Evening star., 1947-02-28

Some Astronomical Fac
| Which Spring From
By Georg
Out Of the return Of 100000 World
War II veterans to civilian life has
grown group Of the biggest businesses
in the world.
The businesses are among Ga programs
Of the Veterans administration to help
veterans get foothold in civilian life,
or permanently to aid them and their
dependents and survivors.
President Truman saw the growth
coming in October, l945, when he gave
Gen. Omar N. Bradley virtually an un-
limited hand to expand and streamline
machinery for developings these busi-
neSses.
The job is still on the upgrade. Al
though the President has said that pres
ent benefits for ex GIs are adequate Gen.
Bradley doesn't expect the Veterans
Administration to level OF to what could
be called normal operations for another
year. But he is already head OF the
worlds largest mutual insurance pro-
gram, with policies totaling $35, ,00o, ,000,-
600 to insure the lives Of 5000 900 people.
He directs a medical program that
hires 5000 doctors to take care of
more than 10000 patients. He is in
charge Of the largest hospital construc-
tion drive the Nation has ever seen.
Last year, be bought more than 5000
automobiles for war amputees. He directs
a vast loan guaranty division, a service
to supervise legal guardians and Gus
~ ,fyor rIc 80
the Nations greatest educational pro-
gram, provision for burial benefits that
will reach into billions Of dollars and
pension and disability payments that
already total billions.
The Veterans Administration central
Office here has master file OF "a, 100000
veterans or their dependents who have
received active benefits. To catch up
with new benefits as they are applied
for, these files are shipped around the
country at the rate Of 100000 month.
In addition to names, addresses, serial
numbers, each file must have special
code numbers in order to keep the names
straight.
Kellys, Cohens, SchuItzes Galore.
For example, the agency has on its
mail lists some $4,000 Kellys, 1850
Cohens, 1000 KominskiS and 10000
Schultzes. 1t even has two Omar
Bradleys. At present, nearly 18,3O0,O0O
Americans are veterans Of some war.
From this vast force of ex-GIs and
their dependents, the Veterans Admins
tration here recently received 100000
pieces OF mail in one month It regularly
sends some 100000 letters q month
through its outgoing mail Office Last
year, insurance offices alone received
more than 100000 separate letters and
cards.
At the beginning of this month, the
agency had approved guaranty for more
than 639 200 CT loans that amounted to
more than $3,421 100000. The vast ma
jority were for building. Others
ranged from guaranty of a $4,000 loan
to a veteran who started q diaper serv-
ice in Spartanburg, s. c., to $28.74
loaned to an Arkansas farmer who
wanted to purchase new harrow.
Activities of A. j. Harrison, who buys
goods IN mass lots for veterans hos
pitals, are enough to give shopping
housewives severe inferiority complex.
Recently he purchased 676,0O0 pounds
OF breakfast cereal at one clip. Another
time, he bought IA, 900 pounds Of salted
would turn green with envy at another
recent buy of 7014 albums of records.
He also has purchased more than
100000 volumes OF every type book to
stock hospital libraries. In the hospi-
tails, officials also develop entertainment
pfograms and have begun to operate
their own canteens for patients. There,
Veterans Administration chaplains con-
duct more than 5000 religious services
every month.
At present, the Veterans Administra-
ton has 124 hospitals In operation, with
"a others soon to be constructed and an
other Il awaiting authorization. Only
third Of the 10000 patients are being
treated for service connected disabili-
ties. Medical chiefs have warned Con-
gress that 1t must reach decision on
how far the Government should 60 In
treating veterans whose ailments are
not directly due to their service.
The medical service has also launched
an intensive research program While
actually more Of clinical than q lab
oratory nature, the research activities
are under way on broader scale with
formation of a modern cancer and turnor
clinic at Chicago.
The agency has also been instru-
mental in development of new pros
thetic devices. More than 260 900 World
War II veterans have been furnished
most up-to-date types of artificial limbs,
eyes, hearing aids and braces.
Early this month, 2,43o,0OO ex-GIs of
World War II were in schools or train
ing under the CT Bill. More than $685.
600 private business firms are conduct
ing on-the-job training courses. And
over 1000 ex-GIs are receiving sub
sistence allowances and tuition paw
n1ents for studying in foreign schools.
Most OF the veterans are enrolled