Evening star., 1944-12-09
Meritinq q Veto

tAAC dP-
proval or veto is a congressional
measure that would make eligible for
pensions the surviving widow, child
or children of any person already
dead or yet to die who served in the
American armed forces during the
First World War for a period of 90
or more days. The bill would make
no distinction between the veteran
whose death can be attributed at
least In part to some Service-con-
nected disability and the veteran
dying from natural or accidental
causes, such as old age or falling
down stairs. All that would matter
would be the fact that he had once
been in the Army or Navy, and on
that basis his dependents would be
entitled to receive up to a maximum
OF STA month for the rest of their
lives.
According to conservative esti-
mates, this bill would cost minimum
of $37,0O0,Ooo in the first year of it's
operation, and within the next two
decades or so would call for a peak
annual outlay of at least s3Os 900, 900.
But its lavishness - involving an
overall long-term expenditure of
billions-is not the only thing that
makes the measure Objectionable:
worse still is the precedent it would
establish by doing away entirely with
a principle that has been whitfield
down too much already; the prin-
ciple that such benefits should go
only to the dependents of those
veterans whose deaths can be traced
in one degree or another-to phys
ical ailments, injuries or wounds
suffered while in the armed forces.
Thus, by granting as much to the
survivors of man with no service
disability as to the survivors of a
man with very definite service
disability. it would create a palpable
inequity automat tically inviting the
disabled of the First World War to
demand special consideration in the
form of higher pension rates. Thus,
too, it would obviously pave the way
for similar program for the eleven
or twelve million men and women
now serving in the Second World
War-a cost prospect of truly astro-
nomical dimensions.
There can be no question, of course,
about the Nations solemn obligation
to disabled veterans and to the wild
ows and orphans and other depend
ents of those who make the supreme
sacrifice in battle. The most gener-
Gus and fullest possible provisions
must be made for all such Americans
by means of disqualification, rehabil-
itatlon, pensions, etc. Similarly, as
was provided to some extent in legis-
lation after the last war and as the
CT Bill of Rights provides to much
greater extent in this war, special
educational, financial and employ
ment opportunities must be made
available to every one honorably dis
charged from the Army and Navy.
But there is limit to what can be
done and what should be expected,
for If the resources of the country
are stretched too far to support
basically unreasonable and unjusti-
fed measures. the veterans them
selves, no less than the American
people as whole. will be the losers.
saddled with debt whose damaging
effects will be felt throughout our
economy for many years to come.
The pension bill now before the
President seems so clearly ill advised
in this respect that it should be
vetoed. In itself, to be sure, it is not
the straw that will break the camel's
back, but it is one of the straws, and
as such it looks much too dangerous
to be acceptable.