Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-07-19
Dear Joe
By JAMES L. HICKS
HOT POTATo!

HOT POTATO!
Dear Joe:
H0W'S BUSINESSH???? Don't
let anybody tell you it's hard for
q veteran TO get in business these
days. The figures, which aren't
supposed 70 lie, show that it's about
the easiest thing q veteran can do.
As OF June n, veterans had Dor
rowed &44,OO0, 900 10 set up their
own business, according TO official
VA hgures. The Veterans Admins
tTation has guaranteed $4,000, 900
Of that 44,0O0, 900 and at present
y IN the process Of approving
1900, 900 In loans.
No, no, Joe, it's not hard 10 get
in II.
SICK CALL: One out Of every
four veterans Of World War II has
hled q claim with the Veterans
Administration for a disability
pension. Nothing wrong with that
but what we started out TO say
Is that the boys around General
Omar N. BrAdley's headquarters,
who should know, are quietly say
ing that II you plan TO apply for
4 pension it's q good idea TO do Il
before you have been discharged
year because, after you have been
running wild in the streets a year.
the VA begins TO get suspicious as
to whether the army disabled you
or you got that way In one Of those
Saturday night free for-alls..
Seriously, the pensioninR board
IL more liberal TO men who apply
soon after they are released from
the service.
So far more than 5000, 900 pen
sion claims have been filed. The VA
turned down half Of these claims as
goldbricks, but It approved half
OF them, and that is much more
consideration than the first ser
geant used TO give the CTS who
rode the sick book.
Hint to the wise: II you are hurt
ing some plAce-it won't hurt YOU
to go some place and apply for a
pension.
FURLOUGH? WHAT'S THAT?
President Truman has approved
terminal leave pay for enlisted men
and therein lies a story. In fact,
before it's over the government will
probably hear some tall stories
from CTS about that fuTlough they
didn't get.
II Congress approves the bill the
way the President wants 1t all en-
listed men who served in World
War II since September 3, 1899,
will be eligible for terminal leave
pay for any leave which they had
coming when they were discharged
from the service.
Thus II you had 80 days leave
which you didn't get, when the bill
Is passed, all you have TO do is
make a sworn statement saying
that you had the leave coming and
the finance officer Of the army will
pay you a months salary at your
old rate with base pay, longevity
and subsistence allowances.
The fun Is going TO start when
the boys begin to make those
Sworn statements" The army has
virtually admitted that Ii will be
impossible to check each mans rec
ord to see II he's lying so they are
going to have to take the CTS word
for Il.
How many furloughs did you
have? Furlough! What's a fur
loughl
PINK PANTS PLANNING: Al
though the terminal leave bill is
for CTS only, the boys who wore
the pink pants are already sitting
back planning how TO muscle in
and get some Of the terminal leave
dough which the finance officer will
be tossing around.
Most Of the officers who came
up through the ranks are lombard
ing the War Department with re-
quests that the bill be drawn up
so that It will take care Of officers
who spent two or three years as
an enlisted man and then was COM
missioned before he was able TO
take the leave he had earned as
a CT.
They say that even though they
did get paid terminal leave when
they were discharged as an officer,
II was only for leave accumulated
as an officer and they should be
paid for the leave they did not get
as a CT. How bout that, Joe? Isn't
that just like an officer?
THE PAYOFF: Incidentally that
terminal leave pay will be partly
in cash for $50 or less-and partly
in Treasury bonds-for payments
over $50. The bonds will be payable
Ave years after discharge and will
bear pa per cent interest. They
cannot be assigned or transferred
and no loans can be made against
them.
You guys who are already vet
Grams will have n year after the
bill becomes effective to get your
sworn statements in applying for
! the pay.