Evening star., 1933-06-07
COMPROMISE SEEN
ON VETERANS BILL
Crosser Hints at Agreement
After Conference at
White House.
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
those veterans whose disabilities are no
service connected should not be caret
for at the expense of the American tax
payers.
The President made 1t clear that
was matter of principle even to {
greater extent than matter of dollar
and cents.
The great stumbling block between
the President and Congress over thi
settlement of veterans compensation
is found in the so-called "presumptive
cases. The suggestion was made tina
change from "presumptive" to "rea
sonable doubt" as the basis for allow.
ing veterans compensation would rem
edy the situation. Mr.. Roosevelt is will
ing to have cases III which there Is 6
reasonable doubt as to the cause o
the veterans disability resolved in favol
OF. the veterans.
Speaker Rainey and Representative
Byrns of Tennessee, the Democratic
floor leader, had said at noon they saw
no weakening on the part Of House
members who were demanding adoption
of the Connally amendment or ar
amendment even more favorable to the
veterans.
- Sees Action Tomorrow.
Their decision was that the question
should not be brought before the House
today, although Byrns expressed the
hope the Independent offices bill coul6
be called up in the House tomorrow
and some action obtained on 1t.
Democratic leaders admitted today
that they occupied ''hot spot" They
said they expected few, If any, Re-
publicans to support the President in
his opposition to the Connally amend
ment. Under those circumstances, q
split in the Democratic ranks would
be extremely serious and probably re-
suit in a defeat for the President.
Some of the Republican members,
however, it developed later, are willing
to back the President in his opposi-
ton to the Connally amendment, pro-
vided they have definite assurance that
in the operation of the economy act
service-conected disabilities of the vet
Grams will be adequately compensated
One Republican member said 80 or
40 Republican votes could be lined up
to support the President in show
down provided they had this assur-
ance
Speaker Rainey said he was standing
with the President in the fight. He
added that If the House should agree
to the Connally amendment and seno
the bill to the President containing
that amendment or a modification oil
the amendment that was not satisfac-
tory to the President, the Chief Ex-
ecutive would veto the bill.
Would Sustain Veto.
"The Presidents veto would be sus-
tanned" predicted Rainey. "The Presi-
dent would insist, If the Connally
amendment is written into law, on pas
sage OF a new tax bill to raise the ad-
ditional $170,o00,000 revenue needed to
carry into effect this additional ex-
penditure fer the veterans. stand
with the President on this matter OF
new tax legislation If it becomes neces-
sary.
"If the Congress passed the indie
pendent offices appropriations bill con-
tanning the Connally amendment and
sent it to the President and adjourned
he would call the Congress back into
special session again and keep 1t here
until this matter was cleared up"
Representative Doughton, chairman
of the House Ways and Means Commit
tee, also has indicated he would &c
~
meet the increased veterans expendi-
lures If the Connally amendment should
be adopted and the President continues
his demand for additional taxes.
Rainey and Byrns agreed today that
no effort would be made to hold party
caucus of House Democrats on the vet
erans' legislation. Frankly, such a
caucus would, in their opinion, result
disastrously for the administration
Unless some compromise not yet In
sight can be reached, these Democratic
leaders expect that the House will in
struct Its conferees on the Independent
Offices bill either to agree to the Con-
nally amendment or to some modiflca-
ton of it even more generous to the
veterans.
Showdown Expected.
When the independent Offices appro-
priation bill comes up in the House, II
is expected a motion will be made from
the floor by supporters of the veterans
to instruct the conferees to agree to the
Connally amendment. Such motion
can be adopted by a majority vote, anc
II is on such motion that showdown
is likely to come.
Neither Rainey nor Byrns look fol
an early adjournment Of Congress un.
less the controversy over veterans com.
pensation can be speedily adjusted
Byrns said today that if within the
next two or three days an adjustment
satisfactory to Congress and the Presi'
dent could be reached, 1t would probably
be possible for Congress to adjourn BY
June II.
He pointed out that the Senate still
has to pass the public works and in
dustries control bill and that there ar
q number of conference reports still T.
be considered.
Should President Roosevelt send u
Congress the recommendation that h
be given special powers to negotiat
tariff agreements with the foreign ma
tions, Byrns said considerable tim
might be needed to put through tn
necessary resolutions. In some quarter
today it was predicted that the Presi
dent would abandon his idea OF sendin
this tariff recommendation to Congress:
The Presidents executive order wa
canvaSsed by Speaker Rainey, Repre-
sentative McDuffe of Alabama, chair
man CT the Economy Committee, ant
Budget Director Douglas, at confer
ence last night at the Capitol.
Failure of the President to includ
presumptive as well as service-con
rected disability cases, they founo
however, was unsatisfactory to man
members of the House.
At the White House, the executiv
order was estimated as increasing IN
outlay for veterans about 1000 ,O0(
as compared with the sl70,o0o,O0O an
ticipated extra outlay under the amend
ment adopted by the Senate.
Statisticians Work Overtime.
At the Veterans Administration
meanwhile, it was explained that stats
ticians had been working overtime i
an effort to compile exact figures a
to what the Senate proposed imtatio
of reductions to Is per cent on service
connected disabilities would mean, br
that such a final total was not ye
available.
New regulations. it was explaine'
had altered entirely the basis Of figui
49, l. g. -t