Evening star., 1946-08-11
Army Finance Chief
Warns Of Delay in
Terminal Pay Forms

IViulISIut I ~ IVlWS
1t will be approximately As days
before an estimated 5000. 900 vet
Grams and servicemen will be able
even to get applications for terminal
leave pay, Maj. Gen. William H
Hasten, Army chief of finance, pre-
dicted last night.
Millions of these forms must be
printed and distributed all over the
country" he declared. This jon
will take time
Speaking on an American Broad
casting Co. program from Holly
wood, Gen. Hasten reminded listen
ers the application forms can be
obtained only at post Offices and
urged veterans not to request them
by mail from the armed forces. He
also pointed out that after applica-
tions are filled out, they must be
filed by mail.
Move Will Save Time.
I'D like to save lot of time for
the veteran and the paving office
by emphasizing that" he declared.
DO not present any claims in per-
Son-it will only delay the orderly
procedure of settling claims
Gen. Hasten said it would be i'm
possible TO determine the time a
veteran can expect to receive his
money after his claim is filed. Serv-
ices which will process the claims
are operating at greatly reduced
staf1s ''as the result of demobiliza-
ton" he asserted. but every effort
will be made to settle them as soon
as possible"
He added that "the length of
time will depend largely on how care
fully the applications are filled out
and how much administrative re-
search is required on each applica-
ton
Keep Inquiries Down.
To further speed settlements, Gen.
Hasten urged veterans to keep in
quiries down to a minimum. If nu-
merous letters of inquiry are re-
ceived by the paying officers, they
will have to take time off from
processing claims to answer these
letters
Following Gen. Kastens address.
WMAL Commentator John Edwards
interviewed three servicemen sta
toned here who all urged provi-
sions be made for larger payments
in cash instead OF bonds.
T/5 Warren Wahl. an amputee
patient at Walter Reed Hospital
said the terminal leave grant came
as "a pleasant surprise. I'm certain
not many of us were expecting it to
come through"
But the time factor is wrong" he
added. The time to give money
to the newly discharged soldier is
noW-not five years hence"
Pay in SIS Bonds.
The War Department plan calls
for the pay to be issued in bonds
to the highest multiple of s25, and
cash payment for any additional
sum less than $25. Bonds will not
be negotiable until five years after
the date of discharge, but they may
be applied as cash value to the Vet
Grams Administration for payment
Of National Service Life Insurance
premiums.
Electronlc Technician's Mate John
Lawler, stationed at the Navys Bu-
reau OF Public Information, said
bonds would be of little value, es-
specially tos destitute veterans, or
men with several dependents -
UnfavOrable to Method.
The bonds are kind of fouling
everything up" commented Sergt
James C. Young, member of the
Guard Battalion at the Navy Build
ing. 81
"GIs are discussing this in every
CT chow hall in the world" he said
and the first thing they will want
when they get out is cash to get
started in the life they've been
missing for the past three or four
years.
The bonds might be all right for
some guys" he said, but they aren't
going to do the man who needs the
money much good"
Meanwhile, American Veterans of
World War II announced last night
that its posts have been directed to
aid veterans in application for their
terminal leave payments.
We want to furnish veterans with
application blanks to save them the
inconvenience of applying at post
offices and We plan to be in a posi-
ton to advise them as to the exact
manner in which to execute the
forms and have them processed. !"
James c. Tate, Amvets national
service director, said.
Mr., Tate said he will confer with
Army and Navy officials to deter
mine any other ways his group can
aid in expediting the leave pay
ments.