Evening star., 1938-01-11
DISABLED CITED
|NDEFENSE PLEA
Gen. Hines Urges Prepared.
ness at Annual Meeting
of D. A. v.

Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines. director
OF the Veterans Administration, said
last night that peace, both here and
abroad. depends on preparedness.
Speaking at the annual meeting of
the Disabled American Veterans of the
World War at the Harrington Hotel,
Gen. Hines told some threescore vet
Grams and their wives the lesson of the
great war has not taught nations how
to proceed in peace
While indorsing the Governments
armament program as a means of in
suring peace, Gen. Hines stated further
that the preparation of Americans as
citizens was an equally important fac
tor, and pointed to war veterans as the
best qualified teachers of American
ism" for the reason that they have
stood the acid test of war"
"A strong Army. a strong Navy and
a strong citizenship" he said, will
enable the United States to lead the
world in the path of peace"
Urges Proper Psychology.
Pointing to the 100000 unemployed
veterans in this country. Gen. Hines
reminded his listeners of the impor-
tance Of keeping these men in a
healthy frame Of mind. To subject
them to misery and suffering, he said,
is to open their ears to the subversive
teachings of un-American doctrines.
Toward that end, he added, the Vet
erans' Administration has done a great
job in the field of disqualification, with
81 institutions housing more than
$4,000 veterans
Those who are employable though
disabled" he said further. should be
given work Immediately for two rea-
sons. First" he explained, "age limit
competition will soon disqualify many
for the reason that their average age
Is but little below the too old stand
ard OF modern industry. And, secondly
because by employing them We will
keep loyal the most thoroughly Ameri-
can body of men the country has"
He added that they want work
rather than pensions.
While decrying the apparent lack
OF cooperation on the part of the
Government with regard to preferen-
tial employment of disabled veterans
Gen. Hines expressed the belief that
recovery from the current business re-
cession would occasion a change OF
policy
To Register Jobless Veterans.
National Employment Chairman
Mahlon Ward of the D. A. ", who
spoke later in the evening, added
weight to Gen. Hines theory when he
revealed that within the next 80 days
an active program of re-registration
OF unemployed veterans is expected to
be undertaken
Such step would be the greatest
thing in the history of the D. A. w."
he declared.
Other speakers included Thomas
Mason, jr, department commander of
the American Legion; Oscar L. Chap
man, Assistant Secretary of the Inte-
rior; Otto c. Lund, manager of the
District chapter of the American Red
Cross; John Russell, national presi-
dent Of the Army and Navy Union;
Claude Babcock, past national COM
mander Of the D. A. w., and others.
Following the speeches. Mr.. Bab-
cock installed the following newly
elected local department officers: John
T. Chichester, department command
er; Earl 6. Hendrick, adjutant treas
urer; Amos K. Heimer, senior vice
commander, and Herman Downey,
junior vice commander.
In keeping with the OCCASIONS con-
vivial air, the program ended with
dancing to music by the United States
Marine Band.