Evening star., 1946-07-20
Veterans Problems
Continue to Grow
Former Servicemen Constitute
Tenth of Population
BY Kendrick Lee

ny "A endffCR Lee
World War II servicemen and women
already discharged from the armed
forces number more than 12,50O,0oo-a
figure which is equal to roughly one
tenth of the whole population and one
fifth OF the labor force. Thus veterans
comprise substantial segment of the
Nations adult population for the first
time in United States history.
The problem of transition to normal
peacetime living which faces many war
veterans and many civilians who worked
In war industries Is aggravated for the
former group because of dislocations
directly attributable to military or naval
service. The Federal Government has
taken positive steps to assist veterans
in obtaining such immediate elementary
needs as jobs and housing. In addition,
an investment is being made in their
future by aiding them to add to their
education. The cost Of all Federal-aid
veteran programs, including pensions
and other traditional benefits, will ac-
count for a substantial part of the
National Governments expenditures in
the next decade. Approximately one of
every eight tax dollars collected by the
Federal Government in the 1947 fiscal
year will be spent on Veterans Admin
istration programs.
Many Unemployed Veterans.
Postwar employment rates are running
far higher than indicated in estimates
made by various economists before the
end of the war. With more than a mil
lion and three-Quarters ex-servicemen
still without civilian jobs, however, q
large proportion of the Nations unem-
ployed is composed of those who recently
were in uniform. Gen. Bradley, head of
the veterans Administration, said re-
Gently that the rate of unemployment
among veterans was three times that
among civilians. Unless new Jobs were
created, he added, 100000 veterans
might be looking for work by autumn.
Moreover, employment trends for dis
abled veterans and Negro ex-servicemen
lag considerably behind those for able
bodied white veterans.
insufficient housing is a serious OBJ
stacle to the average veterans desire
to slip quickly into normal patterns of
living. The need for additional dwelling
units is so pressing that significant i'm
provement in the overall situation is
not likely to occur this year even under
the best of circumstances. 1t has been
estimated that 2250,000 veterans and
their families will be seeking housing
| units during the next two years.
GI Housing Crisis.
| Government housing authorities have
fixed as the goal of the emergency hous-
ing programme be carried out by pri-
vate enterprise-the starting, not the
| completion, of construction of 2,700 900
units by the end of 1947. This program
may be hampered seriously, however,
unless OPA price controls on building
materials are renewed. Furthermore,
many veterans have encountered unex-
| pected difficulties in negotiating CT Bill
| housing loans because of currently in
nated sale prices on existing homes,
with the result that only about 1 per
cent OF ex-servicemen have availed
themselves of the loan provision.
Lack of sufficient teachers, equipment
and student housing to meet the alb
normal demand placed upon schools
and colleges by a flood of student vet
erans threatens to make it impossible
for many former servicemen to take
advantage of the educational benefits
| promised them. Some 100000 veterans
comprising So per cent of the total
enrolment were studying in the Ma
tion's colleges last spring. 1t Is esti-
mated that $4,000 veterans will seek
to enroll in colleges for the autumn
term, but 100000 may be turned away.
Gen. Bradley has estimated that for
the next five years veterans will account
for approximately rs per cent of total
enrolment in mems colleges, and for
| 30 to so per cent in co-educational
| colleges.