New England bulletin., 1949-04-23
SOUND OFF The Dept. For Vets and CTS
 By Glenn Douglass
HOOray For Gray

eTdnS A0VISOry COmmISSIOn,
 Tuesday night at testimonial
 dinner sponsored by the Com
 mission at the Officers Club
 in the State Armory.
 Under the leadership of the
 honored guest, several train
 ing programs for vets and
 non-vets have been worked out.
 Some of these were of such
 worth that they were adopted
 by the Federal Government.
 These included the 2OO-hour
 training courses for machine
 operators, from 1888 and
 through the war years; a plan
 for vocational counseling, edu-
 catiOna1 advantages, appren-
 tice and business training for
 veterans; the development of
 the statewide Veterans Com
 mission to assist World War
 II veterans, and other plans to aid veterans in readjustment
 problems.
 A lot of people talk incessantly about what the nation owes the veteran. It is heartening to see vet erans and other groups in the com munity paying off in some tiny way to those who have worlod faithfully in the interest of or How Bout This Mess
 Out of Washington comes a
 VA statement to the effect that nationally it's credit aid has helped more than .4OO,- DUO World War IT veterans fo
 buy homes in the mast fou. years. A"1
 During this period. VA states. vets have taken out CT home loans totalling eight biI-
 Hon dollars. VA has guaran-
 teed or insured the mortgaoe lenders against loss of almost half that sum. Average cost of the home bought by vets in 1948 was $500. Forty percent of the home loan. guaranteed in 1948 were for n11r9 chase of newly-bought homes. averaging s91OO in value. Forty nlne percent were for purchase of existing homes averaging s76OO Nine percent of the vets nroc11red loans to build their own homes. averaging about 5000 each,
 1t Is encouraging that less than one tenth of one percent of the guaranty posted by VA has been needed to pay claims against de- faulted loans.
 In Connecticut the loss on
 such loans has been less than
 one hundredth of 1 percent,
 according to Harry T. Wood. manager of the Hartford
 Veterans Administration Re
 giona1 Office. 'In four years 1s,0OO Con-
 necticnt veterans have taken out CT home loans totaIIing S13O, 100000, of which amount the VA has guaranteed S5O,-
 OOO:OOO." MT. Wood said, "And
 we have not yet been required |, to take back a single piece of property from any of these veterans for whom loans were guaranteed"
 As MT. Wood comments. this is indeed remarkable record
 which reflects great credit on the lending institutions of the state and is a splendid tri-
 bute to the responsibility of COnnecticut's veterans. All of this makes good listening and good reading too
 What doesn't make good listen ing and wouldn't make good read ing is the persistent rumor that there is widespread discrimination throughout the country against Ne gro veterans seeking loans for the purchase of homes.
 This situation is one which ought to be brought out into daylight and examined very closely by the pub lie so that it can be corrected.
 There are doubtless, readers of this column who have experienced such injustice.
 SOUND OFF would appreci-
 ate hearing from any vets
 who feel they have been so
 victimized.
 As we are repeatedly preach
 ing, the only way to rid our
 selves of these vicious discrim-
 nations is to be intelligently
 militant about them; not to
 take anything that smacks of
 racial unfairness lying down.
 Even if you yourself are not
 in fho cOrraefinn nf