Evening star., 1933-05-28
Committee Will Ask Roosevelt
to Save Combat Wounded
From so Per Cent Cut.
RAISE FROM $6O,OOO,OO
TO $4,000, 900 SOUGHT
Action a Steering Group and Cau-
Gus mot Unfriendly to Presi-
dent Lea Declares.
A committee representing the Demo-

A committee representing the Demo-
cratic majority in the House tomorrow
will request President Roosevelt to rec
ommend an increase of from $50, 900, 900
to $ll0,000,000 in veterans appropria-
tions in the independent Offices bill so
that the compensations for combat
wounded World War veterans will not
be cut so per cent.
This was authoritatively learned yes
terday after the committee had met in
an all-day executive session. The COM
mittee chairman, Robert Crosser of
Ohio. said his group would go to the
White House at the convenience Of the
President, which probably would be
tomorrow morning.
Meantime, Chairman Crosser said
two members Of the committee were en-
gagged last night in drafting the formal
suggestions to the President. He re-
fused to divulge their names.
Representative Lea of California,
chairman of the Democratic causus and
a member of the committee, said that
in their discussion with the President
the members would Summarize some of
the hardships that have resulted from
the existing regulations and ask modi-
ficattons."
Bonus Not on List.
1.-THE Bonus" he said, sis not among
the things listed for discussion"
The committee Is known to be anx-
iouS to present its suggestions to the
White House early tomorrow. because
the independent Offices bill will become
the order of business in the Senate the
same day
The national economy act vested in
the President sweeping powers to re
duce pensions of veterans. The in
dependent Offices bill, which has passed
the House and has been reported out
by the Senate Appropriations Commit
tee allots 1921, ,730, 900 for pensions for
veterans Of all wars. This Is cut of
1851 100000 under the appropriations
authorized for the fiscal year 1884 by
the last Congress and which met with
pocket-veto by President Hoover.
OF the total sum recommended by
the administration in the new inde-
pendent offices bill, slo3,7ss,ooo has
been allotted to World War veterans,
according to Veterans Administrator
Hines. OF this sum. s64, ,9o2, 900 is
scheduled to be used for pensions for
the combat wounded and the remainder
for emergency officers retirement pay,
death compensation and disability al
lowances, he said.
Rating Charts Revised.
Comparing these allotments with
those in the Hoover-vetoed bill, the
combat wounded veterans allowance
has been cut s156,837,875. despite the
assurance by the administration at the
time of the passage of the national
economy bill that the war disabled vet
erans' pensions would not be molested.
In order to stay within this proposed
appropriation, the Veterans Admins
tration has ordered all cases Of disabled
veterans whose injuries are presumed
to have been incurred during the wir
off the rolls Still unable to come
within the amount fixed, the Veterans
Administration has revised its rating
charts and is now cutting the pensions
of the combat wounded.
Figures presented to the committee
yesterday by Solicitor James O'Connor
Roberts of the Veterans Administration
were reported to have revealed that the
average cut in this class of pensions
approximates so per cent. This in
cludes, according to protests made by
disabled veterans to the three veteran
men whose limbs were
by shell fire in France
The committee members, who were
selected following a Democratic caucus
Thursday. are, besides Chairman Cros-
ser, Representative Lozier of Mis-
souri,, Lea of California, Goldsbor-
ough of Maryland, Patman of Texas,
Jefers of Alabama, Browning of Ten
nessee, Hastings of Oklahoma and Pou
of North Carolina, dean of the House.
Six-Hour Session Is Held.
This group went into session yester-
day morning at 10 o'clock and ad-
journed at o'clock in the afternoon.
Closeted with the members during the
session were the national exec
utiveS of the American Legion, Dis
abled American Veterans and the Vet
Grams of Foreign Wars and Solicitor
On Friday The Star revealedthat the
disabled veterans were to be cut so per
cent and Solicitor Roberts was called
in by the committee to verify this
statement. He reported it as correct
and furnished the committee with ad-
ditional figures showing the cuts would
probably have to be more drastic The
Star stated Friday that after July /,
only 265000 disabled veterans would
remain on the rolls, a cut of 63,598.
Roberts, 1t was authoritatively
learned, estimated that in order for the
Veterans Administration to stay with
in the allotment of $65, 5000, 900, there
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