St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-10-25
Dear Joe
AND so LITTLE TINE !
By JAMES L. HICKS


Under a new ruling handed down
by the Veterans Administration last
Tuesday, veterans organizations
which have not yet gained official
recognition by the VA have only
two and a half months to do so.
After that time they must present
a Congressional charter in order
to gain VA recognition.
This column pointed out the need
for cOlored organizations to be
recognized by the VA at least three
months ago, but thus far only two,
the National Urban League and
the United Negro and Allied Vet
Grams Of America, have taken any
steps toward gaining such recOg-
milton.
At present it is a simple pro-
cedure to become officially recog-
nized by the VA. Simply write the
VA Solicitor, ask for aecreditation
forms, complete them, and return
them to the VA.
After January /, however, it will
take an act Of Congress TO get the
same results-and that's no joke,
son. 1t might interest the stray
glers to know that one coloFed vet
Grams organization has been trying
since the last war to get a Con-
gressional charter.
At present no cOlOred Organi-
ZatiOn has a Congressional char
ter and no cOlOred organization
is officially recognized by the VA.
Unless some quick action is taken
before January 1, the door will be
closed on the benefits which colOred
organizations can derive from hav-
ing a national service officer.
In case you have forgotten, when
your organization is officially
recognized by the VA you can then
appoint a national service officer
who is given free office space at
the VA, free stenographic service,
has full access to all VA records,
is permitted to appear before
boards in the interest of veterans,
and generally can throw more
weight around in their interest at
the VA than all the non-recOgnized
organizations can do combined.
AS YOU WERE!
A sharp-eyed veteran writes in
to say this column was in error two
weeks ago when it stated that the
American Veterans of World War
II had a Congressional charter. The
veteran is right-this column was
wrOng-the Senate passed a bill
granting a charter to the Amvets
but when it reached the House, that
body turned the boys down cold.
To the Amvets-better luck next
time; to our sharp-eyed reader
a snappy salute and to you, Joe
as you were!
THE WHIRL
National Employ the Physically
Handicapped Week was created to
open more jobs for physically han
dicapped people. The Veterans Ad-
ministration celebrated it last week
by firing 400 physically handicap
ped veterans.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
will release a report in November
on a study of 1000 veterans. The
report will show that colored vet
Grams are finding it more difficult
to find jobs than their white COM
rades. As if we didn't know!
The VA will soon start paying
fat dividends on National Serv-
ice Life Insurance. Bet you'll re-
instate your policy now, Joe! You
can still do II by paying up two
back premiums and swearing
that you are in just as good
health now as you were the day
the army turned you loose in the
cruel world.
Thirty-nine colOred domiciliary
patients at Fort Washington, Md,
will soon be transferred to another
Jim Crow domiciliary home at Ke-
cOughtan, Va. A VA administrative
letter dated Oct. 8 ruled out the
buying Of athletic equipment for
physical education majors studying
under the CT bill, but the letter
clearly states that if a school is
equipped to train a person in physi-
cal education it should also have
the necessary equipment with which
to train him. Physical education
majors at Howard University, how
ever, claim that the school will not
furnish them athletic equipment.