Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-22

Misuse Of War Funds
DY AN act Of Congress duly approved by the President
y rhe dependent families of in the armed services
are 10 receive monthly allowances that they may live
These allowances were 10 begin as of June H.
Payments are nov die millions Of families-bu
none of the paYmcnt7 WITT fF-4.I4nniil November l.
more than three months hence.
ON that day checks for the total accrued amounts
will be mailed presumably for delivery on November ,
distributing approximately S$250o00oo throughout the
country.
aud the next da>-No,cmbcr s--utn be ELECTION
DAY!
n All NTT1t1o v-rr--+--l-d lhcse -sordd facts re-
/ ported that tho war department has an explanation
- That bookkeeping and investigation viii delay the
preparation OF checks" UNTIL THE EVE or THE
ELECTION
a tremendous amount OF administrative labor and
bookkeeping is doubt necessary to get such vast
SyStcm going" Nh Malon continued
But the most peculiar and still unexplained phase
Of the matter is WHY PAYMENTS ARE NOT TO BE
MADE Az CASES ARE COMPLETED IN THE COM
INC MONTHS. hut to be HELD Up for ONE GREAT
LUMP SIM PAYMENT OF FIVE MONTHS ARREARS
JUST BEFORE THE VOTERS co TO THE POLLS To
ELECT \ NEW CONGRESS-"
OK THE same day when Mr. Malon was reporting this
~ scandal TO THE PUBLIC, Rep }. William Otter of
Pennsylvania brought the subject TO THE ATTENTION
OF CONGRESS-
Saying that he believed the procedure would receive
from his colleagues the same criticism that he believed
it would receive from tho country at large Mr. Otter
added:
1t to me it will take than excuse,
and certainly considerable amount of explanation to
condone what its surface appears to be mixing of
POLITICS and PATRIOTISM"
Mr.. Otter also emphasized that nasmuch as lad
he and
month checks might very properly 60 out ON the
basis rapidly famffy-@eases2 completed, ito
the dependents of the soldiers in the field
Il certainly think" he continued, 1.-The depart
ment whatever agency activity of the government is
responsible for this policy should have from the Congress
direct criticism and denunciatiOn for trying to bring
the program down to the same level that some of
recognized in earlier day when avalanche of AAA
checks would out just before election time and when
avalanche of WPA grauties would go out just before
election time.
ITO feel that we have placed patriotism the Of
the fathers the mothers. the wives and the children of
soldiers that same level resentment the
part of most of us who fair and impartial"
THAT much suffering will be inflicted by the govern
1 ments methods should be obvious.
Again quoting from Mr. Mallons column
THE nhuman aspect of the matter is that the de-
pendents assumed TO be needy, else the payments
would not he made
These not gratutes, but are for subsistence.
How the dependents will live UNTIL TWO DAYS
BEFORE ELECTION is not quite clear"
1t seemed unspeakaby bad to have the administration
buying elections with relief money in peacetimes.
Millions Of Americans shocked and angry the
actual corruption then discovered in the misuse of
ury funds.
How much worse is it to have American govern
ment misuse American funds-thc hard savings of
our people and the painful taxes periodically paid by
them for Americas defense,
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