House,
plus the known intention of many OF
the members Of the Senate to sup
port the President on this issue, will,
it is believed, bring ultimate victory in
the Upper House.
A refusal now to follow the lead CT
the new President in his emergency
program for dealing with the financial
and economic crisis would be dis
couraging to the Nation, which has
looked forward to the Roosevelt ad-
ministration with hope. Furthermore,
with the overwhelming Democratic
majority now in the Senate. defeat
of the Democratic President at the
very beginning of his term of Office
would tend to bring about chaotic
condition, with serious riffs in the
party.
The President has said in words
clear and understandable that he has
the greatest sympathy with all disabled
veterans Of wars; that he will see
there Is a fair and just administra-
tion Of the proposed law. But the
time has come, he has also said, when
there must be pruning Of all govern
mental expenses if there is to remain
stable Government with adequate
credit. The President believes-and
the country will agree with him-that
millions of these veterans are as pa
triotic today as they were when they
were in the active service of the Nation
during war, and that they will not be
unwilling to make such sacrifices as
are necessary.
Another Democratic President, Grover
Cleveland, took a firm stand against
the overlooking Of the Government
pension rolls back in 1886. Under the
arrears of pensions act, passed in 1879,
veterans of the Army had sought by all
kinds of excuses to get themselves
placed on the pension rolls. When
they were placed on the rolls they re-
ceived back pensions running into the
thousands of dollars. Thousands upon
thousands of private pension bills were
rushed through the Congress. Members
of Congress did not in those days relish
the notoriety that might attach to op-
position to these pension bills. Mr..
Cleveland vetoed thousands of these
private bills, and in 1887 he vetoed a
general pension bill based upon the
then new principle Of allowing relief
to veterans, not because of wounds in
Cured in the service, but upon the
ground of service and present disa-
bility alone. Many of the private
pension bills which Mr.. Cleveland We
toed were a scandal upon the Govern
ment, some of them granting pensions
to deserters and to men who had not
actually been in the Army.
other Presidents have sought to op-
pose the constantly growing demand
for pensions and compensation OF all
kinds made by the veterans and veteran
organizations since the World War. The
so-called soldiers bonus law was passed
over the veto of Calvin Coolidge. Presi-
dent Hoover sought in vain to stem the
tide, with veto messages and with
recommendations to cut the allowances
and the lists President Roosevelt has
now struck boldly to halt the mounting
expenditures of the Government for
pensions and to curtail them materially.
In the Government budget the bill for
pensions and compensation to veterans
and the administration of the Veterans
Bureau reaches almost a billion dollars,
practically one-fourth of the total. No
American worthy of the name would
deny aid to men who were injured in
the defense of the Nation. But the aid
is poured forth now in millions to men
whose disabilities had nothing what
ever to do with their war service.