Detroit evening times., 1945-07-30
WESTBROOK
PECLER
Fair
Enough

THIS country will be spared
a degree of scandal, lot OF
money and another Of those
moods of cyniclsm and disgust
if we take refresher course
about now in the bolsterous
larcenles that were committed
in the years soon after the last
war by mallngerers and COM
mon grafters IN the gulse Of
compensation for aglnary
wounds and fictitious or eAag-
gerated disabilities.
These operations IN most
cases were done by the con-
nivance if not the initiative Of
doctors and -bHreaHefats IN the
government service and The
congressional inVestig ton
turned up some roguerles as in
genlouS and bold As any of the
more defiant raScalltes Of the
New Deal in later times.
The scale Of disability and The
allowances was mathematical
and the principle was acknowl-
edged Al the beginning that
compensation was deserved
only for impalrmentS suffered
in the line Of duty IN the service.
Sprains. caullflower ears. sore
throats and rum-blossoms oc-
curing IN hours of misconduct
while -liciinl- -wa&AWOL IN
Paris or East ST Louis during
his time With the Colors or in
Cured IN after years on his
own time were deemed IN he
the patients own private affair
and not a lien on the public
treasury.
IL TIME. however the lobbies
L stretched the regulations m
an cttrnt that permitted mid
dle-aged veteran Of the Spanish
affair Of 'aS who had a 5000
jOh and a pension, beside. and
was able 10 pay for his own
repairs 10 20 into veterans
hospltal 70 have his trlpes re-
modelled free
This sort Of competition nat
urally dlSplessed many civilian
doctors whose taxes were sup
porting these institutions and
many Of whom. themselves had
served -in-canahai IN France,
whereas many Of the patients
had served IN camp AZ home
only long enough 20 qualify
under the minimum legal defini-
ton
Another f9Erapt case VAS
that Of a flier who had smashed
FIVE ships IN training and lacked,
As he said. only one Of qualifying
as German acc and had
broken a leg IN tho last wreck
For this injury hc received N
after years. a good pension on
thc theory that he was q cripple.
plus thc Droc Of college ruition,
during 2 time when NJ "aS able
enough 10 command 2 cs>n sub
Sidy from an eastern college ard
free tuition. for playing end on
-rf-r .-Tr~f'--
For lacniappe this hopeless
wreck of man also collected
Hyng pay as 4 reserve officer
I'VE slightest mention of such
L ImpoSirons ~ course viii
evoke tno charge that one who
would deny heroes dressing and
healing and care can No no bot
ter than Japanese sergeant
but that as viii No seen, is OBJ
iuSCauon
The malingcrer and chiSelcr
VIII always hide behind the de-
serving victim of wounds. inlu-
rleS or illness and protest that
any objection 10 his own lmpoSi-
tlons on public sympathy ls \
brutal attempt 10 neglect and
discard the deserving.
Nevertheless. ecordS are
available IN Washington for the
guidance Of Congress and the
public which Will recall out
raGeous graft ny men who we're
sound of mind and vlnd and
limb whose benefits were paid
IN part by more honest ard
patriotic veterans Who came
home whole and were glad 20
support their government rather
than i've ON tt.----
They are there in deiail and
they reveal a systematic method
Of grating and q progressive
corruption of tho original plan.
In time mon who would have
-rsftt-ci-to raKo advantage NJ 4
parasitic system felt obliged to
get theirs aS an act Of self
defense.
We do not yet know what the
benefits for veterans Will he
Because 50 large z portion or
the adult population will he vet
erars Ne may nc sure they VIII
he large IN figures, a. least ard
tha. no bonus march or camp
Will h7 necessary this time
What they want and what
they believe the treasury and
the national income can stand
they will vote themselves and
the one great moderating infu-
ence will be the understanding
by tho more intelligent that
they viii he paving the taxes 10
support these grants 10 them
selves as long a. they live
Only 4 small portion OF the
cost can be collected from The
next Older generation because