Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-07
Legion Welfare
Unit Slated for
Chest Custer
Recommendation by
Committee Subject to
UCS Bourd Action

UCS Bourd Action
The American Legion welfar,
department would be dropped
from Community Chest supper
next year, under a recommends
ton yesterday by the Executive
Committee of United Commu
nifty Services.
The committee approved tn,
admission of 43 other agencie
to Chest support in 1855, passeC
four more with some qualifying
comment and deferred action OF
three others.
The recommendations will g
for final action to the UCS
Board of Trustees, which meet,
April 81.
Chest inclusion of the Legion
unit has been a subject of de
bate almost since it's first adj
mission in 1929, according t,
the report of a study COMMITTEE
appointed last September.
The study group recommend
ed that it be dropped in 1855
primarily on grounds that more
financial relief to needy vet
Grams would result from trans
fer of the Chest ALLEGATION tt
other Chest relief agencies.
Expenses Broken Down.
The report pointed out thai
in 1853 the Legion groups oper'
ating budget was $23,857, Of
which $7,258 or 80 per cent wa!
for financial relief and $16,599
or 10 per cent, was for such non
relief expenses as salaries, rent
travel and equipment.
Other relief agencies have
been serving veterans as we'll as
non-veteranS, the report said
and will continue to do so. The
other agencies can help the ap.
proXimately % veterans a month
given relief by the Legion unit
with little or no additional oper.
ating expense, it added.
This would indicate that near
ly 100 per cent, rather than sc
per cent of the money in ques-
ton would go into relief if allo.
Gated to other agencies, the re-
port pointed out.
Other points made by the
study group included these:
The non-relief services (aver.
aging about Ill cases a month";
offered by the Legion unit are
available through public tax
supported agencies or other
Chest agencies. The Legion
units service is, in effect, re-
ferral.
All Agencies Help.
All Chest agencies help vet
Grams and their families on the
same basis as any other men,
berS of the community.
Possibly only S per cent of the
Legion units cases are Legion
naireS.
Any veteran who needs advice
on a technical veterans problem
has the District unsupported
Veterans Service Center avail
able. and the Legion has a claims
worker in the Veterans Admins
tration regional Office.
Only two other cities-Los
Angeles and Lincoln, Nebr. OF
1000 that have Community
Chests give any Chest funds to
Legion welfare departments, and
they have different conditions.
The only other veterans group
ever to receive Chest money in
Washington was the Disabled
American Veterans, which with
drew by mutual consent in 1912
These points were some of the
positions taken by the study
group in answers to its under
standing of the arguments ad-
vanced by Legion representa-
tiveS.
Legion Arguments.
The study groups summary OF
the Legion arguments included
these:
That if the Legion unit is
voted out of the Chest, veterans
will be denied service through
the Chest. That other relief
agencies refer cases to the unit
for help, indicating that they
cannot meet the veterans needs
That the veteran and his fam
lily prefer going to a veteran
identified agency. That if the
Legion unit is out of the Chest
veterans will not give to the
Chest campaign.
That the 80 per cent relief and
Topper cent non-relief analysis is
unfair" and does not recognize
the value of the non-relief serv-
ices rendered by the Legion unit
That the Legion unit is prop.
erly included in Chest support
because Chest money goes tt
other special groups like Catho'
lie Charities, Federation o.
Churches Welfare Department
and Jewish Social Service.
That If the Legion unit ha!
been accepted since 1929, VIII!
put it out now?
Own Drive May Result.
That if the Legion unit i
voted out, the Legion may hav,
to conduct a financial appeal
That the District Legion
financially poor" and that i
why the 81 posts and "a auxil
iaries here cannot give any ali
to the welfare unit.
A new agency recommended
for Chest support in 1855 is tn
Bakers Dozen, and another new
candidate, which is being givel
further study, is the Junior Pc
lice and Citizens Corps.
A report from the membership
department is expected by tn
Executive Committee on June
and the trustees will act on Jun
10 on the Junior corps, the Ioni;