Evening Star Newspaper, July 4, 1930, Page 4

e——“ THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, JULY 4, . 1930. JOHNSON DISCUSSES VETERANS' RELIEF Praises Hoover's Veto and Defines House Bill Passed by Congress. E: Praising President Hoover’s recent Peto of the proposed World War pen- Hons bill and defining the House bill gor the relief of disabled World War veterans, passed in the final hours of the last Congress, Representative Royal ©. Johnson of South Dakota, chairman of the House Committee on World War eterans’ Legislation, last night told the story of veterans' legislation to the ation through the National Radio Porum, arranged by The Evening Star and broadcast over the comst-to-coast petwork of the Columbia Broadcasting Bystem. Referring to the bill which brought bn a bitter battle between the Chief | Executive and members of Congress, ' k and on which Mr. Hoover's veto was upheld by Johnson said: Bill Manifestly Unfair. “The President vetoed this bill on June 26, 1930. In my judgment he, eould not have done otherwise. It was anifestly unfair and discriminatory. | ‘0 the man who was fortunate enough | %0 secure a bed in a hospital, it gave an allowance of from $30 to $60, depending on his dependants. To the man not fortunate enough to secure a bed in a| bospital, who was willing to fight his way in the world outside the hospital, R gave nothing. To the man with gout, scurvy, rickets, pellagra and some other diseases, it gave compensation. To the man with certain forms of heart trouble, phlebitis, bronchitis, dysentery, malaria, pleurisy and other diseases, which were entirely disabling, it gave mothing. It took approximately 77,000 men unquestionably suffering from certain specific diseases and gave them sverything. To 200,000 men equally dis- sbled it gave nothing. Men suffering from diseases included in the bill might have enlisted in June, 1921, nearly three years after the close of the World War, served only a few days, been perfectly sound as to health until December, 1929, and receive the same compensation as a man who fought throughout the World War and suffered every disability. “It was so discriminatory that no President could fail to see it and, having #een it, fail to veto it.” Frankly Pension Measure. Of the bill which was passed by the Qongress, and which had President Hoover's approval, he said “Like every one of the bills proposed by every veterans' organization and in every bill presented to Congress this Winter, it is frankly a pension measure. ‘The other proposed laws grant pensions by presumption. This grants pensions 88 a matter of right “Its passage was from the beginning vocated by the Veterans of Foreign ars and its gommander, Hezekiah N. Dufl. . He is a Spanish War veteran and a World War veteran. “In its final stages it was indorsed by the American Legion, by its com- mander, O. L. Bodenhammer, who recognized the fact that it treated every one alike and gave substantial benefits 80 all seriously disabled service men. “So far as I know, it has not been @pposed by any veterans' organization.” | Text of Johnson Speech. ‘The speech follows: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Radio Audience: Since Congress convened in s present session, on December 9, 1929, Shere has been continuous debate in the [Bouse, the Senate and the press con- Perning legislation for veterans of the World War, and I have been asked to @iscuss that legislation because of the| Sact that I have been chairman of the Committee on World War Veterans' Begislation since the organization of that committee. Much controversy has existed and some acrimony developed Because of the divergence in views of sponsors of different statutes. In this discussion, however, I shall Bvoid all personalities and attempt Sather to analyze the provisions of the different bills which have been presented e‘;hfl Congress and the measure which vetoed by the President on June 36 last. It has been the custom for many years for the three recognized Veterans' organizations, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans, %0 meet in annual convention and pre- gxz & resolution for recommendation Congress and it has been my custom 85 chairman of the committee to intro- duce those p: 'd bills at the request of the organizations referred to in er that they may be brought before e committee for action. Measures Have Much in Common. As would be expected, there is much #n common 1in the provisions of all of | these measures because veterans talk smong themselves, as do other groups, follow closely and in much detail the sctivities of all veterans' organizations snd have much the same viewpoint on legislative matters. The_original American Legion pro- gram I introduced on January 7, 1930, and it became House bill No. 8133. It Bad a provision increasing compensa- tion and givifg further preferences to those suffering from tuberculosis, but the particular section of direct interest was an amendment to section 200 of existing law, which provided that ex- service persons who could be shown to have had before January 1, 1925, cer- tain specific diseases should have been resumed to have secured those diseases rom their military service. The Leglon pamed 8 long list of diseases, most of w are those which are extremely ng, such as diabetes, arterio- arthritis, cancer, et ® were several oth t lack of ime prevents my naming them ‘There was justificatior for this @mendment if we were to continue the policy which had been adopted by Con- gress of presuming that diseases came from war service, because such a pre- sumption had already been given in Zavor of tuberculosis, sleeping sickness, mental troubles and some other dis- the House, Representative | DESCRIBES VETERANS’ LEGISLATION REPRESENTATIVE ROYAL C. JOHNSON. —Harris-Ewing Photo. the United States during the World War has the Tight Ko B his . If he proves it, he will receive com- pensation at the present rates. Some strict rules of proof have been waived in this statute, with this provision: “Provided, that regulations relating to the nature and extent of the proofs and evidence shall provide that due regard shall be given to lay and other evidence not of a medical nature.” We know that there were some doctors who treated men returning from the service without charge or fee, and who consequently did not keep records of the treatment. That missing evidence, under this measure, can be supplied by the testimony of people who know. the facts. It will serve to connect legitimate cases of tubern{ululs that have been lacking in of. 'rhege hng'? been cases of lost rec- ords by shell fire in France. If these records have been lost, men will have an opportunity of proving that fact under this measure. Provisions of Pension Bill. Carrying out the historic policy of the Government of granting pensions, it provides: “On and after the date of the ap- proval of this amendatory act any hon- orably discharged ex-service man who entered the service prior to November 11, 1918, and served 90 days or more during the World War, and who is or may hereafter be suffering from a 25 per centum or more permanent disabil- ity, as defined by the director, not the result of his own willful misconduet, which was not acquired in the service during the World War, or for which compensation is not payable, shall be entitled to receive a disability allow- ance at the following rates: Twenty-five per centum Frmlnem disability, $12 per month; 50 per centum permanent disability, $18 per month; 178 centum permanent disability, $24 month; total grmln-m disability, $40 per month. No disability allowance payable under this commence prior to passage of.this amendatory act or the date of application therefor, and such application shall be in such form as the director may prescribe.” It takes into consideration service, need and disability. It does not seem fair that people who are making but little money should be compelled to pay a pension to individuals of war service who have great wealth when such disability was not secured in the service, and a provision was inserted in this measure providing that pay- ments should only be made to those who da not pay income taxes. A mar- ried man with a net income of less than $3,500 a year will receive it. A single man with a net income of less than $1,500 a year is entitled to fit. No soldier should be compelled to make a pauper's oath, and no ex-service man will be compelled to make it under the’ provisions of this measure. Under this measure the time is ex- tended for one year for the commence- ment of actions under the war risk act. Many people do not realize that war risk insurance was to a great ex- tent a gift by the Government. The proof of this is that that insurance will cost the Government a billion dollars. Some time further liability under this law must cease, but it was only fair and just for us to extend the time for another year, so that every ex-service person will have an opportunity to make claim for this insurance. Recognizes Difference in Disability. During all these years ‘since the World War while legislaung by pre- sumption we have in some degree lost sight of the men who actually fought, actually suffered and actually e wounded. No one can say that s man who was on the front lines in France, who laid in the dug-outs and trenches, went through the barrages and faced the machine guns, and then actually lost his limbs, did not suffer more than the man who enlisted after the World War, after the days of the Armistice. This bill for the first time recognizes the difference in suffering and dis- ability and provides that any man who lost one or more feet or hands in the active service in line of duty be- tween April 6, 1017, and November 11, 1918, shall be Ellfl $25 per month in addition to all other compensation which he may receive under existing law. In all, the measure has 25 sec- tions; every one of them gives some- thing to the service men; mo part of it takes anything away from them. When it is known that the President stood firmly against an unjust, discriminatory measure that gave preferences and great benefits to some groups and gave nothing to other groups equally dis: abled, and stocd firmly for a measure that would give something to every man disabled to a degree of 25 per cent or more, his action wil receive uni- versal approbation. Its passage was from the beginning advocated by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its commander, Hezekiah N. Duff. He is a Spanish War veteran and & World War veteran. He knows that this bill gives more than the Spanish War veteran was glven for 22 years after the Spanish- American War, and that Spanish War veterans did not receive the hospitali- zation given World War veterans on their return from the Spanish-Ameri- can War., In its final stages it was indorsed by the American Legion by its com- mander, O. L. Bodenhamer, who recog- nized the fact that it treated every one ! C alike and gave substantial benefits to all seriously disabled service men. Poesd. by Ay TeNSFars' orgamisetion: o] any vel 3 5 mmod’hbu-nammm who advocated it will be ashamed of s action. mHu will know that he did not advo- cate a statute that was discriminatory | against one group of veterans and n\-el preference to another and, in my judg- | ment, as its provisions are more and | more known, it will be approved by the American public. s | WILL OF ADMR. HARRIS | IS FILED FOR PROBATE | $0,000 and Household Effects Go to Alice E. Bimonton—nNiec Are Given Cash. s The will of Urlah Rose Harris, rear admiral United States Navy, retired, who died June 20, has been filed for probate. He leaves $9,000 and certain household effects to Alice E. Simonton “in appreciation of her care and atten- tion me and of my love and affec- tiol Pauline A. Harris, a niece, is given $3,000, and Alma E. Harris, | another niece, $2,000. Jeweiry and cer- tain personal effects are given to a/ brother, William J. Harris. |a ‘The remaining estate, including prop- | erty from the estate of his wife, is to be divided into two parts—one to be distributed among the children of his brothers, Thomas 8. and William J | Harris, and the other held in trust by the Union Trust Co. for the benefit of the brother, Willlam J. Harris, for life. | On his death his share is to go to the nieces of the testator. The Union Trust | 18 also named 8s executor. | BANKER’'S ACCOUNTS FOUND $35,000 SHORT Discovery Is Made After Verdiot of Accidental Death Is Returned. By the Associated Press. ST. LOUIS, July 4.—President J. H. Schaedler of the Clayton Nationa! Bank announced lats yesterday a 000 shortage had been discovered in the bank accounts of Harry V. 8. Grover, 55, president of the St. Louis County Automobile Co. and former big game 'PL - h"hn WE%I;B!dlymlhct ‘\lml!l( eath, supposedly accidentally. Directors of the bank at a special meeting last night pledged themselves to cover the amount of the shortage. Schaedler sald it was discoveded Grover had deposited as collateral in his own account $35.000 of automobile notes and mortgages, of which duplicates and, in some cases, triplicates had been pre- sented at other banks and finance companies. A check is being ma four other St. Louls County banks which Grover dealt. A coroner’s verdict of accident was nt\:rhned Wednesday night in Grover's ea Claims Low 'Chute Record. SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, L3 (®).—Charles Collins of Aurora, 1. claims a new world’s record for a low arachute drop. He made a successful anding from an altitude of 800 feet Tuesd, at the Saskatoon air meet. C,oléln also claimed the previous record o number of dependents of each veteran. |pitalized at the cost of $120 a month to This was given in addition to the hos- (the Government, and should receive a pitalization granted by the Government, | pension which, with the cost of hos- which cost the Government $120 a |pitalization, will cost from $200 to $250 contracted before January 1, 1930, should be deemed to have secured such disability | month, so that each one of the bills to which T have referred granted a pension of about $200 8 month or more to every | ex-service person affected who had de- pendents if such person was hospitalized In some cases the pension would be $250 a month. | The bill reported by the committee at least had the virtue of consistency, in that it provided that any person suf- | fering from any disability which could | be shown to have existed prior to Janu- | ary 1, 1925, would receive exactly the same 'amount of money as the few classes already given the presumption | of service connection. It was purely a | pension measure at compensation rates. It contained many other provisions | which were of great merit, but did in- . clude one discriminatory provision | which provided that any man given hospitalization by the ~Government, | which costs the Government $120 month, should further receive an al. lowance while in the hospital for his dependents. This was $30 a month for | the wife, $10 for the first child and $6 for each additional child. That bill was | presented to the House and violently amended. One amendment provided that & selective list of people suffering | from certain diseases if contracted prior | to January 1, 1930, should be deemed to | have secured that disability in the serv- ice during the war. It contained many absurdities. For instance, it provided that & man who contracted the gout or | had become so fat that he could not work, or suffered from hemophilia, a| disease that could only be inherited, | or rickets, a disease of childhood, or | pellagra or scurvy, that can come only from a faulty diet, would be presumed to have been contracted in the service. House Made Bill More Absurd, The House of Representatives made | the bill.more absurd by providing that the Government would practically bs prohibited from showing that these dis- cases were not contracted in the service. It was further amended to provide that any person suffering from any disability in the World War. It would have cost | $400,000,000 each year, in addition to the $511,000,000 which now is expended | for veterans' relief, It would have estab- lished a permanent pension policy for | non-service connected cases at the same | rate given a man who was actually in- jured in the war. It was amended in the Senate 50 as to provide that a certain limited number | of diseases contracted prior to 1930 | should presumptively have been ac- quired in the service. As it came from the Senate, it included the discrimina- tory hospital allowance to which I have referred. The President vetoed this bill on | June 26, 1930. In my judgment, he | could not have done otherwise. It was manifestly unfair and discriminatory. To the man who was fortunate enough | to secure a bed in a hospital, it gave an | allowance of from $30 to $60, depending on his dependents. To the man not fortunate enough to secure a bed in a | hospital, or who was willing to fight his way in the world outside the hos- pital, it gave nothing. To the man with | gout, scurvy, rickets, pellagra and some | other diseases it gave full compensation To the man with certain forms of heart trouble, phiebitis, bronchitis, dysentery, | malaria, pleurisy and other diseases, | which were entirely disabling, it gave nothing. It took approximately 77,000 | men unquestionably suffering from cer- tain specific diseases and gave them everything. To 200,000 men equally | disabled it gave nothing. Men suffering from diseases included in the bill might have enlisted in June, 1021, nearly 3| years after the close of the World War, served a few days, been perfectly sound as to health until December, 1929, and recefve the same compensation as a man | who fought throughout the World War and suffered every disability. Issue Well Drawn by Veto. It was 30 discriminatory that no| President could fail to see it, and hav- | ing seen it could fail to veto it. If this bill had become a law, fairness, decency | and justice to the veterans would have | demanded that at the next session of | Congress every veteran be included in | its provisions, and no government could have sustatned the cost of such a bill. | Not Its cost, but its discrimination, | however, is its vital defect because the | Government has a right to expend| whatever it desires on veterans. It does | not, however, have a right to descrimi- | nate as between veterans equally dis-| abled. I do nol know of a single in- | telligent World War veteran in the | United States who attempts to justify | discriminations, preferences and in- | thy eases which are by existing law pre- sumed to have been received in serv-| ice if contracted prior to January 1,| 1926. The Legion bill had the virtue of | consistency in so far as it led in the di- | rection of placing on a parity all classes | ©f veterans, but it was, of course, in-| oonsistent to prefer & man with' one | disease over a man with another dis- | eese equally disabling. However, it did mot attempt to_extend dates for the I also introduced the i1l of the Disabled American Veterans House bill No. 8134, which was much | dike the Legion bill except that it e tended the presumption that a disabili was received in the service to January | 1, 1830. It also had many other pro- | wisions which I have not the time to| discuss. I also introduced House bill No. 9801 at the request of the Veterans of Forelgn Wars. The amendment| sponsored by that organization was | much like the one submitted by the Disabled American Veterans, but that organization later indorsed a straight pension program. Based on War Disability Rates. A member of Congress, Mr. Rankin of Miseissippi, introduced House bill No 7825, which selected a particular list justices of the bill President Hoover vetoed. Some of them may say that all | veterans who become i1l should be hos- somewhere between $181,000,000 and |8 a month. That is their privilege, of course, but I do not know of one who says that there should be discrimina- tions against or preference in favor of a group of veterans. The issue has been well drawn by the veto of the Presi- dent, and the whole matter should be thoroughly discussed by the people of the United States because upon this legislation depends the welfare of 4,- 200.000 living men and their dependents, and also the economic condition of the public Treasury in the future. The Government owes a duty to its ex-serv- ice men, but it also owes a duty to its |* other citizens, and the burden must not be unbearable to them. In my judg- ment, it is time that politics be elimi- nated in the discussion of veterans re- lief, and no one can deny but that there has been much politics in the discus- sion during the last session of Congress. No political party can eventually derive ny benefit by advocating discrimina- tory legislation, and the members of no one political party can possibly be the only citizens who desire exact justice for those who defended the Nation. There has been a good deal of dema. goguery in the discussions of this legi lation. Men who previously have shown no desire whatever to fight for their country have become excessively enthusi- astic in the promotion of discriminatory legislation. It has become the favorite argument of men who have proposed some of this legislation to cite men af- flicted with tuberculosis and use that class of men as an illustration. Congress Has Been Sympathetic. Our sympathies are extended to them just as it is to all who are suffering. fact, Congress has been so sympa- thetic with men afflicted with that dis- ease that it has already passed four separate provisions of law for thelr benefit. The first is the conclusive pre- sumption of service origin, which is not extended to any other disease, except epinal meningitis. The second one is the award of a temporary total rating for six months following discharge of the man with arrested tuberculosis from the hospital, section 202(2). The third in section 202(3) whereby the tu- berculous veteran with an active condi- tlon is given a rating of temporary total for 3 years following discharge from the hospital. The fourth is the provision of a statutory award of $50 per month for arrested tuberculosis, in section 202(7). There is proposed in the Hduse bill which was passed immediately after the presidential veto a fifth provision giving men cured of tuberculosis a mini- mum rating of not less than 25 per cent of disability. Manifestly before any further pereferences are given to this group, men suffering from all other dis- eases to which mankind is heir must be given equal consideration. Naturally, this brings me to a discussion of the House bill No. 13174, which I introduced immediately after the President’s veto and which was passed by the House of Representatives within an hour, and which was brought out of conference for final passage today. Like every one of the bills proposed by every veterans' or- ganization and in every bill presented to Congress this Winter, it is frankly a pension measure. The other proposed | laws grant pensions by presumption, 'x;h))]s grants pensions as a matter of right. The policy of pensions was adopted by the country immediately after the Revolutionary War, and it has been its policy after every war. Struggle for Higher Rates. Once adopted, there will be a con- tinuous struggle for higher rates, It is human nature to request an increase of any emolument. 1t is as natural for a veteran to secure an increase in his pension as it i for a person who works to secure higher compensation for his labor. According to the in- surance table, the last veteran will probably die in 1997. Between now and that date some one will be continually demanding an increase in pension. It will be the favorite plaything of the politiclan. It will always be ad- vocated by those in no way responsible for the conduct of the Government, but who desire to become responsible for it. Such has been the history of the legisiation. There will be more speeches made by more men who did less fighting on this subject than any other during the next generation. Through 1t all, regardless of the poli- tics, the Government will treat its de- fenders fairly as it has done in the as The new measure I am discussing does not change an fota of the law affecting men that we actually know recelved their disability in service, ex- cept to further help them, and, in fact. extends the time for the filing of claims &0 that any man who can prove that he was disabled in the service of The Bank that Makes You &> For each 360 or JSraction borrowed you agree to de- posit 35 a month in an account, the eeds of whic may be used to cancel the mnote when due. Deposits may be made on a weekly, semi- monthily or —it is no ©f diseases and provided that it should be presumed that they had been con- nected in war service if contracted prior to January 1, 1930. These bills were all considered by the Committee on World War Veterans' Legislation, which by di- Vided vote on March 10, 1930, ported & bill introduced by myself, known as House bill No. 10381. 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