Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-27
Delay in Pay
For Soldiers
Kin Attacked
-Four Month Wait Held
Cheap Political Trick
BY PAUL MILLION

w Cheapest political trick Of
a rather Sordid wartime season
is tho strange delay In paying
subsistence allowances to- de-
pendcnts OF our fighting men for
more than four months. until
the day before The coming con-
grcSSional elections in November.
Further investigation makes
II worse than suggested in this
column published June ID. The
official publicity makes no men,
ton OF who was responsible tor
this callouScd political Chican-
cry. saying only that printing
inveStiga' ions and bookkeeping
will pre- Vent mailing out the
checks before Sunday NQNem-
Der !.
DUT if YOU viii proWl back
ID through The several thou
sand words of the law YOU viii
find. by careful reading, a single
sentence which places tho re-
SponSibilty for the decision. IT
says,
"Anv allowances which ac-
crue under this title before
Nov. /, 1879, shall not he
actually paid until after Nov.
/. 1872"
First il was pensions, then
X-cardS, and now delaying al
lowanceS 90 women and children.
There was some excuse for
Congress voting itself pensions,
although when the secrecy of
it's action was exposed il shame
faccdly repealed the law.
THERE was also some excuse
L for y cards to give con-
gressmen extra although they
are not Justly entitled TO I'M
limited) gas to do public bust
ness, if they viii do public
business.
Now that their X cards have
expired and stronger gas ra-
tioning is in force. they and all
politicians are granted IN the
east all the gas they want TO
conduct their political business
as usual. while all other business
men must stand in line at ra-
tioning stations and appeal for
meager allowances.
The business of politics has
been officially placed on the
same basis as ambulanceS, police
and doctors.
Only excuse for delaying food.
and livelihood to the dependents
of our fighters was brought up
in a few sentences of the House
debate on the bill.
TIVE record of that debate con-
L tainS page after page of
bleeding rhetorical sympathy for
the soldier and his family but at
only one point did "A congress
man arise ~ question the four
months delay in administering
this justice.
Representative Robsion Re-
publican, OF Kentucky arose IN
protest and offered an amend
ment cutting the time 10 two
months.
Representative T n o m aSon.
Democrat, of Texas, handling
the bill, told Robson (the con-
Eressional record shows that
he thought the payments could
be made in two months, but the
war and navy departments said
they must have a reasonable
time in which TO set up the ma
chinery and the accounting SyS-
TEN TO carry this act into
effect
A T THE war department later,
"A a further excuse has been
offered that Investigations of the
validity of claimants must be
made.
How thin these excuses are IS
evident from close inspection OF
the act itself. No Investigation
is required for the wives and
children of soldiers, sailors and
marines.
The law fatty says these
Class a claimants must be paid
if they produce "A marriage
license or other proof Only the
claims of Glass b dependents
. fathers. M others. brothers.
SiStcrS) are subject 10 invcSti-
CATION. or IN uSt prove
dependency.
Anyway. the excuse falls flat
when you consider that pay
mcntS are not 10 be made as
cases are verified. but are 10 be
delayed for one big bulk lump
distribution after five months
accumulation -- on election eve.
No one has even tried Yet 10
offer an excuse for this.
IF CONGRESS docs not repeal
Il tins clumsy effort 10 influence
voters and the facts begin 60 get
around. Congress had better not
pass the pending legislation al
lowing soldiers 10 vote and
might do well 20 exclude their
wives from voting also
have always thought the re-
cent generalized attacks on Con-
greSS were dangerous and UNI
justified during a period OF cen
tralizcd executive controls Con-
grcsS IS supposed 10 ho the direct
representative of the people
closer TO their wishes than the
executive branch. which Is
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