The Nome daily nugget., 1935-10-05
Howe About:
A Possible Cornrade Veterans Expense
 Preaching to Oneself
By ED HOWE
e. Bell syndioate.-wNU Service.

attract a little favorable atten- lion from nice people, This morn ing l received an agreeable letter from a gentleman of eighty-four who Is still at work as a doctor In Brooklyn, N. '. I should like to talk to him; old people still able to carry on with reasonable credit and efficiency interest me. How do they meet the various problems that con- front me? How do they sleep? What best agrees with them" in food? 1 dislike man l have known many years, although he has never vi ciously offended me; in my efforts to get away from him fear may become impolite. What would this fine old doctor in Brooklyn, who has kept sound grip on himself, rec ommend in such case? The un necessary follies of the young an- noy me, although know I should submit to them gracefully, as the old submitted to me when l was a young bore. How does this man VI ASoi HtNs'd- per heroes? Some of the cheaper ones annoy me more than is good for me. I'd rather go to Brooklyn and see this man than go around the world. have a notion he has as much medical knowledge as any of them, and more common sense. l had such friend a few years ago, but he died, and l greatly miss him.
 Gen. Frank T. Hines, himself veteran of the World War, and at present administrator of veterans affairs in the United States, lately said in public address: "Statis- tics show British annual payments of $3S per man returned dead or wounded. the French s5S, and the United States $2,65S Here is an official statement that In a certain item of public expenses, the United States pays S2,6OO per year more than England or France. have never seen an equally startling exhibit of American extravaganza. General Hines further said: "To the veterans who came through the war unscathed the government owes nothing more than 1t owes to any other loyal citizen. 1 can see no Justification for a vet eran who is well able to provide for himself applying to his government for aid. If We are to teach our young men that service to their country means that government thereafter must reward such serv- Ice irrespective of need, then we are undermining the very founda- tion of good citizenship" At recent congressional investl- gation of the subject 1t was stated that three out of four men in gov ments not caused by their war la bors; also, that all aid to veterans costs United States taxpayers near ly billion dollars yearly, has cost since the war about six billions. and will cost twentyone billions by 1945. Veteran relief will become the dominant issue in the immedi- ate future; 1t has been so eXtrava- gantly and dishonesty administered the people must revolt. The three official statements quoted above should be preserved for future ref erence.
 A reader writes me: T am one of your few admirers. My only Ob- jection to you Is frequent repeti- ton of the belief that the better a man behaves, the better he will get along. l think this is true; that there is no greater or more impor- tant truth. But because of my be- lief In this sound doctrine I do not behave any better. It Is further proof of your doctrine that evangel- ists are bores, and do more harm than good. We all believe in tenn perance, but because of tiresome preaching of 1t, even the women and children are In danger of be- coming drunkards. l still be- lieve in a man preaching to himself a good deal; If he tries long enough. he will be able to make consider able progress, in spite of his weak nesses, and find the going easier.
 
 Moderns laugh at the ancient story of Joshua commanding the sun to stand still that he might have more hours of daylight in which to complete a massacre he was en- gagged in. But modern men actually do many things the an- clients would not have believed: moving and talking pictures, talking across the ocean without wires, etc. Perhaps our loaning sixteen billions to foreigners without se- curity and bankrupting ourselves unnecessarily would have caused them to doubt most.
 l live in Kansas town, with Missouri, where saloons have been