Evening star., 1946-09-28
DC. Legion Delegates
To Seek Endorsement
OF Veterans Job Bill
By George Beveridee

Elm ROUIE 10 SAN FRAN
CISCO. Sept, 28-Among resolu-
tlons to be placed before the 18th
national convention of the Ameri-
can Legion in San Francisco next
week is Endorsement of bill which
may we'll be the most important
piece of veterans legislation to face
the new Congress-calling for crea-
ton OF Veterans Employment and
Economic Development Corporation.
Approved by District Department
delegates aborad this train, the
measure, aimed primarily at vet
Grams unemployment and designed
to stimulate small business, would
give a seven-man board the power
OF a new Federal agency.
Introduced by Senator Tunnel.
Democrat, of Delaware, at the last
Congress, the bill calls for establish
ment of bipartisan boaxd au-
thorized to grant loans to veterans
entering small business, to firms
who, by expansion, guarantee Sub
stantial employment opportunities"
for veterans and to municipalities
for construction of self -liquidating
public works.
Further, under the bill, loans
could be granted to colleges where
shortages exist when it can be
proven veterans will be benefited"
and to constructors for veterans
housing.
Calls for Technical Service.
A technical advisory service would
also be set up to furnish informa-
tion about business techniques and
to keep in touch with the progress
OF participants in the program.
Facilities of Government agencies
would be used whenever possible to
furnish this service.
In letter to the Legion this
week urging Endorsement of the bill,
Senator Tunnel pointed out that
veterans under the program would
have first call on hundreds of
thousands" of enemy patents which
otherwise will eventually be monop-
oltzed by large corporations. ?
Senator Tunnel also wrote that
the program will open a new field
of overseas markets to veterans
who would like to enter business"
You can prosper by helping to
modernize the economy of many
countries who seek our help to get
on their feet" he said. He added
that unless other nations, left with
an "ominous vacuum" by the war,
are given "our modernization, our
trade and our democracy, the enc
mics of democracy will continue to
move in through the operations of
the Fifth Column or by force of
arms" He particularly pointed to
India and China as ripe for an
American market beyond our
dreams"
Harris Explains Aims.
Among the delegates from Wash
ington is Richmond Harris. drafter
of the veterans RFC BILL" who
plans to discuss the proposed 1egis-
lation with Legion committees. An
avid proponent of the bill as the
solution to veterans unemployment,
Mr.. Harris said the advisory service
would follow as protection of the
investment in much the same way
as the Veterans Administration
supervises its on-the-job training
program.
Government-owned surplus war
plants as well as other surplus
could be made readily available to
veterans under the program, Mr.
Harris explained.
The bill provides for a capital of
$5O0,000 900 to be raised by public
subscription of Treasury bonds.
Loans, according to Mr.. Harris,
would be on 20-year basis.
Approved through the technical
service of the Department of Com
merce, new businesses could be
granted either outright loans or
referred to local banks, whose loans
IN turn would be guaranteed under
the bill.
In another letter this week, Act
ing Secretary of Commerce Schind-
Ter said the bill "offers the most in
triguing possibilities of any piece of
current legislation which has come
to my attention" Emphasizing the
need for sound veterans employ
ment legislation, he warned that
America must not offer alleged en-
ployment based on leaf-raking or
comparable projects"
The proposal already has been in
dorsed by the Veterans of Foreign
Wars, who also urged that Presi-
dent Truman call special session
of Congress in November to con-
slider the legislation. The measure
also was approved this month at
the convention of the Disabled War
Veterans.