Evening star., 1933-04-15
Tradition Gets Heavy Blow
In Veterans Pay Reduction

Cutting of s400, ,000, 900 from veterans
compensation by order of President
Roosevelt is recognized by the country
as a reversal of the traditional policy
OF great libe-ality to those who have
served in war. The action Is credited
to courage on the part of the Executive,
in view of ancient practice and modern
political expediency.
1T is simply an unprecedented per-
formance in American public finance" ="
says the New York Times, while recog-
nizing that ''in no other way could he
have even approximately redeemed his
campaign pledge to save Is per cent Of
the Government expenses" The
Charleston Is. CO Evening Post recalls
that ito Grover Cleveland belongs the
credit for the first stand" on veterans
compensation, and the Post exclaims:
How that sturdy statesman would re-
joice at the achievement of his sue
cessor" The Buffalo Evening News,
however, points out that with the
S4O0. 100000 cut from pensions by Pres
ident Roosevelt, the expenditures on
account of the veterans still will be
about equal to the combined cost of
maintaining the Army and the Navy"
Times have changed" observed the
Richmond Times-Dispatch. Economy
had to be practiced. It was fortunate
that at this juncture a man came to
the presidency who was not afraid to
act" The Salt Lake Deseret News adds
that 'in the spirit of the service thew
gave to their country in another crisis.
the veterans will accept the present
action with fortitude The Lincoln
State Journal holds that ''the President
must be congratulated for handling this
matter in brave, fair way" The, Prov
idence Journal comments: He could
do no less. His own high sense of honor
compelled it. The electorate expected
It. The budgetary situation demanded
1t. The future, as well as the present
welfare OF the Nation required IT,"
Full provision Is made. in some
cases increased" according to the San
francisco Chronicle, ''for those who
We're disabled by the war and for the
dependents OF those who died in 1t.
Inls IS the first debt of America and
must be paid, no matter what else has
TO be omitted or curtailed. Provision
is also made for disabilities in peace
tlme military service, and even for the
more severely disabled whose condition
was not caused by the war. Most of
the non-service disabilities are cut out,
put there is provision for reconsider
ing any classes of these for which a
real case can be made, prior to the
GATE of the next payments. This is
a sacrlfice. by men who sacrificed be-
lore. but it comes at a time when
everybody else is sacrificing also"
The Presidents position on the
subject" in the opinion of the Fort
Worth Star-Telegram, "is one of the
most valuable Of his present or po-
tential accomplishments. He has cut
the Gordian knot of politico-veteran
lnnuence in government In such de-
cisive fashion as to place a criterion
at the disposal of his chain of sue
cessors." The Omaha World Herald,
from similar standpoint, offers the
comment: In justice to the veterans
1t must be said that they alone were
not responsible for these demands or
for these payments. They became the
victims, in measure of politicians
and many man in public Office, seek
ing to carry the favor of a great Or
ganized group, exploited the nobility of
war sacrifices in order to keep afioat
the puny bubble of his own political
fortune. The new order sweeps away
disgraceful period and restores the
self-respect of the veteran"
The retrenchments square with the
pledges of both parties" states the
Spokane Spokesman-Review, while the
Oklahoma City Times asserts that "the
people are aroused to a point where
economy in government becomes good
politics as well as good government"
The Rutland Herald AYERS that it took
nerve. resolution and very high type
of patriotism" The Boston Transcript
offers the judgment: Temporary re-