St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-07-19
Dear Joe
HOT POTATO!
By JAMES L. HICKS

HOT POTATO!
Dear Joe:
H0W'S BUSINESS????? Don't
let anybody tell you it's hard for
a veteran to get in business these
days. The figures, which aren't
supposed to lie, show that it's about
the easiest thing a veteran can do.
As Of June 81, veterans had Dor
rowed S44,00O,000 to set up their
own business, according to official
VA figures. The Veterans Admins
tration has guaranteed 10000, 900
Of that S44,000,0OO and at present
is in the process Of approving
$4,000, 900 in loans.
No, no, Joe, it's not hard to get
in business-the hard job is to stay
in it.
SICK CALL: One out Of every
four veterans Of World War II has
filed a 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 If you plan to apply for
a pension it's a good idea to do il
before you have been discharged
a 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 pensioning board
is more liberal to men who apply
soon after they are released from
the service.
So far more than 100000 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 GI's who
rode the sick book.
Hint to the wise: If 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 GI's about that furlough they
didn't get.
If Congress approves the bill the
way the President wants it all en-
listed men who served in World
War ii since September 8, 1889,
will be eligible for terminal leave
pay for any leave which they had
coming when they were discharged
from the service.
Thus if 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 it will be
impossible to check each mans rec.
ord to see if he's lying so they are
going to have to take the CTS wore
for it.
How many furloughs did yol
have? Furlough! What's a fur
loughl
PINK PANTS PLANNING: AL
though the terminal leave bill il
for CTS only, the boys who Wort
the pink pants are already sitting
back planning how to muscle il
and get some Of the terminal leav'
dough which the finance officer will
be tossing around.
Most of the officers who cam,
up through the ranks are lombard
ing the War Department with re
quests that the bill be drawn VI
so that it will take care of officer
who spent two or three years a
an enlisted man and then was com
missiOned before he was able T.
take the leave he had earned a
a CT.
They say that even though the,
did get paid terminal leave whel
they were discharged as an officer
it was only for leave accumulate
as an officer and they should b
paid for the leave they did not ge
as a CT. How bout that, Joe? Ism
that just like an officer?
THE PAYOFF: Incidentally tina
terminal leave pay will be partl
in cash for $50 or less-and partl,
in Treasury bonds-for payment
over $50. The bonds will be payabl
FIVE years after discharge and vii
bear 2h per cent interest. The
cannot be assigned or transferre
and no loans can be made agains
them.
You guys who are already vet
Grams will have a year after tn
bill becomes effective to get you
sworn statements in applying fo
the pay.