Evening star., 1934-03-25
BY KATHERINE MAYO,

BY KATHERINE MAYO,
Author of Soldiers: What Next. Slaves
of the Gods" Mother India" etc.
EFT us look back to 19l7-18-
to our front-line army in
France-to Cantigny, Mont
IL didier. Seicheprey-to any
| World War battlefield where
American soldiers lay dying. While
such a man retained consciousness,
can you doubt which way his heart
| turned? Toward his wife. if he was
married-toward his wife and their
little children, left now, without his
love and care, alone. If with his
| gasping breath that man could have
asked one boon of the world he was
about to quit, wouldn't that have been
the assurance that his wife. duly pro-
tected, would be kept from hardship
and want, and that his children would
be faithfully fostered by the nation,
even as he, could he have lived, would
have hoped to protect and foster
them?
How has America met that charge
laid upon her by her World War dead?
Alas She has met it with coldness.
a meanness, niggardly indifference
that finds no remote approach in any
of the great European nations engaged
in the World War.
Provisions of Insurance Act.
Under our original World War pen
sion legislation. the World War lnSur-
anee act of 1917, the widow Of a SOL
dier dead from injury in line of duty
got s25 a month for herself, S35 If
she had one child, S47.50 if she had
two children to support. If the dead
husband carried war risk insurance,
the widows monthly income would be
increased thereby, for a period of 20
years, by from S5.75 to $3.50. Even
if the soldier was not insured, If his
death came within four months Of
enlistment, she might receive S25
monthly as automatic insurance. But
if the young husband had neglected
to insure himself. and if death claimed
him after a period of service longer
than 120 days, the widow with two
children to house, feed, clothe and
educate was allowed only Sl57 a day
to cover all her needs and the needs
OF her family.
Of this liberality thrifty Congress
soon repented. In May, 1918, 1t re-
duced the pension of the widow with
two children by the sum of SIS month
ly to $l.40 a day. And there, for
six years, We let the matter stand.
Then, by the famous World War
veterans law of June. 1924, we mag
nificently and for the last time raised
the World War widows portion to 81
a day, while letting her keep her
daily 33 cents for her eldest child
and giving her 20 cents a day apiece
for other children This she may
enjoy until the children are l8 years
old. If, after that, she thinks them
worthy of further education, she may
draw for each of them another S6 a
month until the children have reached
| the age of 81.
Inquiry as to how a woman with
| growing children to care for can meet
| their wants and her own on any such
sum elicits the reply that if she has
no private means she is supposed to
| supplant governmental provision by
| her own wage earning. Whether her
health will permit this is neither here
nor there. Whether to drive the
mother from home to labor for daily
bread, thus depriving the children of
her care, is suitable recognition of the
| fathers sacrifice-that also is mat
ter without public interest.
Nevertheless, while the World War
widows and orphans allowance re-
mains to this day as above stated,
| within two years of the passage of the
original war risk insurance act, the
compensation of the World War ex-
service man rated as totally dis
abled." was raised through successive
stages by 233 per cent. although total
disability" has not always proved an
insuperable obstacle to the enjoyment
of comfortable civilian salary.
| Fit match to the liberality of our
dole has been our grace in disbursing
it. Our Government drops monthly
checks into the mail. Somebody
cashes them. Somebody probably
spends the money. On what? Who
knows! Beyond one initial inquiry
our Federal Government has no time,
no means, no interest, no sense of
obligation to look into the condition
or needs of the legal recipients, the
dead mans dependent heirs.
| Not Concerned.
| Is his widow sick or well? Is she IN
need of little more help, of friendly
advice and counsel? If she has died
| and the soldiers orphans survive her,
is their little allowance being spent to
their advantage, and are they in
decent and suitable home where phys
| ical and moral care are duly accord
ed them? Are they properly schooled
Are the children's capacities. If out
of the common, being given due de-
| velopment?
The answer is this: Nothing Of all
these things is the accepted concern
of the American Government. All OF
it is too complicated, too troublesome
| too improbable ever to find a place
in the field of practical politics.
Yet of no other of the great powers
which participated in the World War
lis this thing true.
England, France, Germany, Italy,
each in his own characteristic way.