Evening star., 1946-09-05

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To Nation 5 Welfare
BY George Beveridee
sser staff Correspondent.
BOSTON, Sept. 5.-Veterans' Ad-
ministrator Omar N. Bradley today
urged that questions of veterans
benefits be put second to the Ma
tons welfare.
Addressing delegates of the veter-
ans of Foreign Wars, conyening
here, he declared the veteran will
find his ultimate interests are pre-
cisely the same as those of the Ma
tion," and warned:
There Is no gravy train veteran
can ride without eventually paying
his fare. With the singular excep-
ton Of the disabled, we should not
ask ourselves how we shall benefit
the veteran. Rather, we should ask
ourselves how We shall benefit the
Nation"
The statement came during a dis
cussion Of recent changes in on-the-
job training legislation which Gen.
Bradley declared were clearly the
intent of Congress" in establishing
the original program, adding that
former provisions of the act made
1t nothing more than q bonus.
Defends Revised Program.
Vigorously defending the revised
program, Gen. Bradley said the pro.
gram has "recaptured the spirit of
the GI bill" to provide opportuni.
ties lost during war service.
The changes, hurriedly introduced
and passed in final sessions of tn.
adjourning Congress, raised anc
established definite standards fol
programs, provided financial aid t.
States administering them and linn.
tied Federal subsistence allowances
for all participants earning more
than $110 a month.
Denying that the subsistence re-
striction constitutes ceiling" Gen
Bradley said the law merely fixed q
point at which the trainee is pre-
sumed capable of his self support
adding: This is the period when he
admittedly is surrendering his imme.
diate profit for the eventual gain
that should come with his skills. >
No Restriction on Wages.
He also said the changes restrict
neither such additional wages as
employers elect to pay" nor on a
standard Of living. Veterans shall
determine tnar eventual standard on
the basis OF the job performance, ,
he asserted.
The veterans chief reiterated
earlier statements that under the
program the job itself is secondary
to the fact that the veteran is in
training. Without that additional
requirement of training-every one
with the exception Of a few old fel-
lows like myself-could qualify TO,
subsistence under the law. And Il
that were the intent of Congress
it would have scrapped the bill anc
voted a bonus. II we are to wink al
training as so many have done, anc
use 1t as a guise to collect $65 OF
800 a month. then the law is 9
bonus-and am most assuredly
wrong" he declared.
Pointing out that the training pro.
gram had no precedents, Gen. Brad.
ley said experience" proved the
changes necessary, and added thai
future experience will show whethe,
further refinements or changes are
needed" ....
Says Doctors are Adequate.
He further said that for every
veteran drawing subsistence for on
the-job training, 30 others are work.
ing with no thought of seeking
subsistence"
Speaking of the Veterans Admin
istration's. medical service the ad-
ministrator said the agency's hos
pitfalls have as many doctors ""as
may be desired" but said that con-
struction schedules for new hos.
pitals still "are somewhat behind"
Difficulty in choosing sites, in.
SUFFICIENT appropriations and scar.
cities" all have been responsible TO,
the holdup, but contracts for thS
new structures-to be located neal
medical centers-Soon will be issued
he said, and predicted that the pro.
gram should be gathering headway'
by next spring.
Blandy Warns Of Atomic War.
In another address, the vFW dele.
gates heard Vice Admiral w. H. P
Blandy, who developed the Bikin
bomb tests, warn that there will b<
atomic warfare unless a plan ''prac.
tical, reliable and acceptable to al
nations can be devised.
1t Is too early to determine wha
radical" changes in ship design ant
sea maneuvers will have to b,
made. but I believe that If ther,
Is atomic warfare, naval war viii
not be exempt from it," he declared
There are those who believe tha
in future conflicts great guided mis-.
siles will cross the oceans and cont.
nents and explode atomic warhead.
over Cities" he declared. "Sucf
weapons may indeed become q real.
ity, but I do not subscribe to ths
belief that they will eliminate al
other kinds Of warfare"
As a result Of Operation Cross.
roads, he stated, "the United States
will at least be better prepared for
such warfare than any other nation
on earth"
Among other guest speakers were
Maj. Gen. T. B. Iarkin, quarter
master general; william K. Jack
son, president of the United States
Chamber Of Commerce, and Arthur
Flemming, civil service commits
sioner.
To Study Housing Appeal.
Later today a resolution urging
Housing Administrator Wilson
Wyatt be put in control of virtually
all OF the Nations construction to
assure success of the veterans hous-
ing program will be considered by
the delegates.
The resolution, submitted by q
special housing committee, woult