r-X ^^■kr- ^^HL-i ..*■«» " ^^B'^sci^ii''* ''"'' - ^^Br.<^ ^^^^^^^B ' ^ i ' v i Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/americanlegionwaOOrgchrich TEE A3IERIC71N LEGION WAR RISK INSURAITCE CQNFEHENCE HELD AI • WASEIUGTOIT, P. C. DECEaBER 15, 16. and 17, 1919 BY INVITATION OF fi. G. C:iOI32EI3y- JOKES DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF WAR RISK INSURANCE i L ^1 M.I } {J>^" Gilt 2 lOHESiORD I \ ,' •> • • • ' > ' ^ ■ .' %.' ; •'. ; TOiile attending th© First National Convention of'tJi^Oj ;;"''•. American Legion, held at Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 10, 11 and 12, 1919, R. G. Cholnie ley- Jones, Director of the Bureaii of War Risk Insiirance, Washington, D. C. , cade this annoxmceiuent ?at a meeting of the Committee on War Risk Ins"urance: "Immediately following the convention or dvr- ing the convention it is my p-ai^ose to invite the State Chairman of every State in the Union to come to Washington as soon after this convention as possible, so as to follow -op any recommendations made by the American Legion. " IJ^poii liis return to Washington the Director of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance recommended to the Secretary of the Treasury that a conference "be held at Washington for the purpose of securing cooperation from the various State representatives of the American Legion in matters of vital inportance to former ser- vice men. The calling of the conference was approved by the Secre- tary of the Treasury, and under date of Noveniber 28, 1919, the follow- 1 ing telegram was sent by the Director of the Bureau of War Risk Insur- ance to Colonel Franklin D'Olier, National Commander of the American Legion: 516522 » «* » »ot » • « »,♦ "You are urged to attsnd an important three- day conference to be held in Washington, conir mencing Monday, December 15, of all the State Commanders of the American Legion and the Grand IlTational Commander. This meeting -vvill consider all natters affected by the resolutions passed by the American Legion at the l\/llnn3apolis con- vention and also pending legislation. An oppor- tunity will be given for a thorough review of the work of the Bureau, its present condition and fu- ture program. An opportunity will be afforded for an interview with official representatives of the Vocational Board, the Public Health Service, th"^ Red Cross and possibly the members of the committees of the House and Senate that have to do with ^ar Bisk Insurance natters. Please telegraph your acceptance or name of representative who will represent you." (Signed) R. G; CHOLIvELSY- JONES, Director, Bureau War Risk Insurance. Of the invitation thus given, Colonel Franklin D'Olier, National Commander, the American Legion, telegraphed his acceptance and the American Legion War Bisk Insurance conferencS began in the Bureau of WaJC Risk Insurance in Washington on Monday, December 15, 1919. Sessions of much interest and profit were held as follows: MDnday, morning and afternoon; Tuesday, afternoon; Wednesday, morning and afternoon. A reception and dinner for the American Legion delegates and the Director of the Bxireau of War Risk Insurance and his staff were held ajb the National Capitol on Tuesday evening, at which were present various United States Ser>ators, Representatives in Congress and a n\miber of wounded service men from the Walter Reed Hospital, in Washington, THOSE IT CONFERENCE Following is a list of the American Legion officers and dolsgatee present at the three- day conference at the Bureau of War Risk Insxirance, December 15, 16 and 17, 1919; AMERICAN LEGION NATIONAL COMMANDER AND STAFF FRANKLIN D^OLIER National Conmander. LEMUEL BOLLES National Adjutant. T. W. MILLER J, T. TA'JtLOR ALABAMA ARIZONA ARKANSAS CALIFORNIA COLORADO CONNECTICUT DELAWARE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA H. H. RAECE CHARLES F. SHERIDAN STATE REPRESENTATIVES WILLIAM M. ROGERS ORviLLE s, Mcpherson J. J. HARRISON FRANK V. BRUHN BURON R. FITTS E, A. SAIDY ERIC NUTT M. I. SAMUEL THOMAS W. MILLER E. LESTER JONES H. H. RAEGE FLORIDA FRANK WIDEMAN e GEORGIA IDAHO ILLIIIOIS IIOIAETA IOWA KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MAINE MARILAM) MASSACHUSETTS MICHIGAN MINNESOTA JflSSISSIPPI MISSOURI M3NTANA NEBRASKA NEVADA NEW HAMPSHXSE NEW JERSEY NEW MEXICO v^ J. G. C. BLOODWORTH LEROY V. PATCH MILTON J. K)REMAN T. VICTOR KEENE J. H, MOUNT RAYLDND A. SMITH W. A. PHARSS ERA^IK E. SAMUEL H. de HAVEN MDORMAN T. S. WALMSLEY GILBERT GREENLAW W. WAYNE EDWARD L. LOGAN AUGUSTUS H. GANSSER HARRISON PULLER PAUL CHAMBERS SIDNEY HOUSTON H. C, THOlvlPSON T. J. McGUIRE J, C. SCRUGHAM PRANK J. ABBOTT 0. E. CAIN THOMAS GOLDINGAY H. C. KRAMSR HERI/AN C. BACA BRONSON 11 CUTTING N. M. RO SWELL tarn yoEK NORTH C/iROLINA NORTH DAKOTA OHIO OKLAHOm ORSGON PENNSYLVANIA REDDS ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTH DAKOTA TIlNNESSKS TEXAS UTAH VIRGINIA VERMONT WASHINGTON WEST VIRGINIA V/ISCONSIN WYOMING CHARLES F. SHERIDAN JOliN WILBUR C. W. WICKERSHAM JOHN A. BSASLEY C. L. DAWSON HUGH K. MARTIN JOHN J. SASLAVSCy W. B. SIPLE THOMAS J. SHEA WILLIAM B. KILLETT FRANKLIN D'OLIER THDIvIAS F. I#3HAN WILLIAIvI G. MURDOCK ALEXu'JIDER H, JOHLTSON JULIUS H. WALKER CLAUDE J. HARRIS H. S. BERRY CHARLES W. SCRUGGS J. C. 'JOOD WILLIAM A. STUART JOHN M. THOMAS LEI/TJSL 30LLE3 FEED S. HAMILTON F. R. JEFFREY E. H, SMITH JOHN C. DAVIS CHARLES S. HILL OF CCaiFEREKGE OP A:aEiaiCAN ISGION STATE EXECUTIVES mTH BxmBm OF wim eisx iksubakce AT WASHUJGTQN, D. C. PEOETBER 15-16-17, 1919 KESraK OF COITEHENCE OP A2.7E?.rd;iN LEGION STATE EXECUTIVES \7iTH BuTJJ^U OF VaB. ii.'SK liJGURANCE At Washington, D, C.^ LecGmber 15-16-17, 1919. Tho conforenco of tho Amorican Logion and tho Bureau of War Risic Insurance, hold in Washington Doc* 15-16-17, grow out Of the activities of the American Legion at its national convention in llinneapolis Nov, 11-12-13, Tho Bureau of War Risk Insurance was created as a now "bureau of the govornmont to administer such war legislation as was included in the original War Risk Act and subsequent araondrarmts to that act. Tiiat such an organization, destined to deal in problems the size of which never before had been dreamed of, should havo functioned iraperfoctly, was inevitable* THE LEGION'S NATIONAL CONVENTION At its national convention in Minneapolis in November, the Bureau and its relaitionS to ex-servlco men were the subject df much discussion. The convcntioil Appointed a cofatilittoo to examine into the general subject | including thereon a member from each state, Tho purpose of that committee was stated at the time as follows; "To recommend how ex-service persons may re- ceive the most effective assistance from the American Logion, the national, state aiid post organizations, and also to recommend what im*- provemonts in legislation and administration, if any, should be urged upon the government." The spirit in which that committee undertook its task is best oxen^lified by the definiteness and business -like form in v>. c;' > }, ."''-J ■■ f^j-^- :;-■;' ..^rifv.^f ,-.;.. .^;; K,,— 4^^^"rf :.:v'i^i^A:^': I f -r i^lch it STibrLitted its report. The recocii.endations of the ccm- cittee were submitted lanuer three heads: First. VHhaX Congress shall do; Second. What the Ai^erican Legion shall do; Third, \!^at the T7&-r Hisk B'ureau shall ao. All of the debate and all the TecoKiuondations advanced "by the Legion were put forward in such a manner that it was clear that its primary motive was that of friendly helpfulness toward the Bureau itself* In order tiiat the attitude of the Legion may "be c^^dar from the beginning, its conclusions are stated now: 1« The duty of Congress. (a) pass the Sweet Bill, (a r:ieasure to extend the scope and f mictions of the War Risk Act^ (To) Pass the ^ason Bill, (a r>easure to extend the scope and effectiveness of the B'^ireau* s machinery so as to job tain intinate contact with the men) (c) Defeat the Harding-McCulloch Bill* (a bonus measure) (d) Pass certain new legislation, the exact • nature of which is stated hereafter. 2, The duty of the An-erican Legion, Launch an active campaign to obtain at one© for ex-service men ana their dependent rela- tives the benefits of the War Ris^ Act, and to provide for that purpose in each State organization of the Legion an official to organize-tfci.fi state im-ediately- through local posts, so as to perfect machinery for bring- ing about prompt adjustments ana settlements. 3. The duty of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance. Bnploy more ex-service men in the Bureau, give prompt attention to inquiries directed to the Bureau, stnd GET BUSY! These recommendations represented the best thought of the committee after continuous and conscientious deliberations over three days. It was felt, however, by the officials of the Legion and by the Director of the Bureau as well, that more was needed. .^^u=^;^^■•:..--t^'■:;•K^ .•>-.;::,>] ^ii..:;.; ■ ^..-■■^'j...:: ; .; ;..),' >v""'v '.••;• -A .. .;;:xir-"--v'^"'; .'•'it" ■''■*' - 3 - CONFERENCE 13 CALLED It was felt that a lorgorv more thoroughly organizod and 0quipi)od conforonco, v/horo tho machinory of tho Bureau and of Congross could bo inspoctod and obsorvod in oporation, night bo obtainod. Accordingly, on his return to V7ashington^ Col, R, G. Cholmoloy-Jono3, tho Director of tho Buroau, had a conforonco with Col, Franklin D'Olior, National Comaandor of tho Logion, v;hich result od in calling tho conforonco of stato oonmandors abovo roforrod to. In ordor to undorstand not only tho rocomraondations of tho committoo at tho Tlinnoapolis convention, but also to un- dorstand the discussion at tho Washington conforonco, it might bo well to preface this brief description of that conforonco with a concise statement with regard to the Buroau itself, Tho functions of the Buroau are comprohonded, roughly, v/ithin four classes- I - ITarino Insurance, covering tho lives of seamen, tho vessels and their cargoes. Under the marine insurance function, the Bu- reau had issued policies to the amoimt of $4,500,000,000 and had made a profit of $17,000,000, II - Allotments and allowances to dependents of men in the military and naval establishments. Allotments and allowances of approximately $600,000,000 had been disbursed to 2,500,000 families of thoso who had soon military or naval service* Provisions of tho V/ar Risk Act enabled some persons in tho military and naval service — and compelled certain others — to make allotments from their pay to persons dependent upon thom. In addition, certain al- lowances v/ero granted dependents and paid di- rectly out of public funds* u ,• \l ■ - 4 - III - Coropen^ation paid for doath or disability of pajr- sofcs ougagGd in any branch of t'lw araaod sorvico* Compensation claims^ both roal and possiblo, claims, totallod 324,992 at tha data of tho conforenco. Of thoso, 140,316 have been al- lovrod; 116,571 v/ero activo claims and 23,745 havo boon closod bocauso of doath or iniprovo- mont of tho soldi or; 88,238 claims, including pocsiblo claims, ^oro ponding. <» marmos* rv - Instoranco of tho livos of soldiors, sailors and Approximatoly 4,000,000 mon and "vror-on \70to insured undor this Act. Ono in sorvicn might obtain any multiple of ^5C0 not loss than $1000 or more than $10,000 of insurance- Tho avorago policy v.-as for ^8,700 and tho annual promiurns ^300,000,000- The amount of insiir- anco so TTritten "JTas about 50^ greater than tho total writ ton by all ^Unerican insurance companios combinod during their entire history, A provision in tho organic act directed that the payment of tho full amount of tho policy should bo spread evenly in monthly installments over a poriod of 20 yoars. Authority v/as also granted by which this "torm insur.acco" could bo converted without medical oxamination into some other form, such as ordinary lifo, 20-payment life, ondo"OTiont maturing at ago 62, or into other usual forms of insuranco. BILLS PEM)ING IN CONQresS The SwGot Bill, to which roforence has boon m-ide and which was endorsed unanimously by tho Llinnoapolis convention, provided for alteration of tho organic act to include: 1. XIatorially increased compensation for dis— ablod mon» 2, Extension of tho classes of persons to v;hom ins"uranco may bo pryablo, including tho insured's estate. - 5 - 3. pij^mont of convortod insuranro in a lump sura or monthly installments covering throo yaars or more at the option of the insured., 4. 3xp^nditure of componsation of mental de- fect ivos for their care and comfort "by the Di- rector's order without appointment of legal guardian, 5. Allowing compensation and automatic insur- ance from date of induction, instead of enroll- mont , 6.. Terminating V/ar Risk allowancos four months after the declaration of peaco by the President . 7. Reciprocal provision of medical and surgical care for discharged service men of our Allies re- siding in the United States, The V/ason Bill was designed to secure hotter administration "by: 1. Authorizing the Bureau to establish fourteen regional offices and such sub-offices as might be noodod to bring operations closer to the men, 2. Granting it the right to advertise in news- papers and periodicals to acquaint all persons v;ith their rights under the War Risk Act* 3* To receive payments of insurance premiums through post offices and rural mail carriers* NH17 EEGISLATION HECOIUffiNHED The now legislation rocommended by the Legion at the Uinneapolis convention had for its objects the following: • I ',. v.' :i.( j^..^,..-.^. ■■ T ,' \ ,-vi/:' ■ } '- i •• ■' ! > . J7 •;'"r:'.:;iT-. r '':;■• i; •-:-.' - 6 - 1. Extension of th.3 principles of the Qnoot Bill so that term iacurr'aaco as wo 11 as con- vortod insuranco should bo payablo at option in a lump sum. 2m Elimination of all rostrictionf: as to tho classos of permit tod bonoficiarios, 3. Holiof of certain ixjrsons fron payaont of preiniuins on torm insuranco, including thoso vho aro rocoiving hospital caro under tho Bureau, thoso receiving vocational training and thoso temporarily totally disablod, during thoso poriods, rotroactivo to tho date of tho docla- ration of war. 4, Free hospital, surgical and modical caro for all sorvico men honorably discharged^ if applied for v/ithin ono yt^ar from tho dato of thoir discharge or passage of this act, 7/hich- ovor is tho later. 5- Combination of tho Federal Board for Vo- cational Training v/ith tho Compensation Pi- vision of tho V/ar Risk Insurance Bureau. 6, 3^6vision of tho rates upon tho basis of an actuarial ascertainment of tho true cost basod on oxporionce. THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE Such T;as tho status at tho oponing of tho Vi^ashington conforonco on Docembor 15. Thoro woro prosent roprosontativos - 7 - of prnctically all tho Stato organisations, togothor v/ith tho Kttlonal ComD'mdor, Frariklin D'Olior, ^nd National Adjutant Loimol Bollos, !rh;3 pxarposo of tho conferanco v/as, franjcly, to obtain tho construct ivo criticiem and activo cooperation of tho men most diroctly affoctod, in order to improve to tho utmost tho sorvico rondorod "by the Bureau, In opening tho conforonco and V7olcoming tho dolegatos, -tho Diroctor introduced the Hon# Carter "GlasB, Secretary of tho United States Treasury, who oxeraplifiod tho spirit of the conforonco "by saying: "Wo want you to soo for yoursolvoe somo- thing of tho tremendous task that has hoon under- taken through tho BUroau of T7ar Risk Insurance for those men who wont across tho soas and for those who marshal lod themselves here at home, not only willing "but eagor to go across the seas to main- tain tho honor and dignity of their country in a great war for civilization* "The task undertaken has not perhaps "boon as complotely performed as you or I might wo 11 wish, hut I am quite sure that after having observation of the various branchoe of this Bureau, you v/ill bo willing to concodo that v/hat has boon done has b9on very earnestly dono, and that any omission that may have occurred has boon practically unavoidable. It is a no^ and unique enterprise of Government . There were no beaten paths, no usages or rules for our :i/- "■;■'! ';-) ■,.\,i:', ■ -.:■ ..-.. ■ ' --r • ^^• >• r •;- ■■■ft* -'^K ■;^::-<-''''ift^?<>;''.^:r:' % ^;.jV.'*. " ■ ' -«■ ,y " "'.K ;.',•■ ^■;-..^ •,•;;;:•' ; •^h;;"-j,\' •'■■■;;• ••.'^-•', : , .1 :'■' r ■)-,'; :• '•^ .'"■ :■• ..•;,; •.■■•'■•i■'^'i•rf•'•^■..■■^;^ ■ 'vr'^p-t:v/ ^jtnjc^^v^^^^v.-'.;/? ^-^ -'r ■*. ■ - e ^ guldanco. It v.t.s cik unoh^tod sos., but thoso V7ho havG workod havo v/orkod faithfully if not alv/ays intolligontly, and a vory soriouc and sin— coro of fort has "boon niado to sorvo you non v;ho so gallantly sorvod your country. »*V/o v/ant you horo for yoiir intimate obsor- Tation with tho hope that suggestions niay occur to you, that you inay frankly givo us your opinions and your judgr^onts of "what has boon dono, of vrhat is boing dono, and of v/hat you think may bo dono* ^o ospocially v/ould bo obliged to you for an> sug^ gostions as to nocossary logislation to perfect tho system ve have in operation. "I ^7ant to assure you very earnestly that for the little v/hilo I shall remain aw Secretary of the Treasury, I T7ant to cooperate with you with the in- tensest oarnestness to the ond that this system may redound to your good," The constructive policy of tho ii^nerican Legion was outlined clearly by tho reply of Commnnder D'Olier* »*It is particularly fitting, I think, that tho first mooting under the new administration should be horo in Washington for the purpose of doing v/hat \70 can to irapro'/e the service rendered our disabled men and all ex-sor'/ice men. I want, in tho namo of the Legion, to express to tho Sec- retary, !:!f. Grlass, our appreciation of tho spirit .;j ( •'• ; : . ; ? • :> Xi ; - 9 T ■ in T/Mch ho is doing his work and assure him that v/o, roprosonting tho State dopartrsonts of tho Amorican Logion, aro horo for tho distinct purpose of co- oporating Trith him and his assistants in ovory way possible. Wo aro all interested in exactly tho samo thing, more effect ivo service in this T7ork, and I want to assure him that during tho noxt throe days our whole thought v;ill ho: 'What can wo do to help him and also to help tho ex-servico mon?» " THE COKPEREITCE STARTS ITS WORK As evidence of its intention to adhere to tho spirit outlined "by the officials of "both the Legion and the Government, the conference plunged iramodiately into a discussion of the Swoot Bill, which previously had been endorsed by tho Hinnoapolis con- '•ention. The entire Swoot Bill v/as read by J, P, Taylor of the American Logion Legislative Committee, as it had boon amended by the Director of tho Bureau, who had incorporated into it certain provisions which were regarded as necessary for ox^nding tho scope and functioning of tho War Risk Act to moot moro accurately tho obvious wish of the Congress to care for ex-servico mon and women and their depondonts, and to include the vital points con- tained in the Legion's resolutions, unanimously adopted at its National Convention. The first subject of divided discussion v/as tho onlargo- ment of beneficiary classes for all benefits of the T7ar Risk Act, through moro general interpretation of tho moaning of the terms i "■ • "»■ •• r ' •'■ i . J.. : :, ■.■■■ : r • , - -»,s. r j,, -i •- —J- - 10 - "child^ fathor, raothor, brother and sistor". Thoro v;as no dissension from the viow that the longth of tiiTiG a. child had "boon adopted or the lagitimacy of its pnront- age should not "bar the child from "benofits of tho Act. It was likewise agreed imanimously that tho term "parent" should include step-parents, parents through adoption ojid persons who had stood in loco parentis to a member of the military or naval forces for at least a year at any time prior to his enlistment or induction. Considerable stress was laid on the wisdom of includ- ing those persons v/ho stood in loco parentis to the ox-aorvico man. The same feeling existed as to widening the terras "hrothor" and "sister" to include the children of persons who had stood in loco parentis to an ox-service man or woman so that the definition of the term should "be hasod on the actual homo conditions rather than on consangutnity. AUjyrjEm am allctt/aucb Consideration of the allotment and allowance feature of the War Hisk Act evoked little comment. There was accepted without debate the provisions that the family allov;ance should "bo paid to death or one month after discharge but not more than four months after the termination of the present war emergency, v;hon the allotments of pay shall bo made under such regulations as the Secretary of War and the Secretary of tho Navy might prescribe. ■ X . . -'■ . 1, .:.•>:«:// COMPENSATION One of the most iiLportant subjects of discussion was the cocp©nsa.tion provision of the Sweet Bill, the tonns of viiJLch aro taken up here categorically- First, the provision 'feiat the Director "b© pormittod to spend the compensation due insane ex-serrice men in pub?.ic or gOTortimental asylums through the Chief Execuvire Officer of the asyl-um or through IrrjLediate related dependents evoked discussion regarding the wisdom of paynonts through the asj'^lvm head. It was explained by the Geri^ral Ccwisel of the Bureau that the expense of appointaen* of guardians or conservators, the coqplication of legal processes and the fact that near relatives were often widely separated from the ex-'Service man, legislatea to ms^ke more difficult and unwieldy in many instances the sir:.plest efforts of the Bureau to procure for the unfortunate indi.^id\aal the added care and cor^fort which his ooLipensation was devised to provide for him* Serious objection was raised as to the propriety of pesmitting asylum superintendents or executives to expend the money of the patient lest it night result in the exploitation and waste of funds- A coinprfiimise was effected under which the Congress was re- quested to perciit the Director, if satisfied that mental incompetency existed, to order all money payable under the Act paid into the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the beneficiary, with a further r ■, 1 -i...:i; 12. proTiso that all such funds should be dispelled under an orddr of the Director and sub^^ect to his discretion, thus leaving him power to with- draw the privilege of expending funds in cases vdiere he believed the person who would otherwise be chosen to be incocpetent, dishonesty or lacking in a sense of responsibility* Authority was asked, under such circumstances as the Director might deem proper, to pay such funds over tn .the wif a^ dependent husband, nrtnor children, or dependent parents of any such inzDBte* ESTABLISHMENT OF MILITARY STATUS The exact point a>t v(4iich civilian life stops and military life begins has been debatable., soL.e authorities holding that it begins at the point of induction by the local draft board but be- fore acceptance and enrollment for active service. Other authorities have held that military service begins only with acceptance and en- rollment» There was a unanimous opinion that .J9er sons v\ho were disabled v^le in this anomalous transition period between induction and en^- rollment should be considered as entitled to cornpensation for any in- jury suffered in. the line of duty. It also was agreed that any in- surance application made during the same period should be deemed valid* The entire compensation article was made retroactive to April 6, 1917, the date of the beginning of the war, with the requirement that any pensions or other gratuities, otherwise received, should be deducted* 't^. 4/ ■7.y:^ r- •^x •*on .v;^^:.v;.i.. .'Vi . v -■■' • .■* ■ 1 .. r..- ;x :siz vX-J ii.K 1.i.^: rA.74. ■:; ;■ ■::t *;ff-.^ -:5 13- INCREASE IN COMPENSATION No single subject caace \g? for discussion in the Minneapolis Convention of the Legion on \^ich sentiment was more strongly ex- pressed than the demand for increased coiipensation for eerrice men and women disabled during the war* No single subject had more persistently engrossed the at- tention of both the Legion in its deliberations and the Bureau of War Eisk Insurance in its efforts to make its service conform more complotely to the effect desired by the Congress to care for these .1^ disabled ex-service men and wcoea. It had come to be an accepted principle that teijgporary total disability, which was the basis on vdiich most caipensation was computed^ should be the same as the maintenance allowance of men taking vocational training from the Federal Board for Vocational Education* Accordingly, the provisions of the bill were q.uite generally acclaimed, in enlarging the sunount to be paid for a person temporarily totally disabled from the basis of $30*00 for an unmarried clafeant, as it existed in the original Act, to $80.00 with an addition of $10.00 for a wife and $5.00 for each child to include two, and $10.00 for each dependent parent. It was called to the attention of the Conference that figures had been submitted to the Legion at its l^tional Convention which would have matde the additional amount for a wife $15.00, the aaditional amouj^t for the first child $10.00, for the second child $7«50 and for each child thereafter $5. and this was put forth as the desire of the Legion. u'UZ'/i, Wei..' '■: ."', ..■■'/ '4.. ,w"'N« 1'*^ ■ .■' '■'■:'' o:S:'j-i>-''^''^'..'^-a.- 'A-vi .:,•■";■. * ^i\'.:^rc.:.zX...:',-- "i :i:o ; '. "^ ■ . •■ "v ..■,:■ 'l^/j- ;? £ "1*.- ■; "; ■. ' i^:£fji if■^>■■• i. /. i ■■'» ■♦ . . ," , J \.i't :'< ^'■^..:-i ■;: ■ly ' i.-'-)' i •r ■: ( .',:!■ '{ ^ ■ 00, -Ji': f ^-. ..ij -V .AJ ^ ix:i'. J.=».,^ ■ i rj.^'-. : i Li .'S>i»V.- ii ■-. 14. To this was applied th© pr^eent existing ruling ♦-Jbfcat jriartial and temporary disability woxild be compensated by the percentage of physical disability, viiiich would be the yard scale by which would be measured ''the reduction in earning capacity", and that it would not depend at all on the previous aiEOunt cf pay which the soldier earned or what he received after service* Both the original Act and the Sweet Bill provided that a scale of ratings of percentage of dicabllity should b© made up by the Medical Advisor of the Bureau. Disfcussion of this scale brought out the fact that the AT^ierican schedule of estimates was far iLore liberal than any in use in any of the allied countries* The only one which approaches the United States in this respect is Canada, but even the Canadian schedule is considerably less liberal than the At^erican 6cale» It was agreed that the Bureau practice of including tuberculars \mddr the heading of tomporarily totally disabled persons until an ex- amination could be mada to dstermABe their poss.ibiiity of recovering, was the correct procedure. For percianent, total disability it was agreed that the flat rate of $100 per month would apply and the classes of injuries heretofore sched- uled as constituting total perL:anent disability we're enlarged; the in- crease for dependents, provided for persons temporarily totally disabled, was applied here. It was provided audit ionally, that should a man suffer from two injuries, each of which would constitute total and permanent dis- ability, he would receive #200 per month; should any disabled person bo so ■J ./J- .OVI. .;-,'.■; >r{ f. « yrt--.. V . .'J Wy.j, i' J r^' ii -!:::•; t; ah..' >:>;.: t '{• .;; :; i..f ; ... ■;) i ■ •- > . ■.:•};)<.. v- , :.•■■ • ■•..;•■ r ■■■. ; J ;, ..J, i--- i-.:. .:..li. ..■;..:;>? .1. / :!-.i: '. - '> ■ :; iV: jij^"; ^ .■.:;*.:■■. ••• -J ^ ;■- .. /; .> ■ .■■ ji'i . iX ->'{■; i :'!J,- '.■ ( ■'. ;■ i li !-i ::i ■: :\:- 1 a .nj. i.i 1 , :4, 7.,,'X 15* helpless as to reCLuire a nurs© or alitandant, an additional $20 per conth could b© allowed* ©le same method of computing aLiOunts to be paid men partially and permanently disabled was agreed upon as was provided IPor men partia].ly and teiaporarily disabled; that is, it would depend on the percentage of reduction in actxjal physical capacity. In addition to conipensation, it was agreed that the injured person should be furnished medical, surgical and hospital services and all prosthetic appliances that might be deemed necessary. RECIPROCAL COIPENSATION The Bureau's suggestion that Ciodical and surgical care be provid- ed the honorably disoharged ex--service men of our Allies, as a part of a reciprocal arrangement being developed among the several coiintries, met unanimous consent and agreement fi*om the conference* 16, INSURANCE On a parity of importanc other War Risk records are believed to have been on board. INCREASED BENEFICIARY CLASSES The n^xt subject of apparent vital interest was the enlargement of the classes of beneficiaries of insurance, beyond those enlargements made at the beginning of the discussion as applying to family allowance and cotTjpensation, as veil as insurance, in the enlarganant of the definitions of terms used in the Act, '" fit V .'•• ^ i.." . < r ,7VL '.Mf^ 17. The draft prepared by the Director of the Bureau, >vhich -rould have enlarged these classes to include also uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, was axicepted and the discussion had pro- coeded to other matters in subsequent meetings, when the subject came up again on the declaration of a delegate to this general effect: "We were instructed positively by the National Convention in its unanimous adoption of the report of the 7^ar Risk committee^ to seek the el- imination of all restrictions to tho classes of beneficiaries. If we recede from this point, we do so without authority and in direct violation of our instructions," ^liorjupon the conference determined to request Congress that all restrictions be eliminated. In the line of subsequent developments, it may be well to set down here certain provisions which had been included in the draft of the Bill submitted by the Director, which included among other things, these: 1, If the insured leave no beneficiary, the insurance woTild go to his estate, 2. If survived by beneficiaries, all of whom die before all payments are rrade, the balance would go to the estate of the last beneficiary. 5. If converted, and no beneficiary be named, or if the designated beneficiary docs not soirvivc the insured, the un- paid insurance goes to the estate of the insured, 4. If converted, and the designated beneficiary survives the insured and dies before receiving all of the converted insur- ance payable, the remainder goes to that beneficiary's estate. \::-. ^^ 'J i.vio. ; > I u 1-it ■1 .'; ".*> V .v ^i i jj- .v/i ... r :-^ 'i .!'. i'i «'r-'.-!! : r^ ,y;-.< ' I- ■ > A-; , (. :\-- ■- '■■■ > ' ;• 'I .-•!-: LUMP 5DM P)iTMfTT^ Probably the feature of insurance of greatest concern to the Legion vsxeciitives present, was the desire for the payment of insiirance to b»;nefi- ciaries in a limp S"urD. The draft under discussion provided that converted insurance only could be paid optionally in a lump sum or in monthly installments for 36 months or Hiore at the election of the insiired. It elect would permit the bonjf iciary, in the absence of an election by the insured, to receive pay- ments in monthly installments of 36 months or more but not for a lump sum. Again the explicit instructions of the National Convention Arere called to mind by a delegate who insisted that the same optional settlements bo provided for term insurance as for converted insurance. So overwhelming was this sentiment that the conference adopted the following resolution: "Resolved, that it is the sense of this conference that both term insurance maturing after November 11, 1918, and all converted insurance may be paid in a lump sum and liiat all pro- visions of the V'ar Risk Act which limit the class of persons to be designated as beneficiary of any Government insurance, be repealed." • In response to an inquiry as to why similar payment could not be a.adc to benef iciaric^s of persons who met d^ath during the ^ar, the Director explained that to pay such claims there woiild be required an immediate ap- propriation of $1,080,000,000, which was not possible at this time. It therefore, was agreed that these options could r^t be applied to war losses theiTiSelves because of the magnitude of the financial problem that would be involved. .?■> { il 1 .:■ J i::\Oi: r r . i-it •T '■">» :v H t :^i.}f-... r f! . 1 !•: J ;:,J 1, .: iJ , .y.*-.' ' i- ■ . A' ; '{ 't ,.•! LUMP 5DM "PllYMF?i'' T ■ ^»:i'*":tTjj 1.': '.:'■: ■!■* . '\ > i . 5 V /. . • •• > : I 'n'l-^r t ? .i; ..; ■ V ». .. - >l .), -.i-v .■)•:■ ''■ •r?;-"!.':. ■;■•.;.;:• -i;rr-;i;.;f. •i '•.;_■ ^!?:r' > i/ v>^ ■ !?v- "3 : '■■■ ; ,. .Ci fi to persons who come within the operation of the Act must be printed in enormous quantities. From 4,000,000 to 6,000,000 circulars are frequently mailed at a time. Taking into consideration the time lost in printing and the time lost in mailing from a central office, it is not unusual for three months to elapse between the time copy is submitted to a printer and de- livery to the last addressee. Under such circumstances, centralisation is not an aid, but a hindrance. It works especial hardships in the case of soldiers, mary of whom are yovtng, unmarried, and do not remain long in one place. It is usual, as a result of these delays, for approximately 30^ of the correspondence or circiilars sent out to be returned to the Bureau, To obviate this, it has seemed that advertising, which offers a direct, rapid, and much more eco- nomical way of spreading such important information, would add enormously to the efficiency of the Bureau and would be considerably more economical. COLLECTION OF PREMIUMS One feature of the Bill, which had iinanimous approval and which was regarded as extremely important by the delegates to the conference, was that provision which would authorize the Secretary of the Treasiary and the Post- master-General to prescribe rules and regulations for the collection of Insur- aice premiums through Post Offices and Rural Mail Carriers, Ihere was some discussion as to how much of the Post Office Organization should be used in this collection, and it finally was agreed that the text of the Bill, in pro- viding that the Cabinet Officers concerned could arrange for the collection in any manner deemed most expedient and satisfactory, gave the Director of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance sufficient opportunity to put this collection system into effect in the manner found by experience to be most desirable. Qr ■ ;t' V ■Ki: t.;,ri| !^ ^ • ■,3' .. iil^ A""^- '/T . / i 4 . * .... . ) •1 '. -fi ^ :. rr -i -t \' ■> . .. ■ ■ ;.>■... t \.\. ■•■■Ml '.r.i: . ■ ■ ) I ; ' .-■•'.{ ■ ^ u ■ ■•-■: ;■=■■ ■, . t ,.< - !:. , - ■ . ..^..•r:i ••■••; • ;^- :•..-.• '. ■' '; ■ ■ ■^■ '..* vr ^ ■'vr;-'<- ■;:.'' , '. .. '> rv. ;i ;■ r-*' ; -■-■»'• , •'■Ti t :-^';V: /i'; ! ;^:ii:. J'lo ';-^:r ■^'.u-. ^■:i^ --'i'i^ :': '. li .■ ;. .!. :, C -Jf . :j ■.. "it;" r. ir it". ll-s'Vl 1 ■■ ■ ..+■ .-,.♦ ^■! . : ■'■- .■:;■■'.:■ ^- ' d1 v- -.•; -v i; ." Ii .%av!r/.^ jr: u; -v^ io ; r/ r- ., {,! I ■ r:fc/-v.''-: ,1 h' .•■ :. ^ :t-'"'s'" '^ ■■ • . '■! •'^ ^r.:/! r^r^-i^ l:V ;.fc;.;-;; von •):♦ :r • ! ^ ; ^ ^ ; ;. >; 2Z,. Aside from the customary provision of a section of the Bill ap- propriating sTifficient funds to carry out the purposes of the Act, in this in- stance $2,000,000, the Director had attached to the original Wason Bill cer- tain further corrections to the original War Risk Act, which had been re- garded as subjects of considerable importance by the American Legion National Convention, Two of these, relating to removal of all restrictions as to classes of insurance beneficiaries and payment of all insurance in a lump sum, as here- tofore related, had been transferred to the Sweet Bill earlier in the session, Ihere remained four other subjects, regarded by the Conference as of great importance; 1, To relieve from the payment of premiums on Term In- surance, retroactive to October 6, 1917, persons receiv- ing hospital care from the Bureau, those receiving hos- pital care from the Bureau, those receiving vocational training, and those temporarily and totally disabled during the periods of those conditions. 2, To enable the Bureau to provide without cost hospital, surgical and medical care and treatment for all honorably discharged ex-service men and women, regardless of the origin or aggravation of their disabilities, on their ap- plication within one year from the date of their discharge or from the date on which this Bill, as an Act, would go into effect, whichever was the later. 3, Payments of converted insurance, when it matures by reason of a total and permanent disability of the insured, should be made, not from premium receipts, but from the war -hazard appropriatiojis of the goverrment, inasmuch as the converted rates contain no provision for this extra payment, 4« Payments for total, permanent disability should not diminish the amount that would have been payable at the death of the insured or other maturity of the insurance, had no payments been made for such disability. • ;r:^' S f 83 CONSOLIDATIOIT 0FG0V2RNMSNT AGEITCIES At tlie Minneapolis convention, stress was laid on a request to Congress to "Coinbine the Federal Board for Vocational Training with the Coriipensation Division of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance. " iThis suggestion was brought "before the conference in connection with the fact that Senator Eeed SiDDot of Utah had announced it was his purpose to seek by legislation to break tip the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, placing the various divisions in several different govemmental depart- ments for administration. The Senator's idea was to place the Allot- ment and Allowance Division in the War and Ifevy Departments; the Com- pensation Division in the Pension Office of the Department of the In- terior; and the Insurance Division in the Post Office Department. The delegates became very much aroused over the proposal to disjoint and scatter the B\ireau at a time when "obviously and pointedly it was reach- ing effective functioning. " The attitude of the conference is best indicated by the fact that they regarded this matter of such inportance that in addition to instructing their regular legislative committee to oppose all efforts to disorganize the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, the conference unani- mously provided in addition a special committee to wait "upon Senator Smoot and other members of Congress who were advocating disintegration of the Bureau, and to use every effort available to "prevent this dis- astrous thing that we are trying to avoid, " 23 The delegates also -unaninio-ugly adopted a stateiaent of opiaton to the effect that the American Legion regarded as essential the consolidation and coordination of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, the Federal Board for Vocational Education, the United States Public Health Service and other governmental agencies participating in the work for ex-service men and their dependents "under one directing head, rather than wasting its effectiveness by scattering it still farther than at present. This was urged for reasons of economy, efficient administration, and effective fvaictioning. On a subsequent day thi^ na^tter, in which the delegates showed much concern, came up for further discussion, The delegates s-upported their contention that Senator Smoot' s plan would not "bring about econoiry, by bringing to light some facts about personnel required. For instance, the Senator believed that 2,500 clerks in the War and Navy Departments could handle the allotment and allowance work, whereas it developed that in the present Allotment and Allowance Division only 2,200 workers were engaged, and this nijmber was being reduced with remarkable rapidity. As to a transfer of compensation work, it was learned this would require an entire new set of records and would destroy the efficiency that had been built up in using the same records for both insurance and conpensation claim? whiGb wevq thf* pris-=u3nt' practdc© in the Bureau* 24 The. delegates agrood with the suggestion of the Director that the insurajace problem was iiot sinply one -of premium collection, but that this collection was-only a detail of the iniOGnso problem of handling an insurance conpany larger than soveral of ihe largest commercial conpanies combined, with all the conplex administrative details of such a business. It was agreed that the principal value of the Post Office to insurance would be in the convenience in premium collection, all of which already had been included in the Wason Bill, BECEPTION AT THS CAPITOL At the opening of the conference there was received an in- vitation from members of Congress to a reception and dinner for the national and state conmanders of the American Legion and the Director of the Bureau of War Hisk Insurance and his staff on the evening of the second day of the conference. This was held in the dining hall of the House of Representatives, and in addition to the guests mentioned there was present a grox^i of sixteen wounded ex-service men from Walter Reed Hospital. At this dinner, all of the thought and conclusions reached by the conference, up to that point, were condensed into one evening's expression to the Members of Congress of the things regarded by the Legion as needed to meet the Government's obligation to ex-service men and women. Senator Smoot, in addressing the gathering, declared he was determined to apply all his influence and energies toward pro- c_uring the proinptest and most effective service for ex-service men and their dependents. The Senator expressed it thus: 25 "What I deem .to be tho just sentiments of the Oeafcers of the Legion I shall imdertake to put into legislative form and support it with all the power at my command, " He declared ho wanted it understood that ho had no fight against the Bureau as such. In this connection he said: "I want to say that there is no (question of a doubt but that Col, Gholme ley- Jones, the present Director, has vastly iinproved the admnistration of the Bureau." Senator Smoot further defined his attitude toward the Buroau in the following words: "The government must see that whatever it owes you mast come into your hands with just as little delay as possible, '.«' with just as little trouble as possible, and the organization to acconplish this is what I want. "And if the War Risk Bureau is that organization and this can be demonstrated, well and good for the War .A Ei sk Bureau. " To the assembled Members of Congress* the Legion enphasized its demands for; 1. Immediate passage of the Sweet Bill; 2» Passage of the Wason Bill; 3. Consolidation, instead of disintegration, of govemmontftl agencies working for ex-service men. 26 The sixteon wo-unded service joen related thoir exporirmces, ono aftor tho othor, pointing oiit th« insufficiency of con^jonsabions, the narrowness of insurance and the corqplexity of obtaining their benefits under the War Sisk Act, all of which faults and difficulties the Legion declared would bo ovorcomo, should the Congress pass the Sweet and Wason Bills and coordinate the activities of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, the Federal Board for Vocational Education, and the United States Public Health Service. Coining down towards the close of tho meeting, Congrossnian Burton E. Sweet of Iowa, author of the Sweet Bill, brought to a point what was in the minds of all of the guests present when he said: "These disabled men have grave need for this legislation now. The l^ited States Senate during tho past four months has been considering unusual questions, * * * * If this bill were now a law, we would not be listen- ing to the statements and complaints from tho boys at Walter Reed Hospital tonight; they would be receiving the coEpensation to which they are justly entitled, "In my judgment thoro would bo nothing nobler, nothing grander for tho United States Senate to do than to make tho soldiers of tho Republic a Christmas present bypassing this bill immediately." / It-:-.-, '.f- ... V. V , ■fk^'. ..,< r- :=r. u :i:i 27 Hep re sent at ive Frank W, Lfcndsll of Wyoming, Majority ieiader of the House of RepresentAtives, put the same situation directly xxp to Senator Smoot by asking if the latter would not report the hill out for unanimous consent at onco. Later Senator Smoot declared ho would bring the bill before the Senate in time ^or passage before Christmas, Before this, however, the Legion had declared very frankly to the Senator, through the chairman of its special coxnuitte© here- tofore referred to and the chairman of its legislative committee, that the Legion was very sincere and very earnest in urging that consolida- tion and coordination of government ag3ncies set aside for the ox- service man and his dependents should be effected, rather than the further distribution of their activities, 28 ADIvUNISTRATIVE S^PICISNCY Consideration of tho adroinistrative effieioncy of tho Bureau of War Risk Insurance had been expected to consume considera^ble time and "bring forth considerable discussion. When it was discovered, how- ever, that the approximately 17,000 persons once enployed had been re- duced to 13,000 and that the personnel was expected by January 1 to be down to 10,000, the delegates expressed themselves as satisfied in this regard. There was an inquiry about the number of ex-service men oi&- ployed, growing out of tho Legion Conrention's request that the Bureau "einploy more ex-service men." It was related that of the 2000 men enployed in the Bureau, 1018 were ex-service men, including all of the administrative heads, and that all vacancies hereafter were being filled by ex-service men. The Conference approved the declaration by several delegates that the Legion would not want to be in a position of requesting the arbitrary discharge of efficient enployoes merely to in- crease the number of ex-service men, and voiced its approval of the policy of filling all vacancies with ex-service enjiloyees, I Ct-0Pr:RATI0N OF THE LSGION Coming now toward the conclusion of their conference, tho delegates and the Bureau representatives devoted their attention to concrete and specific methods by which their mutual cooperation might bring the utmost proii5)tness and effectiveness in procuring for ex- service men and their dependents their rights and privileges under tho War Risk Act, Several delegates declared that they had followed the policy which had been laid down in the Minneapolis Convention by a i - 1.1 ' '< " ■ ' t' I'vfr. J :. ■ . . • r- 1 : .: '.■ V. • .r 'f \ 29 . delegate from Illinois as ths roost offeotivo moans of "bringing about proript service from the WasJaington Bureau^ to wit, learning how claims should b3 presented and sending them in corqplete. That this idea was applicable equally well to other Govern- ment Bureaus before '.vhich ox- service men and women have occasion to pre- sent claims was made clear in talks to the delegates by Brigadi err Gene rati E ML Lord, Director of Finance of the Anoy; Uel W, Lankin, Chief of the Rehabilitation Section of the Federal Board for Vocationsd Training; Admiral Samuel W. McGowan of the. Navy; and Dr. C. H, Lavinder, United States Public Health Service. These officials had been invited to speak so tha_t the delegates might have opportunity to meet and know the heads of departments before whom they later would have occasion to lay other claims of their members, MANUAL OF PR0CEDUE3 The delegates having declared unanimously their desire to co- operate in every way and to make their efforts at cooperation most effective, the conference was brought to a close by the presentation and discussion of a portfolio known as the "lifenuaJL of Procedure. " This portfolio contained most detailed and explicit directrions for making conplete and directing to the correct Department all manner of inquiries or claims that might be directed to the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, including the following subjects: Allotments and allowances. Condensation for ex-service men. Compensation for dependents. Insurance claims. Inquiries concerning insurance status. 30 The Director, knowtag ^i^% State War Risk Officers of thi» imatlcaui Legion would be askal^ |i»XsD to zoake inquiries and prdBfi&t claims for ex-service men effecting government Bureaus other than that of ^ar Eisfc Insurance, had caused to be added to this »Manual of Procedure" the fieme explicit directions concerning the following subjects: Refund of Army Allotment. Payment of the $50 Bonus* Obtaining effects of Deceased Soldiers. Obtaining Liberty Bonds purchased by Deceased Soldiers, Obtaining pay dus Deceased Soldiers at Death. Obtaining Liberty Bonds of Discharged Service Men. Procedure in case of Lost Discharge Certificate. Obtaining re-issue of Triform and Equipment, Procuring the Additional Travel Pay. Procedure to obtain Vocational Training* A copy of this portfolio was furniehed each State ^r Risk Officer auad additional copies provided, further to equip State Legion Headquarters. Bie Conference had convened* It had: (a) investigated most thoroughly the workings of the B^areau of War Risk Insurance. (b) presented its demands directly to the Congress* (c) established its position by thorough knowledge of the probl(SD3 and mechanics of administration of the Var Bisk Act* J .? di. (d) "been provided with a guide boo^ to eoalsle its mombere to claim their rights \inder that Act in the most effoctiva manner* It theroupon concluded its three days^ session by an exchange of assurances with the Director of the Brireau of the gratification and appreciation of the co-operation and coiirtesies each had received from the other, their mutual satisfaction with the Increas- ing understanding of their association and the proclamation of the firm policy that each should lend the utmost of their resources to the db- ordination of their mut-ual effort to bring promptly and happily to all ex-serrice men and their dependents their rights under the Wat Eisk Act, t iJ(- - 7 «>■ • ■ V *!. :^,-! .• - 33. KDTMWA Bat>- ferenc© and tho issue of this s-uiLrnary, the Sweet Bill, with certain linitations, was passed b'J- Congress and v«as signed by the President and "became a law on Decetaber 24, 1919. On that same day, 1>065 diecks, to the tot- al value of $799,580.61, were mailed from the Bureau, going to every state in the Union and representing adjustments in keep- ing with the retroactive features of the new law to include December 31, 1919* At the date of issue of this resume', all of these checks, 75 , OOP , totaling ^0> OOP, OOP. representing coniplete adjustment in the Compensation Section, in keeping with the retroactive features of the new law, to include December 31, 1919 had been mailed. Compensation checks issued this month and hereafter will be paid currently under the rates fixed by the Sweet Bill. •;i c:J .>'■•■■ ■ . .'j. 'l i> ,Jt y*.: ' i.; ,■■•;.,•; ..<*> ;:'»,;■ .. . , ■ i J',- -v - • ♦ :. ... xi, •. ..i•i..■^->•' ■ ...:! ■•>' •■■■ ;'- : ■'■■1 THE A2!E3UCAK LEGION Wjffi RISK IKSUHANCB CONFERSiroa HSU) AT yASHIliGTON, D. C. 3)EC3IBER 15, 16 and 17, 1919 DIGEST OP aOTIOMS AND HESOEUTIOHS WITH AN ABSTRACT OF BECQHOIENDATIOIES ON CONGHESSIOHAL lEGISLATION THEN PENDING MoTed«-^0?hat a special coxomittee to be chosen by ths Chainnan of the LegislatiT© Committee appear "before Congress to oppose the buealdng vq? the War Eisk Insurance B-ureatu Carried. Mo-Ved — Ihat the Bvireau of War' Risk Insairance, the Federal Boatd for Yocational Education and the U» Si Public Health Serrice be consolidated under one head« Carried* MoTed — That a copy of th^ resolutions of the AtaeriCan Legion Convention at Minneapolis be sent to each Hepresentative iia Congress and Urn S* Senator* Carried« Moved — That Congress be req,uested to investigate i«toat hats been done by Canada, England ana the other Allies in taking care of ex^ service men and their problems, barriod. I , Moved — That the Legislative Conanittee request a member of th& Finance Coinmittee of the U. S. fe^nat* to represent the ime^ibaii Legion in comoittee and before the Senate in advocacy of the Sweet ^d Wason Bills* Carried. Moved-wThat the Legislati^^e Committee urgo upon Congress im- mediate action \gpon legislation !for the benefit of ex-service men, and that the idea incorporated in H. E. Bes. 405 be approved. Carried. Moved — That Legislative Coirimittee consider an amendment to Section 301 of the War Eisk Insurance Act to provide increased com- pensation (along the lines of the amendment suggested for Section 303) for dependent relatives, and particularly with reference to partially and permanently disabled dependents* Carried. Moved»-^nd Carried^o insert before Section 303 ;of present Insurance Act the following paragraph to be known as Paragraph 308i: "Section a. In addition to such compensation provided by this Act, a person wiio has suffered a teirporary and total disability contracted in th© military or naval service shall receive as a benefit under the contract of insurance carried by such person, while the dis- ability is rated temporary and total, a sum at the rate of $5.75 per thousiand for every thousand dollars of insurance carried by such dis*- abled person. 4 ■r. . V.<:.':.\:j ::■' ■> .1 r.l'i . : , !i' .iT-'-XT- /.. - .^ -- i f 1 ... « i - ij ■ •'i'3'.:-..J.'i-' .:..:^^; .r ■■ .•; ■:■■•) Lit>r,(} ' • TT ■ ,-f ,J . .... .... ♦ . . ■,•;> -■-'."ij ». «; t^Ci. .O •-*■'' .j.^ J . i •■ *?« .J«vi..- .«» •*.« ■i/::.:.e :.;? <....i: ■;:■.>.■; .;?!'.:■ .x\.....i -.' n- ::. .Wi., «.. J. i., )!;■■; .t.r . .■•^.i i ■' .J ; J i '. , :. ■ '. "_•. . ■'• .. I'i. ■,. i:';. •i;.'.'. .Jf ;. Z'.t 1,... f ., i. 1. r-i la-x; ...^.-.c,..''. .,; i-.'%.- ^ . .' lection "b. PrcYtdsd that *ih«3« % ♦^mporarily totally disa.\*|ad pdxtcn ji^s been classified as pGrt3Wl«at a»d partial, r^at person shjkll receire %hat portion of his insuran«j based on a sched-Tile t«o "be pre-* pared by the BuTeau of War Risk Ins-usanes, figiired on r-i^e e;itenw of loK£ ox disabiliiiy, T^is schedule may be revised by the Buceau of War Risk Insurance from tixn© to time. This section to be retipoactire until October 6, 1917, o *^4c4(4i*4c4* The following resolution was offered by Mr. Keens (lad^ ) and adopted; "T7HEEE.4S, The President of the United States has again sent warm greetings to the American Legion representatives in nQSi^icn here in Washington; and *''fHEHEAS» The illness of Ifhe president has prevented hllQ from personally receiving the greetings of the American Legion to aie Chief Executive of the land; therefore be it "RESOLVED, That we, the State Ccamanders of the American Legion in session, extend our thanks to the President for his grv^etjings to us, and ejqjresB our earnest and sincere hope that he nay soon be restored to full health," ^4e4c>(c*4tic4r On the second day of the Conference Mr. Zeene (ind-) offered the following resolution ti*iich was unanimously adopted: *'WEEEAS, The matter of War Eis^ Insurance and allied toplce are project© in whi<^ the AiQ©rican Legion in its recent Mirtneapolis Convention announced its interest in most positive terms; and ""WHEREAS, The Director of the War Risk Insuraniar SirreaUj Col. Cholmeloy- Jones, has invited ffhe State CcmQanders of tho American Legion to conference regarding the betterment of the service ^nd has made possible this meeting of the greatest possible adranJ-a^a to all ex-service men; therefore be It *liESOL VED> That w» express our thanks and appreciation to Col, it a rally in Liberty Huli. W&^mmdcj evering, December 3,7, 1919, ^3 ffi^feting being ^e final f ea%tU» -df t^c three days» Conic renc«» (according to the Washington Star of Deceruirer 16) tn3 delegc^tes sruSDonied up their views of the needs of the former service men, as demonstrated by tht->ir study of the sitiiation here, as follows: "Hhe ^ason and Sw:et Bills should be passed by Congress forthivith, "The Buru'f^u. cf ''ar Sisk Insurance, Federal Eoard for Vocational "Kdiifj-stign and the Pcblic Koalta Service — especially th«i sections of the last two agencies dealing with ex-service men — should be combined under a single head, and one representative of the unified agency should be placed in each State. "Tha following irjodifi cat ions regarding insurance shotild be adopted: Promi\2ir.s should be payable through the local postoffice. Re- strictions based on relationship of beneficiaries should be removed. The ancunt of the insurance under the term and converted policies should be payable at the option of the applicant in a lunp sum or otherjvise, and if the applicant has exercised no option, then at the option of the beneficiary. A partial disability benefit should be paid under all policies. "That all disabled persons having ^ar Bisk Insurance, while in tile hospitals or milii. receiving benefits under the ?'ar Eisk Insurance Act, or wdiile receiving training, should have the payment cf all in- surance premiums remitted during the continuance of their disability and training. That all forms used shall be simplified so as to be made as short and simple as possible* Substantial increases in all the pre- sent rates should be made. Immediate, liberal and effective action should be taken en all claims. Persons suffering from tuberculosis ^ould be considered as totally disabled daring the continvi&nce of the disease, and as compensable accordingly. Hospital facilities at pre- sent provided are inadequate and Congress should make a far more lib- eral provision." 4, ABSTRACT OF RECOMMF^TiATIO^TS ON S'TIIT BILL Section !• To "be amended so as to provide specifically for offices of Actuary and Assistant ichaary and to fix their respsctire salaries; the amount of those salaries, however, to be left to the de- cision of the Legislative Comnittee. Section (1-a*) To he amended so that Section 15 of the original Act shall in addition to the Director, Assistant Directors and field «iffi^<^rG give to such other representatives of the B-ureau as may be appointed by th» Director, authority to issued subpoenas for witnesses. Section 4. Provides for two new Sections, Insert the word ^natural" before the word "persons" in line 6m (Means to eliminate "institutions.") Section 5, Strike out all provisions ^idiich authorize payments to the chief executive officer of an asylum or hospital. Section 7, Amend to mai» the forfeiture of benefits apply only to cases of enemy aliens, conscientious objectors, deserters and those guilty of mutiiiy, treason or spying. Section 8, The question v corapennation payable be less than the pnpo'tion borne 'cy *h.e pi^^rc-entgge oi the actual physical ^disability to the man payable for permanent total disability." Paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Section 11 approved. Section 12. Uh.at this Section be rex erred to the Legislative Committee with the suggestion that after the word "widowhood," on page 14^ line 19, *hei e be rnsc^-ted a provision x,o ohe effect that the children of the deceased s/iall receive the in^^urance proceeds in the event that tlie wjdovy re.iiaiTies or dies; and that in case of the officers and D.en ^vho io3« their lives on the ^'Jxclop s , " each shall be doomed to have been granted $5,000 insirrance. jnloss the records of the Na-^'y .'Oepartment or the War Kisk B-oreavi show that any of them had applied for insur-dnce in a iesjer sim. This portion of the Section was referred to the Legislative C^ornnittee with the suggestion that the words "greater or less" be substitated for the word "less." Section 13. Approved* (it enlarges the permitted class of beneficiaries.) Section 14 of the Act provides that if no person within the per- mitted class of beneficiaries survives the insured: then there shall be paid to tile insrare.d's est=.te an amount equal to the commuted value of the monthly installments of *erm Insurance. It A-as recommended that the Legislative Committee thould. consider the question whether or not a case mi^t occur in which the conmuted value of the monthly installments of Term Insurance -thus paid would escheat to the Commonwealth, and to pro- vide against such escheat. Section 15, Approved. Section 16. Same action taken as in the cage of Section 14, Becommended that Section 17, which provides for the payment of Converted liiaurance in a lump sum be amended so a;s to apply to Term In- surance also. Further recommended that Section 6 of the Wason Bill which re- moves all restrictions regarding the beneficiaries of insurance, be in- corporated as a part of the Sweet Bill, Section 18. Approved. (Ihis Section provides that premiums padd on account of Converted Insurance shall be deposited in the Treasury to the .. r. •■•jfS5;fcS»'f . - --f'} •'•r ^i ^^ /•■ '■' ~'^ :l': .'■ J.i ■'■ s:-} '•"<-;• * .•' . 6- credit of tho Unitod Statos CrOvommont Lifo Insnranco fund, and tliat thoy shall "bo available for t^ p^fflont of losses, dividonds^ pofua^ and atlior benefits.) Section 19. Approved. f?rovidos that any installments of allotment, family allov/ance, coragpensation Or Torrri Insurance, v/hich have becoTno payable but v^hich have not in fact been paid prior to the death of the person entitled to receive them, may be paid to tho per- sonal representative of tho deceased person.) ABST3ACT OF HECCHKENDATIONS COT WASOIT BILL Section 1, That tho War Bisk Insurance Act should provide for at least one regional office in each State and Territory and tho Dis- trict of Columbia- Section £♦ Approved* (!Hiis Section authorizes the Bureau to advertise in novrspapers and magazines, so that persons ontifL^led to tho benefits of tho \7ar Risk Insurance Act may be acquainted \7ith their rights and privileges.) Section 3. That this Section be amended so as to provide for the collection of insurance premiums through Post Offices, the Hural Free Delivery system and Star Routes* Section 4. Approved. (This Section appropriates two million dollars to carry out tho provisions in Sections 1 and 2 for the es- tablishment of regional offices, and for advertising.) Section 5-6. That those Sections should be eliminated from tho ;7ason Bill and incorporated in the Swoot Bill. Section 7. First Paragraph approved. (It provides that those receiving hospital care under tho Bureau, those receiving vocational training and those who are temporarily totally disabled shall be re- lieved from the payment of premiums on renov/ablo Torn Insurance. Section 7. Second paragraph approved r/lth the recomaondation that the words »'and surgical" be added after tho word "medical", in line 19. Also after the words "enlisted men," in line 20, add pro- vision to include the men xnostered into the service and who have left the service and are noiv in the Reserves. Section 7. After line 15 insert new paragraph to bo marked paragraph (d), as follows- "Provided further, that any person disabled and in receipt of conipensation or a livelihood from the Vocational Board or under the care of tho Public Health Service or the War Risk Insurance Bureau bo 7. 4 CCMWidorod as having had his policy paid up from tho dato of tho Injury which incapacitated him. The Diroctcr of v;ar I^isk Insuranco is hereby authorized to return to such person all premiums paid tc tho Bureau of t/ar P.isk Insurance for stich insurnnco from the date cf his disability, Tho Director is also authorized, inasmuch as those policies will bo considered as paid up, to pay at the end of twenty years to those mon permanently disabled their paid-up policy." Soction 8. wipproved. ««*«4t4t*«4(«3|t KECEPTIOJT AUD DIUHEH STAITE caaMAUEEas OF THE AMERICAN lEGKW AM) THE DIHEdTOR OP THE BUREAU OF WAR RISK INSURANCE AND HIS ^AEP AT THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL TOESDAr, DECESSBEB 16, 1919 RECEPTION 6: 30 P. ■K•^CKi:-;^/^ TiJiSJ^C 'Tfxr- Mj -tf^VM: r^r- •":■■' :'^zrf ' •; •"'T«' •'V ■ri'U'. '■'■''■ ■ ."^i' ';*•'' (T^TIiiL' .IT -'i -y: 2. Ka'OPJiBLE JMHES E. \JA!m(M ( United States Senator fron I»di&isa ): Gentlemen, I have "been asked 1;o apexi this mof^ti-ng, aaad, in a ceasiire, to preside over its deliberations- As far as I can discover, the only reason v«/hy I have "been ciiosen to fill this im- portant position is the fact that I am the only Senator on either side of the house who is not a candidate for President 9 (La-ughter) and in order to malce sure of Eoy status, tliat I might "be eligihle for this place, I nade puhlic a proclamation of the fact that I v/ould not "be a candidate. But, for the honor cooof erred upon me I am profoundly grateful, for this is a gathering of unusual sig- nificance. 5Phe iKerican Legionl what thouglits arise when those words are presented to our minds. Legion in number, and alv»?ays Ajnerican in purpose. It is a wonderful thing to he an American citizen, with all the privileges that flow from the fortunate possession of that name. When we think of the history of the past and of the struggles, trials aood sacrifices, and the high position that we today occupy among the peoples of the world, we are sure that that name is grander than the Greeks, nohler than the Ronans, that it is superior to the French, that it outshines even the English, and that we are all proud of the great name, iUierioan. (.Applause) And greater yet is the title, .Ajrerican soldier, "be- cause we have "been singularly fortunate in the conf liots in vfcioh our country has "been engaged in the decades gone. ^£!^ , ■l X ••/^. ."i:^ :: .1 3. Too icany men in the cent-uries past have "been "orcu^t to- gether to contend for conHtiost, for r^'Ixnd(^.T, for pover, for spoils, for territorial aggj-anf-izem^nt^ ex* to satisf;^; the ar^"'^'*^^o•as Tibt of a Single man, tut net re 7n. \h:<.R B^-puMir^ Evf5ry war in v;h5.Cii O'lr nation 2ias eve:? rn,'r.--,5-'^G hS2 "b^'^n fou-^l'T: fo"** a ao'M.'^Tii.^ pnrjpo?^. and \^en tliat p'u:''pjre 'rn'O vlnp-.i.'"at^. the men V/snt r-n^v :iexe *jn re;?Ljn3 again the bro.V-ra -^v'.'.y^J cf poana tThore ''.he;/ .*i?.d dr-3ppecT. tliem s.*^ their country's cai5..> Tho mpn ot T'-'/'^ «onvnid"!d 'or 1,:Voer'jyf, I'; 7;as the.l*? oTm liberty, but yov; "^.n tho >.,ei.-;r uf j;i^-.ir. /j'etjrloia* G?iie mo:, of ,'iC6l ad- vanced the 3ca-fi.;^''d.j 'thoy, •'';o?5 '"oulen-^.ed fo*" i.'berlyjj noi; their own but for that cj another racs in th.p/'.:r cr.'n land and imder thoir own flago Tr.e loys -if IG9r VAtnC «3Jill h^.f^ier the stan^lord. They, too, contended jt;r i:iSov!:y, nut :-,he.ir or-'n^ for thai; th^.y had,; not that for any ochoi* pej*son or peopla Lii jheir cm ^.auc?^ foi* -imOer our flag ail v/ere f.'.*t.e end all woi-e e^i-^.j^l, bnt thsy ccr'tarded for the liberty of pRoplcs beyond the pa-h cf the sar., :n r;trr/rg9 lands, and under foreign flags# ITcrr, the boyr. of 1917 , oa-liO'iin;^ tho in- spiration of all of our Eighty ppst have lifted sfc:.ll h:.'J.^e-j the old standai-rl of the P^nmblio,, for In the co75L^liot .V-si; '^'tcs-Dd -^jhey contended for tar. I?j?e"-ty of al"'. p.ioplos, in all ?^a2.ido and ''index all flags « (^:xpl:..m-e.. 1 ITov; that ihv. ^^'''eat contort 5 s ove?;, it 3r up Lo you boys to train yot^ri^el-^ros f:u' citl>v^n_?=;hip i^i t?ic d.?-y3 cf peace ^ as you trained yoursa.lTea for «;Oi.ifli<',t on the bloody fic7.d of ?tr.lfe» It is quite true, as your Corsii'-ir. . . ■■'-■■ -f- i ; ' ■> •• ! r' ■ ;■ 1 .: * iiT^ ', ,■■ . ••.'• ...» ? .,.■ f ■.■.: - .^J ■ «, • r. , ■ . . 1 >. / i ' ) ;• A' {■■•■.•'.. • '■':", 6, you belonged; and never, I suppose such a le£:ion of succor to the stricken people and governnients of Earope — men fighting on foreign soil and without any selfish motives of conquest, but fighting to drive out a powerful enemy that threatened to destroy and enslave. I have read both sacred and profane history, have read of rwars from the days of, Abrciham down to the days of the i:astor, and from the time of the Easter down to the present— and the old world has been filled with ivars through these thousands of years — but I do not believe that history, either in the Bible or in the profane histories, over be- fore recorded such a legion of men going forth to fight for the welfare cf others, to sail across the seas to fight and die in a foreign land without a thought of possessing that land; carrying with them not only the provisions of war but the provisions of food and clothing for the naked and starving; to fight the armies of the eneiLy and to care for the civil populations left destitute in the path of the invader. You men participated in the greatest crusade for the princi- ples of the I.:aster that ever was known in the record of time, and yet you went, not as crusaders but as the soldiers of the United States to fight an enemy of this Government that had attacked our rights and destroyed our people and our property on the high seas. You went into the v;ar at the conmiand of your Government to which you owed allegiarice, to defeat mi enemy that had made war on us, but in the going in and in the fighting you showed to the world the best spirit of /jnerican man- hood and iimerican ideals. You are the men responsible for the high ideals that v;ere eschibited to the people of Europe, It was not the ideals of the Government so much as it was the ideals of the itoerican .'.}" '• ..l-.'.:../ ■■:,•'% Vv 710 ■■ ,. <.v/^-> ■!■?,•» 'j • I ."'.'I: -■• ;j' "<■ 7. soldiers, and to the soldiers should be given this mead of high praise. (Applause.) The American Legion did in the years 1917 and 1918 for the -wrorld what the Union soldiers did for the countrjr in 1861 to 1865* They of the Civil War saved the Union from division and destruction. But those men, the veterans of the Civil War--E©.ny of them only boys -when they entered the "smr — did something more than save the Union in "war. They saved it in the peace T?hich follcw- ed. The men T7ho had been in the amies that faced each other in battle, men of the Blue and the Gray, became the conservators of progress, and prosperity and of conservation in building up the "roaste places of Tvar in peaceful pursuits. They trere the men "whh took the lead in business and politics, in profession^-l life and in Trorks of charity. They "were the men who had the energy and the confidence in their own ability to do, and they took the lead in every great develop- ment of industry and government policy. Never "nas there such development in airy country at any time equal to that in this country from the close of the Civil War down to the beginning of this great World War, 'with cur population increasing from less than thirty millions to more than 100,000,000, and our nater- ial wealth from 1 16, 000, 000, 000 to more than $250,000,000,000, while the increase in our development from the ideal and the spiritual point of vie^, in caring for the destitute, the lame, the halt, and the blind, -mas such as the world never witnessed before. Why, I have spen more progress in civilization from the hune-ne point cf viei? in my four score years than was recorded from the days of Moses to the day that I was born. ••^■"..r "'.l w ::;.•;«;:•,. -ji '■::,'i' '-i-v'* }■-•} • ! rf ; "■ ..: ■.k .,./;V£v/ T^tij^ '■:y''U •ft^'-i'' '■ u' '•■!' ■ i;.:-; ll I 8, And ^hat I \5ant to impress upon ycu is the fact t:ia± 4ihe men who fcuglit to save the country in tho stress of the Civil War T/ere the sane rjien v;ho fought ^jith ideas to save the country in peace, to huild up a better and more united nation than -,7e had had before. And that reminds me that saving a country, like saving an individual, is not simply a great and heroic effort in one struggle, "but a continuous effort through the years. (Applause,) You will remember that -Then the Cliildren of Israel v;ore freed from bondage and led cut cf the land of Egypt, they thought their salvation had been made sure; they forgot the teachings and the commands of their loader, and began to disagree, to quarrel, to -yandcr after f?ilse gods, to make idols of their cv;n to ■. /or ship, and thoy wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Ilaroj'- cf them never reach- ed the Promised Land, and they v/ho finally did reach Canaan, after fighting and destroying other peoples, h -d to come b;:ck to the con- servative policies cf Uofjgs r^nd follow ^.gcin his teachings, before they wore permitted to enter and idcssoss the land. Our soldiers of the Civil War did not have to learn the lessons of the Children of Israel. lEhey did not gc cut to dostrcy but tc build up. Shoy took the load in business and in politics -Jid they were conservative, mere conservative than had been their fore- bears vTho had not knovm the stress of war, more prcgressive along conservative lines, and they were the builders of railroads and bridges, of greater steamships; they opened the urines and wore in the forefront cf every movement • !I!hey filled the seats in the House and Senate, and when i: i i . ; - ' i 1- '.'l 9. I came to Congress we had half a hundred men who had v/om the Blue, on one side of the House, and lialf a hundred men who had v.orn the Gray, on the other side, While they scrapped over war issues they worked together for safe and sane policies that would "better help all the people, along well-defined lines; this and constr^jctive policies, to benefit not a class, but the whole people of all sections. That is v/hat I expect to see in this American Legion. You boys have seen the world in war, and you will better see the ways of peace for the world and for our own country, than the men who remained at home to read and dream of the things which you were v/orking out in the caldron of war. You are young, courageous, enterprising, thoughtful, sympathetic; you have had the ^:perience that does not come to the ordinary man in a life time for you have seen the world in destruction, and you ?;ill know better hov/ to rebuild in a practical wayo You v;ill not get the cart be- fore the horse in your endeavors, but will know hov; to rely on old and established principles. You will soon be taking the lead in business and politics, and your business enterprises will not be for yourselves alone but the whole community, on the theory that intelligent selfisimess has always made the world move, and will continue to do so. You will take your places in the city, county, state and National Government, in the Legislatures and in Congress, and I am sat- isfied that with yo\ir war experience you will not move until you know that the move will get to some definite objective, just as you did in the army. (Applause.) You will apply the same intelligence and the same method that [^r\.rf "■; ■:.':■ ■imi- .•■;^^^": .., u f 10. you tLsed to defeat tiie Geriaan army, to govern this country and the t-jL3i-nes3 and industry of the cour.iry. when yoa tal^e our places in the na]!'^? of Coizgrisss^ or at 'iaptainr-> of ind'a^try a::ic. oonjaerce and a^-icvil t-ure. You will rem-uriboT that i70V wer3 j^oloierf5 of the United States and not of the 77oj-lr«.^ r=Gr.d that ycu are 3g.«.in citizens of the United Stabes ^^/ith your inTt^r'sts, your affect loiie, and your life work hero. ;,nd vfr^i^ . ycx-r- .'••urcnpa^.hios and yo-ii help nay again go Gilt to th-r v»x;rld m time of ^reat need, you will find your first d-jties are to the Wation of T/hiich you are a part, (Applause.) You will not follo\7 after false gods of world unity with- out boundaries and a conglomsrate flag, but v/ill devote your first efforts to the Nation of which you are a part, and you will follow the same flag that you followed through the ^Irgonne v/hen you drove the Germans out of France*. I believe that you of all men will follow the admonition of Paul the Apostle, "But if any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel*" This Nation is your house; you went to v/ar to protect it, and you will provide for its safety and unity in the future. God bless you and the jimerican Legion. (Great and prolonged applause.) SMATOR V/ATSON: One time at a banquet a fe.v years ago, when I lived with Uncle Joe Cannon, and he said I never missed a meal and never paid a cent (Laughter), one of his enthusiastic friends after a banquet nominated him for President, and when he came to res- pond he looked about and said, "Nov, as to this nomination for President, ■);; .:; . Ji.) U'-.i. n:i ■%-:■ ^yi." r-'. I ' r .'. tr :?: I believe th^t my party might go very much further and do a great deal worse, and d-d If I don't believe they will. »• (laughter*} And they did, (Applause) Having heard from the Nestor of the House of Representa- tives, it becomes ny pleasure now to introduce a man from the other end of the Capitol, one who has been long in the service, tried and .'4rue; and with all due respect to everybody else, I think the hs^rd- est worker in either branch of the American Congress-Senator Heed Smoot, of Utah, (Great Applause. } SENATOR REED SMOOT (Utah) i ilr. Chairman and Fellow Americans X I have been a member of the Pension Committee cf the Senate from the first day I entered the Senate until the present time. Never has there been a moment since I entered public life that I..have lost sight of the men who saved this Nation; and when I say "men who saved this Nation," I mean the Boys who responded i to defend our coimtry in *61 to '65, and the Boys who responded when the call was made in the '9C*s, I never look upon the ^Id veterans and I never see that wonderful little button that is worn by them all but that I feel a reverence for and feel that I owe much to them. And tliat is why I have always been found with the men who were willing to pay, by way of a pension, at least a pit- tance to the men who fought for you and for me and for our country and our flag, I have often been accused of being perfectly will- ing tD appropriate money out of the Treasury of the United States to pay pensions to the Civil War veterans, I have never been ashamed of it, I think the recognition of their services came too late, and ■ fi:> 'i ■> '■<;■;.:-.■:■!. no.' ;.■;-■> :^:1'J ;'> i-idlttt.jfa fi no-o ,>vi;f;; i i u?^ . . • i .;;;, s. ' I ^««^:^ ;.'..? ..••■ ,t.>vi ■'.'■.:■>:■: vv,-:. :i ..;.;:;: i;? I vv a^V. Civj.V > , . . r i- •■'..;■; J '■• '.■ , > ' f ."< 12. I think the people of the United States were very dilatory indeed in grantir.g them a partial relief. And as far as I em concerned I want the people of tha United States to know that I feel tiiat the United States Goverrment owes a debt of gratitude, that every rcan and woman should recognize, to the boys who fought the recent World War, and it should be shown by our Govenurient in a substantial v/ay, and particularly to those that have been woTicded in any way. Not only do I tliink the soldier hiTEseif should be takan care of, but I tiiink his loved ones should be rezaembered. And that is why you have always found me upon the fioor of the Senate pleadirg for their cause, offering legislation for their lelief, and in a part- ial way being successful in securing the passage of tliat class of legislation. Tines are quite different from what they were a few years ago. I think. Brother Cannon, that civilization has advanced rapid- ly within the last fifty years, and what it took to make a man comfort- able or a woTnan happy then is totally inadequate now. Now, I want to be perfectly frank, as I try to be in all things. I have no desire at all to misrepresent my position upon any question whatever, and if I had the ability 1 would just as soon lay bare to all the world my thoughts and let vhem read rpy heart, not only upon public questions but my private life. I say now that whatever legislation is necessary to take care of the soldiers of the recent war who have been wounded, those that are suffering in any way and their loved ones left behind, should pass Congress at the earliest date possible. f • ■ .• • .•;■ ♦ ' »- ■' • ■Cl'':"- i' ■-,■'■■' '.. ij »? .. ; w •: ^ i. ■■■'! >.'V t -13- I happen to be a memtsr of the sub-oonmittee of the Finance Coramittee that had the War Risk Insurance legislation :.r hpnd. You re- member i.t had to pcss very quickly, and I recog.:i:lLed f.io fact then, as we all imist admit now, tl'.at it v/as ai^ythin^ but complete, Xt has done fairly vh^li, and 7. roco^ii^e tiiat it must be amendad and I recognize that the amendment that will be made shortly will on]y be a stop among the man:/ that will yet be taken to improve legislation of that character. Now, I have heard, from many parts of the country, particu- larly from Illinois, origir.atlng, I su:?por!e, in an article that v;as pub- lished fn one of the papers in CSiicago — that the Senate of the United States through its sub-comrdttee having present lr».f;i slab ion in ohar.'ge was going ^o see that the legislation was no^. e.-ia.cl-e;d inro law. Now, I will say to you gentlemen here tonight there has "ueezi no possible chance of bringlrg it before the Senate up to this time. I have it ready and it tvill bo reported to the Senate at the first opportunity. V/hen the Sr^eet 5ill passed the House and came to the Senate, wo had the Peace Treaty before the Senate, and nothiiig could have taken pre- cedence over that* You know the whole story without my tf.l/i}ig it to you. And I want to say to you that just as scon as this se£,sion was entered upon the Railroad Bill was taken up: in fact, it was made the unfinished business before the close of the la^it ;:ies3ion. ^rA all recognized the fact that that legislation shcald be enacted before the first day of January, if possible; and I want to say that at ?^ome time during this week, if it becomes absolutely kn.own that it cannot pass by the end of the week, I shall ask unanimous consent of the Senate for the immediate consideration of the Sweet Bill. Ow- oijc *>; C-:r i '\'' I'Vi .-■'!: -jo::(;r :t -n. ■ rjd*:)- 14. Ve did not thizOc ttet it nas ^oixg to tabs so long a tine ';o pass the Bailroad Bill* We Isept hoping and trusting that it would get out of the WDjy, and I toevv that if I reported the bill and put it vtpm. the calendar that I would not have nearly as good a chance of having it acted upon at once as if reported isilien I oould ask unanimous consent for izm^iate consideration of it; and I sliall trust, if I ask that, that there \7ill not "be a senator of the Iftiited States v/ho will refuse to giant it. AH I have in bct heart is to do that which will be for the best interests of the soldiers \iho have served our country, and the loved ones who have died for our flag; and I also know that there nay be some that Will not be satisfied with the legislation that will . be enacted. It is an jyipossibility to please everybody* What I deexD to be the general sentinaent of the members of the Legion I shall un- dertake to put into legislative form rjid siQ)port it with all the power at EST connand, (Applause.) I think it is perhaps due me, and I loiow that it is due my friedd, the Director of the War Hisk Bureau, to speak vqpan that subject of the workings of the War Risk Btireau a little toni^t. I do so because I know that the soldier boys are deeply and vitally interested in it. I do so becaajise the letters, not hundreds of let- ters but thousands of letters, that I receii^e from one end of this country to the other demonstrate to me beyond the question of a doubt that there has been great dissatisfaction with the administration of the War Risk Bureau. And in passing I want to say that there is no question of a doubt but that Col. Gholmeley- Jones, the present : ■■■:!■ : : ■ 'r- ::•'•£ c M^- .1 '- 5 J it^-i) -IP-V: A.^ :'»•.■■)'.■ r.u vn . rfu : r ^ t ., , ■,: / .;r. t : > .•-. •■: ■■• , . '■.:: ■^. .Lit ' .■ • . ' -.vt -..vK;" ^c:- I ;.••■■ ; r ; ; • , fa , t v JV;-f fr.: ■ ., ■-: i,;"!: J X ■-■:.' r v?; : ■ .. fx:ii^.'"• *. >; ."v:v ■■c '■ • r --I ■'■ rj-f(;, , "•.■ v .''cr.:;}!^ 'jorl^^c orv:- .y.':;'V/^ /i': ■ r-rf/i-,: .v:i''. -15- Director, has vastly improved the administration of that Bureau. (Ap- plause.) But it is not functioning as it ought to do today and I say that "because of the fact that it has ocme to me from so manj% many sources. And if I introduce a "bill for the abolition of that Bureau it will he with only one thought in my mind, and that is that the soldiers and thsir loved ones will, under the reorganization of the work now done tfy that Bureau, receive "better and quicker service. I have not wanted to introduce a "bill of that character until I had a chance to tell the Senate Just what I had in mind and just \*iy I feel that the working of the reorganS zation v/ill be of ad- vantage to every soldier and to the Govemmont itself. And as I have stated many a time, if I can't prove to every Senator that that can be done, I do not want them to support the measure. Now, I have just made one investigation, pretty thorough- ly, and I wanted to bring this to your attention tonlghb. There are many other things that I could speak about, but my short statement will give you an idea, and I want you not to pass jndgroent upon the merits of the question until I can make a full and complete statement of what I expect to accomplish and the plans to carrjr che ideas into effect. Now, in the first place, I want to transfer all the al- lotments and allowances to the War and Navy Depar iTnents , In order to do that, if the Sweet Bill becomes a law, which I know it will, all the employes that those two departments ask me to fu^m^.sh them, or that the Government will be askvOd to furnish extra will be two thous- and five hundred, 3*he overhead is complete today; the information must come from those departments today, and it seemed to me that that is the proper place for the allowances and allotments to be distributed from. T-; ':.] ■ ;■> -;: ' ij. :■'('. i :'f ., r ,-'> • > ::i. i-i^y 'J'. :■• •• . !■ ' .> vu:j-:; •v■^^>l ':-;:,i.^. :•:;•;» .-: ■•f.:^! 16. If the Sweet Bill becomes a law two thousaM einplqyes v/ill "be suf- ficient. I want to take the conrpensation section and transfer it to the Bureau of Pensions. Conrpensation means nothing more than a pen- sion; it is true that the present administration shied at the word "pension," "but I never did. I don»t care what you call it; it is a gratuity to men who have earned it, and it is just as ted to call it — if there be any wickedness in it, which there is not — a compen- sation as it is to call it a pension. All that they woiild require would be two thousand employes, and there isn't any question of a doubt but that they could get along with one thousand under the cir- cumstances as I have outlined. The insurance I would like to see transferred to the Post Office DepartiTBnt. Every soldier boy should have a right to go to any post office in this coimtry and pay his premium upon his insurance and take a receipt insrediately, no letters, no nothing other than paying his premiums. And the Postmaster General tells me that there isn't any question of a doubt but that all he will require is three thous- and eiij)loyes at the utmost. ITow, when this is accomplished, I \«ant to say that the very outside number will be only seven thousand five hundred employes. On the 22d day of October, 1919, the War Risk Bureau had fifteen thousand three hundred and fourteen eniployes. I haven't any doubt but that Director Cholme ley- Jones is going to decrease that number. I will tell him one thing, if he does not he will never get an appropriation to pay for their salaries. I want to see you cut them without any legislation, down to ten thousand at least. That can be done, can't it? •-•■■.v •• r^'y.'.v. '.*■&.:/■> ' .:o ",;?'♦.•. .', . ■■ /.»/»•.'*.: ': U^.,: :iz s .L':Kf ■1 '.? ■', .' I ..-* I ( i J ».. '.> f h, 17. DIHECd'QR CHOLMELET- JONES ; Well, it will t>e ten thousand by the first of January, SEMTOR SMOOTr Good, We have accomplished that much, anyhow. But it is not only a question of the employees, I haven't the time, nor would you want to listen to all the details. All I want to say to the soldiers at the present time is this: I want legislation that will cause you the very least possible trouble, as well as the soldiers' beneficiaries, and the loved ones of the soldiers who have died. I want them to have the very least trouble possible. OJhe Government must see that whatever they owe to you must come into your hands with just as little delay as possible, with just as little trouble as possible, and the organization to accomplish this is what I want. And if the War Risk Bureau is that organization and it can be demonstrated, well and good for the War Risk Bureau j If it is not, I am for whatever legislation it takes to put the soldiers and their dependents in the position named. Now, that is the position that I occupy and that is all that I have in my heart. I will say to the Director that having five or six jackets fol" the record of a soldier is all wrong. And I don't blame I,Ir, Oholmeley- Jones for it; it was started that way, and started for a certain purpose. Never at the suggestion of anybody who had carried on a great system of work like that being carried on by that Bureau. But we seem to have gotten into a habit here in Washington of creat- ing Bureaus and Divisions, as many as possible, and then each Division or Bureau must see to it that it has more employ ees than any other. / .• •> 5 . » .• ..I r M. -.■•:■-• t I ': •• 'v -.f i.; .. f M , •'■:.T .;; ! • ;'••■> ■ fi,' i" ■ f ■- r r •> ' ;i •■ . . ,. -7 ':.l.y. ^ci: .^ ■).^' >.i.t ,■;■.-' ■ .t ■ '<*.'.' ; ) '• f ? t'.: •::.. •)• ; ' •'/ < I ;i '; i '.:■■■-; : > : , y, } ] -y-w ■<: ■. ,;:.-. i .f ■ •. • r-t ■ . i -•:-, .' :; . .1.. .;{ i->.;;:r - :. . .. ■•■• :■ ...:;•;>. .s; - -. '. \ '. ■: • .v ," , .', -i: i/ra/. 'i>0 *■»•/ . •;.? •;■ i;r,' . -18- Nov7, we must recognize this, thet never for a quarter of a century to come will the expenses of this Government be less than ^p3, 500, 000, 000 a year, I guess Senator Watson and the others will remember that I made that statement on the floor of the Sen- ate when the last amendment to the Revenue Bill was before the Senate. Immediately, I was called to account hy the (Treasury De- partment; it was said that I was talking for political advantage and I was maldng a political speech when I warned the United States of that fact. Now, I want to say to you good people that I was perfectly resigned to the estimates for the fiscal year 1921 to amount to four billions of dollars, but I was totally unprepared to have them reach over five billion dollars. And I think I am perfectly safe in saying that no five billion dollars will be ap- propriated to cover them. The American people never object to paying taxes that are absolutely necessary to carry on their GrOvemment. They never have, they never will. The jimerican people have never objected to paying the amount of tax that was necessary to pay the pensions that have been paid to our veterans of our former wars, ind they are never going to object, and I will say to the soldiers here tonight that I am going to undertake to see that your loved ones are taken care of, and I don't care what it costs, i was asked yesterday what this bill v;ill cost the Government of the united States. I said all that a person can do would be to get an esti- mate of it, but I don't care what it costs, it was right, and the Government of the United States is not so poor that it can't pay , \ 19 its just obligations. Not;, ilr, Ghairman, I did not come hero to spoak. Mr. Glide told mo today that v/e were going to corns here and shake hands and meot one another, I want to apologize for the length of time I have taken, I v.'ant to see the administration of the law improved. I will do anything to "bring it about, I v/ork about sixteen hours every day of the year and I am perfectly willing to give another hour for this purpose every day in the year. I want the soldiers to understand that the rijmor that the Senate of the United States is going to block this legis- lation; that they are opposed to it and that it is to bo side- tracked, is not true, I don*t know how long I will be in public life, and I say, as far as I ara personally concerned, I don't care. I have given 18 years of the very cream of my life to the public service. I am perfectly willing never to corae back to the Senate again, I care not as far as I am personally concerned, but as long as I am here I am going to do that, which I think in my conscience is right, and I am always going to be found on the side that defends our Government, our Constitution, and that fla^ and all that it represents, I do not propose to change it for a world's flag, The Stars and Stripes is good enough for me and I know it is good enough for you, SENATOR WATSON: I think, gpntleraen, regardless of the machinery tJ&at may be employed that the result will be satisfactory, because the American people understand that a nation that will not defend its defenders and protect its pro- il ' -20- teotors is in the tliroes of disintegration, and the people also understand that every inducement that can possibly be throv/n out to young men to join the array in defense of our institutions in the day of peril or in the hour of storm and crisis should be thrown out, and nobody need have any doubt as to where the ilmer- ican Congress stands on that question with reference to the soldiers of the T^'ar of 1917. It is a very great pleasure to me at this time to present one of your awn brothers, one vihom you honored with the position of National Commander^ just elected at your great con- vention in Minneapolis, a young man of couragb, a young man of patriotism, and a young man v/hd proposes to give the best that is in him to fUi*ther the high interests and the noble purposes of this magnificent orgaiiization. This organization in v/hich I believe, as I believe in my own existence, is the one that is to conserve the great interests of the people of the United States and preserve their institutions to succeeding generations v/ith their splendors undiminished. I have the pleasure of presenting National Commander D'Olier. (Applause.) CaiMANDER IHANKLIN D'OLIBR: m-. -Chairman, Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, comrades of the Walter Eeed Hospital, Comrades of the i^erican Legion: Ten months ago last night a group of twenty men dis- cussed the question of a veteran organization. It v/as decided that evening to call a conference in Paris one month later, or •'^ .•■•>;:.- I Itiy ':'■ ::» 21. March 15, At this conference there were to be representatives from all divisions in France, sections of S* 0# S. and G. H. Q. , for the purpose of discussing this veteran organization. About a thousand delegates gathered, and nine months from tomorrow, the nam© American Legion v/as first heard. It was officially chosen as the name of this new veterans' Organization, and the move- ment was officially launched in Prance in the A.EvF* In May the movement was officially launched in this country. By November this movement had grown from a thousand delegates on M :roh 15 to a membership of over one million, \7hat is the reason of this great growth^ There is just one roas-Jn and that is because its ideal was right and practical. iVhat is its ideal? Service, Service to this couiitry, service to our comrades who need our help. Our service to our country will consist in defense of this country from the foes without and from the fo'^^** within. In defending our country from our foes without ,ve will do our best to see that this country adopts a military pol- icy that v/ill make it safe from future aggression from any for- eign foos, and yet a system that will first make good citizens who in time of war will be good soldiers. In the defense of the country from foes within, we will take a determined stand for law and order. V/e represent nearly five million ex-service men who have proved their patriotism and their loyalty, but we know that there are nearly one hundred million other Americans who are also loyal and patriotic. We have no monopoly of patriotism or loyalty. \7e know that our service to our country v/ill depend upon just 1 i ! •«■ that extent to v/hich we get the support and approval of the hun- dred million other American citizens. In our stand for the main- tenance of law and order we realize that as good soldiers wo obeyed the military authority, and now as good citizens, with ev- en a keener sense of responsibility than ever before, we will obey civilian authority as it comes to us through the Constitu- tion of the United Statos and is expressed in the National, State and Local G-overnment. (Applause.) V/e are a great force for Americanism, but we know that there are many other forces for xjnericanism# It is our hope that we may be able to coordinate all these forces interested in the main- tenance of law and order and real x»mericanism,-and in this V7ay act as a great stabiibizer during these days of readjustment. In a way, our campaign is based on service to our country. It is also based on service to our comrades who need our help. It is based on mutual helpfulness. \7e knov/ that son© of our comrades have been terribly handicapped by their experiences while in the service of this country, and it is most appropriate that the first act of the new administration is to gather together here in Washington the State J Commanders from the entire United States for the purpose of con- sidering, first, the Bureau's dealings with the disabled men, v/ith ex-service men needing help, and second, when new legislation is needed to put those on your list on the proper basis* kSo our service is unselfish and it is practical. It is ased upin the homely virtues of oomnon sense and clear thinking and of fair dealing and an honest day's work. \7e are here particularly .'-X' -..•; ■•■^r.i:-..: •-? J .1 t - W . >f f ... 'id -i--.- ■•- t i\(. i Ai;.f:.. •„]■ i : :-: 3.;'t v; iT/T ...w JjM ,ic T^i'f..-.. 'JL; '. i i ; . U-i-f:. •■ C'VU'"!^'- ■- i ■'■ '■■ '; •: -li,*- ' a ■^' ■■'■■ r:{. l) "Jil ■' ^i'^i. U . '•'- y ri -.t .-I... r-;r,?. :>i :.l .I-:' ''••■' • *•••• ■ : ,.. , . .1 » • f •t ,' • • r ■ • - ' ' ' '■ -^ • . • '' 'it-- \ ;in ;:'•£.•-;'■ 23. at thQ present tine to take caro of the disabled men and those of our comrades needing as:5istance. This particular meetlrvg this ovoning has to do with, legislation, \7e ai-e very fortunate in having as Chairman of our Legislative Co!iimM;i;e3 Mre Miller o:^ the Ptate of PolAware, who has handled legislative nal-tors 3}.r.?o the .4i"\er?vCan Logion -.vas first started, in this covnn^y, and I am gci:ig to ank hia to erxla^n jiist what wc have in mind this evening, \7e have §-. good mary J-eaplo to hear from, and I am s^^-^S ^^ ^^7 c^^ set a good oxanplc by '^x-ealring less than four minutes, and I will ask Mr» Mller to take up the question of legislation* SENATOR V/ATSOIT: I take it for granted that every- body knows Tom Miller. He served in the House of Representatives. Of course he is not tolling that around, but I think it is all right to let everybody know it. I got out of the House before Tom got in, and I never had the pleasure of serving with him, but I know from what all the feD.lov/s say that he is absolutely all ri^t and that your legislative matters could not be in abler hands than in the hands of our friend. Look around here and see these men with arms gone, legs gone and eyes gone and I think that you ought to "have a great fine-hearted fellow like Tom, not a follow who is going around with apothecary scales to find out Just iiow this little thing ought to be weighed out, and hovi that little thing ought to be v/eighed out, but everything shoi^ld bo done in a big, free generous American way, and Tom Miller is the fellow to help do it. •• '. * ' BOH. IECSOlS. WILLIAM MILLER: Befor© the •pening remarks of the Senator from Indiana, when he opened this meet- ing, I will say that "when we were out in the hall of the House, he said, »»V.'ell, I feel at home over here," referring to the time when he was Uncle Joe's "v;hip", some fifteen years ago, gome of us said, "Well, Senator^ rumor has It that some of the hoys are going to give you a chance to feel at home in another building in this city." ©le only exemption that the watson family has claimed, so far as I can find out, is the senator's exemption which he is claiming toni^t from the presidential race, (Ap- plause and laughter.) He had all the sons that he possessed in uniform, and i will say to you gentlemen here who do not know it that every member of the House and every member of the Senate had sons in the service, if they were, first, able to raise sons, and secondly'^ if those sons had grown to the proper age, every one of them. it is too long a story to go into detail. We have come here tonight to meet you gentlemen in order to bring concrete facts before you. Y/e were invited to come to Washington to discuss particularly war Risk matters, and matters pertaining to the disabled soldiers and to those people who lost their all in the TRiari We have been here for two days. We have not been running around adding to the riches of the bus companies here in Washington. We have been attending strictly to business. At Minneapolis the Convention of the American Legion, 25. discussing War Risk and disability, said, "There are three ques- tions to be considered: What will Congress do? What shall the American Legion do? What shall, the War Risk Bureau' do?" I am going to get right down to i^cts. What shall Congress do? Pass the Sweet Bill. (Applause,) Under the able leadership of its author, and helped by the menibers of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Com- merce, of which Mr, Esch over there is Chaini^Ln, and of which there are ether members here, that bill has already passed in the House of Representatives. This bill provides for increased compensation for disabled men, because, God knows, gentlemen, before the even- ing is out we are going to show you concrete examples here in uni- form that the compensation must be increased if we are going to carry out the Government's debt of honor to these men of ours. It enlarges the permitted class of insurance beneficiaries. When a n&n takes out insurance and when a u^n takes out compensation and does not live to enjoy it, it is only fair that some one, whether by blood relationship or other relationship or by legal adoption, should benefit thereby. It also provides for the pay- ment of insurance either in a Iximp sum or in periods stretching over three years or more. As the law now is, you all know, the insurance is payable over a period of 20 years. We have all heard what the distinguished ser^tor from Utah said. He is a inan of his word, every word of it. It is 100^. When Mr. Reed Smoot states his ideas, it is most gratifying to every one of us to whom the promise and pledge are given ¥y that • ^ ••;':<- ."i-r r oi;^). .' '^.r/.''. '.M.- . ■.:•>.:{; > 'i ''C" •1 i , . -l- 26. Gentlemen, because in his hands and the hands of his two colleagues of the committee. Senator Sutherland, of West vircginiaj, and Senator John Sharp V/illiams, of Mississippi, rests the poorer to initiate the amendments to the war Risk insu-rap.ce Act emhodied in the iRweet Bill* Senator Smoot's talk, i thinks is one of the most re- asfiuring statements that any of ub has heard here in Washington since we came down here, and I know it will be our pleasure to cooperate v/ith him to any extent possible in impressing the matter upon those colleagues of hie "fiho may not fully appreciate the rights of our ex-service men and particularly the disabled ex-service(.men, as he does* Gentlemen, the United States of Am.erica, the people there- in, the bulk of them, do not appreciate what this war has left be- hind* It is a plain ma-t;ter of mathematics to figure it out» over there around veid^on, the American troops that were there saw the remains of hun^Jreds of thousands of Frenchmen that have not yet even been put under the soil; thousands of pairs of shoes above ground with the shin bone sticking out. prance lost 1,700,000 dead, 2,000,000 injured. oJbereis not a family in France that hag not had the war brought home directly to its door by either the death or the wounding of a brother or father. in Erglr,ndv it is the same way. Serbia, Italy, all of our allies have had the war brought home to them as the people of the United States will never have it brought home. Why? We will fjnd out that we finly lost sixty or seventy thousand men kr'.lled. There are two hundred and some odd thousand wounded or disabled men whose wounds show. d^at means 27. approxiroately three hundred thousand csasualities. Hardly a million and a half to two million peoiDle out of one hondred and ten raillion people of this coiuntry have had brought honie to them what this war has left "behind it, and the sixteen men here in uniform tonight, two s(iuads of men, illustrate it to you. One of these men said to us last night, "Why, gentle- men, before the v;ar statistics show that there were eiglit thou- saod men who could sign their np.mes for one million dollars. ITow, there are almost i'i:3o;:tS''-five thousand. 1!his country has been prosperous in this war, tit.: there are one million and a half of us only who Imow what the war has left behind." jf''-' ■■'. ■^•^:r ^si-i.'i.rt::;- -Oi .-;■: '..i.l:'. v.x vc"^. 28. Ihe gentlemen from Hew Hampsire (Mr. Was on) has inr- troduced a "bill wfeicb has "been mentioned in onr Conference, as second only in impoolsnce to the Sweet Bill. OSiis "bill will aii- thorize the Vfciv Rislc Insurance Bureau to establish fourteen re- gional offices thrcughoiit th^ Unitsd States. We have gone further, Mr* Watson. We wanted f orly-Sj.glit or forty-nine or fifty, one for each State and Territory in the TJ6iion. (.Applause.) 77e want this pest office, which, so lUr* Burleson says, has "been run at a profit, according to figures, we want lihis post- office to he used so that the nan that Senator Smcot means, the man that cannot write a letter, either "because he did not have the advantages that most of us had or "because he has not the time^ or "because he is away from a post office, we want the Post office Department used to extend the facilities of this great insurance department of the G-ovemri-Gnt to eTe]!y man v/ho wants to continue that insurance. We recommend as ne\; legislation, to extend the princi- ples of Llr* Sv/eet^s hillj. so that term insvj'anoe as well as con- verted insurance shall "be pa,7aDle at optioii :ln a 3^:imp sum; to eliminate all restrictions as tc the class of permitted "benefici- aries; to relieve from paymeats of premiums on t'^rm insurance those persons who are rooefiving hospital care zrjler the Bureau of War Risk Insurance; these persons in -vocational training during the period of their training, and those persons teirrporarily dis- abled, retroactive to Octc^ r 6, 1917; axid a.lF;c to x-'TOvide with- out charge hospital and medical jare for all honorabi^y discharged service men for one year from the date of their discharge. •-..;> r'j.i^ ';■•••' . ,..!■•,■■.' - ;-,3 ;f.. v-;!;?; ;*■■;-•■.;■..,,■ '.,. ■ \.;. .:V " iJs';::^ • ;.>0:";;.T rw. -:,r!? ^^r^-^i:. ■:'■ ..■'••..■. ■ .v. • .. ■ . , -- u:;.- '.; ^-i- ; i ;•<■:} .■:::'.o ].;;.;.■:. , ^: c:; .■ oi •'' . •- ; ■■:.'.. ^ ;.;■ . • . ;i.-.:v ui-^r .r..:\ . , ;.r »•■=;■■;.:■; ■ ; ; ■.: ^v..: ;.-;' .:j.;v^.>: -' :;•': • .^' ... (:.r^3 so , .♦^ -w ■: • j-rrii-^c^r. • i U ^ V - ,'i..- ••■c ■■i ^. ■■..-> Tr- :-"i:j f ■ .^ •- . ...■ -J J 29. I am not soing to elaborate tbose points because there are men in uniform who are going to tell you, sho;? you tbat vAiile they are out there at the hospitals getting thirty dollars a mcanth as a "buck private, they not only take out seven or eight dollars for their insurance policy premiuiEs but they take out an allotn:ent of ^15 board. These men have also sub- scribed for Liberty bonds, because, gentlemen, if you do not Imov; it, the soldiers of the Qiited States have proportionally not only given their fighting but they carried their share of Liberty Loan drives for their country, {^plause.) We have come down here, gentlemen, in a way that can be aptly illustrated by a stoiy to the point. Coae day I was out in the State of Nevada and I sent ny partner up to see vibether he could not get some fresh meat. I was building the fire for the meal. Pretty soon I looked up on the east slope of the Sierras and I sav/ the trees shaking back and forth and I heard a terrible crash, and pretty soon te^ partner came into the clear- ing and — he had more hair than I have — it was standing on end, and he said, " I have got a bear and I am bringing him home alive*" (Applause.) v7e came do\m here, gentlemen, to bring facts home to Senators and Congressman, real live facts. V/e have asked to come in here tonight gentlemen in I uniform from the Walter Reed Hospital, twenty minutes away from your Capitol and twenty minutes away from your offices, Mr. Cholme ley- Jones. Every man has suffered, actually suffered, not I \SJt:' -M-.) r *_■/•;,•■,;'. •':* ■'. •.; . ■^;Ki ;T.r ;• '^^ P/ 'V • V rvT '••';:;v^^A ■"ir.ff.y,^ ,fcr: • ■■'■■■. ',;■.: !:j ',0-^ uz/j:.;-- f;.;.v)V 'r.'VH^t- «*0'<-'-'ri'. ■if.v ^'*. T'l ./i' "j "^"^ '. .', ' •ITO * J I .. I .)! ./uo.' -'^'io " . i^^i .TS XCjt r •'•r ■} .•■.•*;' - 30 -. only from woimds "but suf faring from epirit, whicli is a condition that this great nation'*? goverrjinent in &11 kindness ought to change. Right here under your shadow there are sixteen hundred men» Hiey are out there. We have one per cent of theiTi here toiiight to bring sotae concrete c-Ka^p]os to you. 3ive heed to wha/i, they cay. I am going to call on Corporal Butte of the 82th Division. He is going to stand on the only log tdet •'jhe wa:? gO';e him and tell you some concrete facts- Corporal Biritte, talT'^f; the .«3tand. (Applause.) C0RP3AL BUllE: IftTo Cha3rQj.T.n, first of all, the SBixteen men - or the fifteen men "bepidos pi^^eeilf - who came here tonighb wish to pay our respects to the mo'jfbsrs of the Senate and memhers of Oojigress, and particu?.ar.ly to the Hcaorable Sexiator tfeoot from Uiah* Tlie foui'th of Kfovem'Der, if I reasjiToer the date correctly, Mt*. Jones and the chief of the Compciisa-I^ion Division came to the hospital. I did not g-et to hear -the lecture they gave that after- noon in the Bed O::oss, "but I did get to talk with them in the ^a^'d. New, when I speak these thiiig^, I practically represent one h'xnrli'ed men. ©le sixteen that are here tonight rspieaeat sixteen hucr^jj-ed men at the hospital. The morale of that hospital at this tims is lower than the Genrau army ever was, even when we had them running. Senator Smoot has mentioned practically all the things that we asked for in a peti>;ion that we eent to the imarican •J,'-,' ,* < J •".V Ti^jM^ ■>■* ■' :*.'T X t j-; !:-.:v o.v;vv ^^V/ ;:; ■■'■ * '? :v7. ■ !' '•:■', •■■■■ ." i ■■ >' f -.^vV j-.- it.-i 31. Legion at their convention at Minneapolis, Ov7ing to the pressure of buoiness, I suppose, we did not gei; an answer until they met here in Washington, Mr- BaegSp one of the Legislative Conmittee, happened to meat us by aucident one afternoon at Walter Reed. He immediately extended us an invitation to come dovm and meet the delegates from the forty-eight States and their national officers, which was a pleasiue for us, I assure you. I donH pretend to be a tailker at all. This is, I ex- pect, the first tiHe that I ever addressed this many men in my life. I hAve written out a few things that I read to these men last night regarding the condition the men are in at the hospi- tal at the present time, the way they feed them, their attitude, the discontent, the dissatisfaction, the suffering that they are going through, and I don't believe there is a man in this room tonight that knows one iota of the things that thay suffer, un- less he has been sick himself with a wound of thet sort. The peculiarities of the wounds received in battle are so different from those of accidents in civil life that I can't see from the standpoint of one who has suffered with them where they get the comparison of the two different classes of wounds. We do not say anything in our petition^ nor have we asked the War Risk Bureau or any Senator to tsJce that into con- sideration, because we thought and supposed at the time that they made this rating up that the imerican Experience Table of Mortality did not cover those things to the extant of the wounds that we had, and I don't believe it does. I had the opinion %t 5^ one man tn tha State of Kew Jersey wlio is admitted an insuyance eaqpert, supposed to be in ©very way, and he said he could not find anything that would cover those peculiarities which come time after time in after life after a man has been discharged as relieved from further treatment in the hospital, I want you to tafee this as the expression of an atti- tude of unrest, dissatisfaction, created or caused by suffering. The men in the majority of cases have not had enough to occupy their minds. !Phat is my way of thinking. Because a man, in order to get those things, must occupy his mind to a certain extent. If he does not, he is bound to drop back into dissatisfaction. A little over one month ago, after talking things over with the men at the hospital, we decided to petition your Order for support and help to get certain things straightened out, a decision that v/as reached only six days before your con- vention at Minneapolis, We found upon investigating that twenty minutes away from the hospital no representative of the War Risk Bureau had taken the time to look into the numerous cases that were there entitled to consideration. Ihe strain the country has been under for the last fovir months did not increase the morals of any former service man, but it has sho^jvn to a few of us that the fault lies mostly in the fact that this country has produced, since the beginning of war in 1914, twenty-two thousand million- aires against eight thousand previous to the time mentioned. Married and single men in the hospital at the present time, many of them supporting families and parents, have been 'i ' hi i f' 33. forced to do It on & ^s^e ^ a ^1^1^ AM t^ allotiaenti He gave his all, and then is forced to stay in the hospital with his thoi^hts on home and his wotmds. If the Hissoiwi river and the Mississippi river have disabilities enough to draw some thing like tr/o hundred juillions of dollars, if v;e can sell on© hundred million dollar planes for eight or nine rail lion, if we can let thousands of trucks stand withottt shelter, this Govenw nont with resources of billions of dollars might at least do as mT3Ch as Canada with somethi^ig liloe sixty millions of resources. Theoretical ideas cannot suffice to put a wan who has a disability back into civil life with the stamina and punch need- ed to con5L.ete with the business world of today. Of numerous men ^0 have incurred disability due to accidents previous to the war, gentlemen, I ask you, how many of them have made good? The percent- age is so small that it is only m entiotcied to illustrate; and those connected with the morale of hospital life have given us certain cases that are phenomenal in every respect, but not dealing with the general run of cases. Would any of you gentlemen be willing to trade places v;ith one of these cases now at this hospital, liv- ing on liquid diet? Now, by liquid diet, I mean oaslied potatoes, raw eggs \iaiipped iip to a liquid, some times forced through a tube in the mouth, other times throu^ the diaphragm into the stomach. 5here are men in that hospital vfeo have lived nine to fourteen monthf with their jaws bridged apart with cold amalgam,^ letting that pus viiich forms in the ulcer oits formation of the bone, rvaa back into their stonachs. You have not seen those cases. i^i^m *. .•is» -^i^.' -34- iJien, maybe, you Will be ^dlcl tha-b yoar chances of get- ting well will never be good, or perhaps you will go through fourteen operations, both minor and major, suffering" the pangs of a super-hell, and then be told you will outgrow your disability in time - that you should tcfce advantage of the Vocational training. That is all well and good. But have you taken the other side of the argument - that these men are not professional soldiers in sjxy sense, but were called by the draft into this v/ar, and that after the representations made at the time they were received into the camps, the idea was conveyed to them that they would be taken care of in every way possible? But have they done it? ©le largest Insurance Company in existence, although run by the Government and supported by it in every way, has today dwindled to almost nothing but a large building filled to the brim with War Workers and claims so numerous that one of the officials said it may take ten years to straighten out some of them, A war- time bonus is given to these workers to keep them patriotic enough to wind up unfinished work, yet we who went through that Hell over There and the Hell of a thousand tortures in the hospitals - are we to be denied that v/hich we thought we were paying for at the time that we were asked to take out this insurance? I think that I am safe in saying that over ninety per- cent of the men understood that this insurenoe covered partial, as well as total, disability at the time of taking this out. It seems a funny thing to us that about thirty-eight hundred thousand men should make that mistake. Surely it does not speak well fop ■J vrOT'^'"\ , dr. i,»)r- 7-. jLO • ;f!^■i vr: . c .; i xy>: Xl-'r. litrx *i d5^ The most exdellent Government of tha United States, if it is trug* And there are thousands and thousands that are willing to swear to it. Mr. Lindsley quit the War Risk Bureau because of fric- tion between him and those higher up, and it has been so since that time -- no cooperation between the different department heads created to handle it for the emergency, and now that we are on a peace-time basis again, it seems to us who are left in the hospi- tal, that the only solution is the combining of the War Risk Bu- reau, Federal Vocational Boardf Public Health Service and the old Pension Bureau into one concrete organization, taking advantage of the men who have made good and shown the proper spirit and com- bining them with the Department of the Interior, for the good of the eighty thousand men who are entitled to the consideration heretofore mentioned. (Applause) That there should be a more thorough interpretation of the various wound cases and their cause and after-effects, that this should be taken into consideration in the rating of the vari- ous wound cases, and that a Board should be sent to the hospitals throughout the country to get at the proper angle of the various wound cases in order to determine what per cent they should re- ceive. We contend that the American table of mortality does not cover the peculiar situation that results from wounds received in battle, and that seme consideration should be given to what these men did in civil life before entering the Army. The sixteen hundred men in the hospital are not agitat- i.^.J i^, : ■:. ; f ■A- -tc .^v\ . '• -,:yr.: LfW^ :r:.;.^: -■r.ic:^ vji «>,,»x i^j^^t i>iii" •.;^t«;T ?• 1 '.P4> «0-: •; :•n•:>r:^ ij xr. '■;lfi. ;' 36» ed or unreasonable. But I ask you, have any of you, v»!ho are in a position to know, ever been through the wards of the hospital and tried to help, or give the men any advice as to what would be the best course for them to follow ja the future? Ts70 men have coir.e to the different hospitals from time to time and given a synopsis of certain things but the vital things that are needed to put them back to the pro-trar standard have never been given to them. You must realize that these men are fighting all of the possible hacidicaps that can be throvm in their v/ay, if they are to maintain themselves in the future. They have been very patient, and from the very time that they were conscripted into the Amy, or enlisted, they have placed every confidence in the men \ihom this Government had placed in charge of the things that v;ere vital to them. Intensi- fied training and the shortness of time has been very bad for a great many of us, and in the future I think it will be very hard for anyone to get a former service man to sign a paper of any sort witliout reading it in full, and the complete explanation of same* By this I refer to the War Risk Insurance Application viaiic)! we claim was represented to us as for partial disability as well as permanent, because about thirty per cent of us could not read or write. But it seems at the present time that the only guarantees we were blessed with was that we might be allowed a discharge, af- ter insisting that we were capable of going on the outside and tak- ing care of ourselves* !Ehirteen months have passed by, and only in the last three months have officials done anything to try and get in touch ;>: V ■..I- .• r. :i r< 1 '■>iiT ■ : . ,1 .1 ! ■ ■ J 7 '^- J .. :i ;r :; ?.":i: '.- "j! ■■. -37- with the men who are entitled to it — referring to vocational training. Literature and paniphlets were given to some of us on the other side, saying what the Board would do for us, and mak- ing the propaganda work of George Oreel look like funeral crape. Have any of you men of the Vocational Board received a handicap that caused you to take up new work, starting at the very "beginning and learning it over again? If you have, then you know what it is to hring the mind "back into training so as to "be efficient. It means almost double time and concentration for the age of 25 that it would before that. I am going to give you an illustration of one who is in the hospital at the present time, a man who has "been tv/enty-six months in the Army. He claimed exenrption on account of an aged father afflicted in a very bad . way. I might say, while I am reading this, that this man is not here tonight "but if any of you gentlemen want to do something for a man who is in a very bad position financially and otherwise, as a favor you might go to his Congressman and ask him to give this man special assistance. If there is any one of you Senators or Congressmon that would like to take up this, I v/ould deem it a special favor to give you his name after v/e close the meeting. As I say, he claimed exemption on account of an aged father afflicted in a very bad v/ay, and a wife for whom he has had to pay doctor's bills continuously since being in the army. This man is now in the hospital with a disability to his right arm which makes him almost useless as a farmer, except as he may -,•}•... ' ■:xn i'O,^; V ■i / • ^ ..;,-.;^ T ". ; ■} .' V.' ■■•• 'Mi' S8* resort to hiring help to do his Woi»k. . 1 might 6ay that this man's age is 33, Can this man go to school at his age, and v/ith a lim- ited education make for any betterment in his future life the way the situation is handled at the present time? You men did not know he was out there at the hospital, did you? Well, he is there, and several more that I Imoi? personally, but your Survey Officer has never been to sea them; and I canvassed one ward Sunday and found twenty-four men who have never been surveyed as to what they were going to do. Do you think that fair to the public which has been waiting and watching for tangible results from you men? Is it going to be a case of forcing you to action every time we want anything done for us? One of the biggest faults we who are the subjects for consideration find in all cases connected with the different de- partments giving relief for the men is that there is no cooper- ation with the other sides of the Government, and we hope to see some of you men who are big enough to push the consolidation of the departments under one head through, getting results and imme- diate action on the thing in question. I thank you. (Applause.) MR. MILLER: Gentlemen, last November 11th at about 10:20 some of us at the front near Sedan heard that there was go- ing to be an armistice. The French in their quaint phrase shouted ••Fini la Guerre." *Last 4th of March when you gentlemen were adjourn- ing here and going to your homes, not knowing when you would be called again, and the President of these United States was back .).'■ ■■■'••. .'li^. ' I '•; ■5U-- -.fO'.; ■ » •K ■ V I ■ ■ ■' ! ; •■ 1 ',' "-' tli .'■ •! -t r; ■j-^f;-v.* '. •> .-,,>_,. *)fi ;;;.. :i:'V:i f:/ ..'. ■.i''K ■■■■'. :\i:ty ';■>, 'i' ■f\ •;.'<"'' Si (< f J; •>}.'vi--0' r-.^-fiv-:. ••'»•.? -39- again from Ms first trip on the George V/ashington, there was a battle going on in Northern Hassia, I am going to ask Private Nelson of the North Russia Archangel Expedition to tell you what hit him on the 4th of March, six months after we thought it was "Fini la guerre", and v/hat he is now going through. Private Nelson (Applause.) PRIVATE NELSON: Mr. Chairman, in "behalf of the soldiers who have come dov/n here v;ith me this evening, this is something that I am safe to say that I have never done in public "before, and that is to make a speech. But nevertheless I will do ray best, with your approval, and as I am one of the very few v/ho are in this neighborhood from Northern Russia, I will tell you about that. I v/ent overseas in July, 1918, v/ith the 339th Infantry, which they termed as Detroiters, you know, from Michigan. We sailed from England, landed in Northern Riissia at Archangel on the 4th of September, and we went on to the interior of the land there for about two hundred and forty miles, where v/e came in contact with the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks had fled from Archangel after they had taken from that little city on the Northern coast of Russia everything that it possessed, including guns and ammunition that were sent from this country and England, G^iese Bolsheviks were well supplied with the stuff that we had sent over there for the Russian ari^y that had failed in the meantime, and the consequence was that the Bolsheviks had turned aroimd and with the aid of the Geiroan army, charged on us with our own ammunition and guns. •; i. I If ■' ■■.;.'' ;. \ .) xr ,-l:a-;i' !■• ; . '.v ,. .1, Mu;. wi .ti-:.j..\ i ", -■■(IT' ttf' ».^ :;-iU' ..■V,-, . u.;i.. V ^' I •• . f;- .'1 \ ■•:irrr:.; '.7 '-"V r.u :• 40 I \7as at the front continually from the time that we landed there until I was wounded, a period of about seven months. For most of the boys that were up thsre in Northern Russia, there was no relief, iEhey were continually at the front for ten months. The cold weathor up there is beyond mistal© , and it v/as really very hard for those men who were not acclimated to that cold v/eather to endure it. I was wounded in a little village by the name of Vistoska, on the 4th of March, 1919, after we had retreated from the Bolsheviks under their pressure for about sixty miles. At the time that I was wounded I made my way to a little first aid, where they slapped a few bandages on me the best that they knew how, and from there on I traveled for about two hundred and forty miles, over ice and snow, on a little bit of a sled, a hand sled you may call it, in order to get to a hospital where I could get attencion. Kiis took about eigtt days. Now, there is no question about what I had to endure in that length of tine, but I am glad to say that I am back to this great country that I surely did long for v/hile I v/as over *-,h?.ve. But there v/as one little question that I had in my mind that I would like to bring up before the Congressmen, and this is the first opportimity that I have ever had. I have been talking to quite a m;iraber of boys in the Walter Eeed Hor:!pital in the various wards, and I find that there are many of those boyr5 who are young married men, that are wour^dod, lying in the hospital. Now, these, men, privates in the Uijit':d States Army , received for their pay thirty dollars a month. Fifteen dollars of this money they are compelled to pay to their wife as an allotment. Tlie govorrioent also i , iV't .'i.! T'.t •; ^. ■ '-.■:j ,^.'.. i .'. J i v. . .. ;■.■,. ■ i -I ■ I- '■ .;f:,'. vi-i^'-^ •, -f-:' h,:.r. -'i •r ■) • t , • I 41. pays fifteen, naOcing a total of thirty dollars a month. No-w, those nen that have ten thousand dollars insurance to Icoep up, they are oompelled also to pay out of the fifteen dollars that they have left about aix dollars and eighty cents. At least, that is what I pay nyself • 2^ salary that I dra^z at the end of each and every month is ei^t dollars and t\7enty cents. Of course, I need at least tooth brushes and tooth paste. New, I don't "believe that there is a nan in this house toni^t but who will agree with me that it is almost an impossi- bility in this day and time to exist on thirty dollars a month, let alone live. Now, I would like to see immediate steps taken in this behalf for the married men, also immediate steps taken for the relief of the single men that are lying there in the hospital, dissatisfied. I for one have an indefinite period of time to stay in the hospital yet, and all the time that I an in this Walter Reed Hospital I realize the fact that I am going in debt deeper and deeper every day for my home. I thanlc you. (Applause. I MR. LIILI4ER: Gentl^nen, at the time the war broke out, a man named Becker was a railroad brakeman. You know what that takes, that not only takes two good legs but strong azms and a quick mind to operate. To-ni^t he sits before you here* He is going to tell you in a very few minutes his exper- ience along the lines of Vocational Training. ViRm BECICSH: Ilr. Chairman, I had quite an ui>- fortunate experience in the Vocational Training. I was located ■T;tyf- i.ttrn$.^'i^^> ^i , ■:r:t> ' ;-.i { » X:'' <^iyitj^''.' M . •.!>' "Vfrc^: •t--' rs f ; J i: -•.^;^ ^t ttbd i ■^'Ul# -< -!i 42, last sunrner.at Hospital No,3, Colonial, iJev; Jersey, and mad© application for vocational training. The Captain up there told me it v/ould take about six weeks. Well, I figured I v/ould "be discharged the first of August, hut through another operation I an not out and what would I have done? I would have had to wait maybe six or ten weeks until the crder went through. If I ana dis- charged when this Vocational Order goes through I do not get this compensation. I would get that $60.00 and I would have to wait six or ten weeks before I couid get straightened out, and there I would have been with $60.00 I thank you. MR. IIILLUR: Private Becker will get Ol8»00 a month. I want Private Levy of New York City to tell you what he is up against. PRIVATE LEVYt Gentlemen, my case is similar to Private Nelson's case, only I get less. (Laughter and applause.) I^ case, is similar to every fifen's case in that Hospital. They are all alike. I have a wife to support. I am a first class private, drawing ^0 a month, and I have a wife to support which takes $15 T •, . y ;.l^i t- i ^'•^•••■^ r^ "i.jjv'-. >■.■■,/.:. f.' /A.' -= > • -v • , ^ .?.'■' J. :■'! 45» away. OSien I have instirance which takes ^,60 away, 1 also have a father at home, and have a sister, a small sister and "brother. My father is only a worldLng nan, striaggling to get along, and I allot ^5 to him, which is no more than right after what he has done for me. (Applause.) I am not the only man in the hospital in the same predicament, and what I would like to have is immediate action so that something could "be done to remedy this. I am going in debt every day vihile I am in this hos- pital, str!:;ggling to get along. I don't know how my wife caji get along on ^^30 a month. I will he in this hospital for six or eight months to come, as several of the other "boys will be alsOf Nov;, I was supposed to be discharged about last week, and they siiggested ny taking a ninety daytf* furlough, Vi/hile I am doing it, they say it is for ny own good, and I am going to do it — I am going to take the ninety days» furlough, which should start this week, and I would like to know how I am going to live, how the tv;o of us are going to live, on 4>30 a month while I am home, I don't know how I am going to make ends meet. While I am away I draw forty cents a day ration money. I do not think anybody could live on forty cents a day very well these days, V/ell, I don't think I have any more to say just now. I think I have said enough, stated ny case; and every case in the hospital is the same or similar. What the boys need is imme- diate action right away to help them out* OSiank you. I i •i'S'i.', •U^'.'l .: -^^ r;.{ ! ' .if- ij -.- ^.*i(; . -4-^1:,,.'. ,;..^. ;j ^^ .. •■ - '^31 JL\f ■ . ■.^: ■ -.-^ ^;^■-; ; . • .-. ':^<" ■' »':i .7x '■' '■•*:, cr ^A f T^. J 46. HE .MILLER: Private Levy, what do you get in your pay eiivelope per month nox7? PRI\!i&.:icE LE'TT: #6.50 OC3»;E'!liSir.3R D-OLIIHs You have that and forty cents a day to live on during the next three months? gRIVATE LEVY: During the next three months I have forty cents to live on« and that forty cents I don't get ♦til I come tack. (Laughter and applause.) PRXVA.TE L:A^TH.E^S: If that chap hy railroad acci- dent or mishap in the railroad gets Jsack twenty-four hours late he forfeits that forty cents a day. He gets his pay, his pay la given him, "but he forfeits that little forty cents a day, which amounts to $36o00 for the time he is away. if he is twenty-four hours late he forfeits that a , MR. MILLER: Gentlemen, that is private Eatthev;B from Virginia. you will heap from him a little hit later more in detail. We would not "be complete at this meeting without a memher of the Chamber upstairs, the House of Representatives, who, although he was over the age of the draft, felt it his duty to go into a training camp as a private soldier. Royal Johnson needs no introduction to you gentlemen, (Applause,) HON, ROYM, C, JDHKSON (SCuth Dakota); Speed will be my middle name in the few remarks I have to make, because I have learned in the bitter school of the House what every man haa to learn, that he is very lucky if he gets two minutes. ?r„ ?*••>; ■'.a: {■, ' : -^iL.; ;■ -i -v r n .! J « ■.- t.'i; ir.oi.^'v? >• ■';j;ri '):. 'H- > '^c-cF:;?^ ■ -rp 47m, •*ere ts imoth^r reason xOiy I shall talk very fast and very much to tb© point c If I Fhofild attemr/i to ezteul ny lemarks in the Record toni^it, some of my gooci friends on the left^ who have had some hitter experiences in the sohool of the Argoime and dif- ferent places, m>uld he very likely to rise up in their wrath and say, "Well^ let^s go", and the chan^jes are i would he forced to go» Now, T am going to talk as fast and to use as mush speed as some of my friends did in the s)Snu Division in the Argonne. You know thore are a good many things we do not care to tell about the waro i do not care to tell ahout some of the unpleasant things that happ&x).ed in t}je Argonne, Chaceau Thler:ry and other places; and there are some of you, x mi£^t say, who do not care to tell ahout the pler^sant things that happened in the Battle of pai'is, (i,^.ughtGr) Bat I can talk ahout one feature of the war we can all agree upon, and that is the experi.enoe of every man who got any", where near a machxne gun, or got up against anything of that kind he wafl very anx?.ous to remove h5.mself fyom that particular spot, Nowj, that was a chcracterlstio of every race, every man that was in the showo 5S?o of these men from the 92nd Division, who v/orked up through the fire one day, until they commenced to hear this that you axe acasustomed to hear (indicating sound of machine gun) - they came closer and heard that (indicating sound) that sounded like that. &f course, they went down in a shell hole, like many of you gentlemen have done; and they got up closer and heard that ; C ^'" ^.-(f f: '•^i:' -i '■::.'. '■ '"i^ ^^O''* 46. (indicating noise) Buzz and Bang ••• And they went dcjvni agja-in^ like cany of you have done, like all of you "would have don© if you had the opportunity, and they decided it "was time for them to TrithdratT, They -n-ere going down one of those big, wide, French roads that always looked so good to you when you were going hack. And to those of you who were not there, I want to call your at- tention to the fact that along those roads every f ive-eigjhths of a mile or a kilometer was a beautiful white post ctflled a kilo- meter post. I never knew why they had th^i every five-eigjiths of a mile because I am not familiar with the politics in France, and I don't know how eri^ lame ducks they had to take care of, but they certainly had a good E&ny on every read. Those two boys of the 92nd were hurrying back, and th^ were going some. One of then said, "My God, but that am a long fence we are passing." The other said, "Nigger, that ain't no fence, them are kilometer posts." They were naking speed just like I am, going one a minute. I am mighty glad to be here tonight, for your distin- guished presiding officer is one of the few remaining in the Senate, because every other Senator is a candidate for the Presi- dency. Sometimes I feel tcjwards him like one Quaker Friend did towards the other when he said, "All of the world is dishonest, except me and thee, and sometimes I have xsy doubts about thee." That is with reference to the gentlenan from Indiana. It is always a pleasure to be present when Uncle Joe cannon is here. It is really unfair to some of us younger fellows. A. -♦, -; . "' f *' .■:'/.-'^ rvr/^.':. ■':'?:: ];.•■(' =::■ *" r ;■• ■•; : ." ': ': ■:■ ' ■'' ..■ ■■■'"1. ■; *:;;/r- ; '.-.f y, •j' .-S - - V ••^ :(T.*y. •^^. fc.M- »/::i tr: ,;■ «--.•'% ». .. . 'n-^ ■: :;r..:::'n', •:■•- "'"J.;"'*-.''.''- .''■., *'",■'': (■ '■ -•f ■-'(■ .:'.<-y '■; r ^- .{■ :•:<: .h-. ''.^ ■ v». y. •->. . . J. .. J. a..* •■■■.■ ir"'' ■u'":'> ■"■ :i 49. with only five or six years* e?:perience, to put us up against a member like that. You do not realize that he has served in the House of Representatives since nine years before I was "born, and he is going strong yet. It is some rjatisfaction to some of us yct'nger members that we might reach his record, because, as I s*id before, he is a comparatively yotmg man yet. Another reason why I am glad to be here tonight is because of the presence of the distinguished gentleman from Dela- ware* I can testify that he is the only Colonel in the United States Army that I ever knew or ever heard of that a Second Lieut- enant could go in after he had slept on the ground and roll him out of his bed and take his place without the Colonel resenting the intrusion. Another reason that X am glad to be here is because these men at the various hospitals will commence to realize that the .American Legion is willing to present their case and it can be presented, and I thipk it has been more ably presented by these men tonight than all of the members of the House and Senate could present it, and I only wish they could talk to the entire meinbership, and I wish they could go down and talk to the heads of the different Departments who want to move things, but who seem to be unable to get the personnel and the force that will push things along the way they should be pushed. Unless we are going to have the Ugly Head of Bolshevism rise up in our midst, some of the things that we have listened to are absolutely true, and they are the kind of things that we can't let go in this 50, co-untry. l!he on3y way to keep them below tlie surface Is to meet the honest, fair, demands of these men. yiy ovm feeling is that we should start out with the bontis. Some of the men differ with me in that, hut I can call attention to the fact that the American Legion is on record, I think with an amendment. It might he well for everyone to read it, because it says much between the lines. I can coQly say ny time has expired, and I would be proT3d to sit here and listen to the rest of these men \Jiio have given so much that the rest of us could not give for the protec- tion of their country, that their Flag might be triumphant. (Applause.) M. MILLER: For the benefit of all of the men in the hospital today, I will say that the speaker who just closed had forty-five square inches of his back taken out by an H.E. shell, and he knows what it is to be in the hospital on this side and that side. There is a point that we have not touched on toni^t yet. 0]he American Legion is on record as favoring legislation covering it. We want to see the enlisted personnel and the com- missioned personnel of the National Arny and the National Guard retired for disability on the same ground that the officers' en- listed personnel of the regular arny are retired i^on when they are disabled. There is vT. wounded officer over there, Lt. Graham, of the old 109th Infantry, 28th Division. I want to have a word from him on that point. (Applaiise.) >.' • i'l. 'v^/'Dj. r,ro., Arxq .ri- 'x:,, :.l f '•■' n 't y .1. r. :-:.\r 51. LIEUTENANT GRAHAI^: Just a fern facts. The first citation that wag made overseas cited especially the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Twenty-sixth, Twenty-eighth, Thirty-seoond and Forty-second Divisions. Four of these divisions were regular divisions, four were of the National Guard. The Regular Army divisions were partially of- ficered by reserv2 and National Anuy officers, or rather, I should say almost largely officered by teinporary officers. The decision of the United States Congress is proper, for the retirement of Regular Army officers is considered the proper method where the men are per- manently disabled. After leaving the training camps men, under tv;enty-six years of age, cany of them, were commissioned provisional lieutenants in the Reg^i.lar Army. These men are retired on three-fourths pay with the regular officers. The men over twenty-six years of age, v/ho gave up tlieir professions, who gave Tip their business and everything to go in voluntarily and serve as officers, are simply discharged on a per- centage, I believe, of thirty dollars a month. This is a decided dis- crimination against the National Guard, the Reserve Corps, and the National Array officers. For example, an old army man who is here this evening, with one arm gone and one leg disabled, and who has been in the service some twenty years as a Sergeant in the Regular AriDy, was commissioned during the recent war. He is at present physically dis- abled, cannot return to the Regular Army, and is simply disr^harged uiidiar the Compensation Act, although he lias served Y;ith the best of the HeguiAl- Arniy officers In foreign service^ An old National Guard Colonel, sixty years of age, who coinnanded a regiment of field artillery, who through action has a leg gone and a "bad skull wound, and who has icade his mark inlife, has a standing which his family must live up to; and he is dis- charged on a percentage of thirty dollars a month, A provisioiiftl Lieutenant, a man under twenty-six years of age, who went to the first training camp, a provisional lieutenant, got smashed up a tit in a railroad wreck, has a fractured shin and is discharged, or rather retired on three-fourths pay for the rest of his life. A young west point man out of the point one year, served in the war at Washington, has a flat foot and is retired on three-fourths pay. (Laughter). lOy whole point is that this First Lieutenant in the Guard, who has served over twenty years in the National Guard, has been discharged from the service and draws a percentage of thirty dollars a month, with a wife and four children. Before he went into the service his pay was about four thousand dollars a year. Marine Corps and Navy officers^ we Tinderstand, are being retired wJth the same status, that is, temporary officers on the same status as the regular officers of that service. We under- stand that over two thousand officers have jrecently been retired at Governor's island, but that very few of them have wounds. We are not kicking against the system of the Regular ■>•<■•■ t^U'' ■'■'■ ^"--^'r^y; \;;:f:?:^3 ,J'r.'?^r •' *?r:i:i^^ I . 'r*; jc :r ';r,5 h/v, nji .-'ft'j'c :>'(« T! urf ofc/'^^ ;:;•:[ -^-f-v &itc ,&riv/o-' .Uc nfs \y'x r im ^ >.r:i-: ■ ■ i I .:;.lvr"vi: -. • ;■' ■-.•I'ur r oicji.lof' 'i^J-rri.t ':.o r,:i. -':':.. :'T •■ ' f* •; .* l-:<\ '■' .:''i.!i. ^ji/f i :i ^r^vi. ;■.-' Tol •(:/t:T ;:;{.^ "x JO ^-^.o'Ta * n:; h "<:!^- • •>'■ :':Tt no .^•'i.r'\r: .'£0^-:^ ',;.; '^T ■;■•<; '^:V^'.■J. irx.'^ci^Vi''' '/■u^'i'-T'-j '/:'j "r/'-^-o ,yfyL*i l:?-:*'}^. 53. Army, we think it is proper and just for the officers of the Reg- ular Army who are disabled; but we think if it is fair for them it is fair for all. At the Walter Reed and all other hospitals we have many officers who are permanently disabled for life. So far we are not able to find out whether we are even entitled to 10^ or 100^ dis- ability. Since last spring I have been personally trying to find out whether I can take Federal Vocational Training, and so far I have not teen atle to find out what I can take. I am at the present time thirty years old, I am young coinpared to many of the officers. National Guard Officers, first lieutenants, many of them are forty- five, and yet the only thing they can do to relieve the present emergency is to take Federal Vocational Training at ^80,00 a month and train to start in life again, when they are already past the mature age. We understand that the only opposition against this is that the same mistake was made during the Spanish and Civil V/ar, but that is no reason why another mistake should be made. We also understood that this war was fought to make the world safe for Democracy, and yet when v/e return, although we fought alongside Regular Army officers, although we bore the brunt of the burden — and there is no National Aray or lf;vtional Gaari Regiment that is ashamed of its record — yet, at the same time, when we returned in :■:. ■ 'ij;..' . t.. ;,'. >•/".,■•;' I ■> , - • r > i ;' r. iv; -.' ",Ji: 'i^ZlL t ?i ■;> a; ■ , .. r. • (C •' •j :.vr r. '{ i' : ^ ' r. J ,*.*;• !'■■•: ■■■..• r'fjfir; , I i '■ ' ' . '■; • '■ i -54- after fighti.-fig to laalce the world safe for Democraoy, we find that the temporary officer is discharged on a percentage of thirty dollars a month, while the regular officer and the youngsters under twenty-six are retired on three-fourths pay for life. (Applause.) MR. MILLSR: It is now eleven o'clock, gentlemen, "but I think if Uncle Joe Gannon can show that he is wide awake and listening, his colleagues of either House will not mind staying here a few minutes longer so that we can finish our program, I want to call upon Congressman Sweet of Iowa, the author of the bill that needs no description, except that we want it put through the Senate, in the words of the French, "toot sweet." (Applause.) HCITORABLE BURTON E. SV/EET (lOV/A) i Mr. Chairman, Gentlemen of the Senate and House, Memters of the American Legion, and Soldier Boys from Walter Reed Hospital: I have listened with unusual interest to the state- ments and the speeches that have heen made this evening. We are now passing through a reconstruction period following a mighty war. Many unusual problems confront us as a nation and a people. Many questions are demanding immediate solution. There is universal unrest throughout the country. Production has failed to keep up with consumption. 35ie cost • 'ir/. oat- 'ji<''i ':.. :^f.'i' •,-. } r ..•-,•». 1 -.rv^ i v'^r Oi: ../• ; t; r.z ■.>'■■ .\ lU: ir'^it. :■ V ":-oJ.U/i •ry v-v;(.;i. i :.'.* v>C, l^iii ".. ;'. li-' ..v ;;■;...; ^ 65 - of living is mounting higher and higher. The parchasing power of the dollar is less than one-half of what it was prior to the war. Labor and Capital are contending for supremacy. The rail- way prohlem must he solved. Qhey must be unscrambled, if possible, aaie lawless, the I.W.W. , the Anarchists, the Bolshevists, and the Reds, the enemies of our form of Goveriiment, must be taken care of by proper legislation* This elemont must be stamped out by force, if need be. America must not be the breeding ground for this type and character of men. Ohey must understand that every true American has respect for the Constitution and the laws en- acted thereunder, and is in favor of law and order. Let them understand once for all that Imerioa is for Americans. (Applause. ) And when I say Americans I mean native and naturalized Americans, who are in harmony with the fundamentals of our institutions and in accord with the spirit and genius of our civilization. While we are engrossed with these mighty problems we imist not forget those who took part in the great war. GSios© who left their homes and loved ones; those who left their business to the care and keeping of their friends; those who went across three thousand miles of sea to vindicate the honor and integrity of our Government; those who defended the flag on foreign soil; those ^o gave their very lifeblood and endured the hell of battle that our cause might be triumphant. What is our full duty to them? The dead are beyond our power to add or detract. What about their families, their wives, and children, and those who were dependent upon them? ,•,..- ^i'- '\r- /;*»•: i ■ ■•.■? .'i-.-, •:; j. ,;■■■■""' -^ ;•••• « .' j';:;v'; . ■''.■\- "i " v- • ■'•'' •! .• '< •>'.: ,-u^ ^^'t/ ' "j',;. -i ••t-ii ,r!lf;xjt' ' ^^ -•.''> , 7/, .. ■. .^ " , " '■: V • •!, •■' '• ■n /•♦-i/ii.- 1 J -r-.; ■; ''-■•/:-,::'":'.iV' • r> " ■ J "■:^' '->' :'• '. '■:-.' '-.'■ ,-■.■■ r.t •»;;• ;■,!-• •;•>;! :'/ , . ^■... «.:*^oC- ■ ■{ .:■";■: '-. ; ,.: •.•■.'■■ ^; . '::o;j ?<■;•■ -iart"^'"'^-; '* ■ ■'■ "n : • .Jin . r; ;*:;•«..■■: „ .'••; '■>•■>'. .' ,^•>,* > . :;' •' , a; •■•'•■ !■■■• '.. •> '.;■ .■.;•--., ;.. yrni \ i- • ••..•• • -. •. l<:.-«:, ;.;• .. '.. i\ • . : ■■' . ' f.'!i: 'j.51'^ 'b. !^ ^ ^-^ . :.ru'\ r< ; . /: .^■:,.,■■•;'^ ci ■ ■ ■ .■' ' :,. :'-V : I ••\.ji f '; . ■c; ; '• • ?H': ';t r^ 'V ;£.'>;/ ?;'.^ fvi ■■ -.",;; -/^..' 56, ^liat about th.e living? What about those who have been maimed, th^ir bodies torn by shot and shell, or perbaps ravished by disease? Those v/ho are resting tonight upon beds of pain? V/hat can we do for them? What should we do for them as a grateful people, remembering the sacrifices they made, the hardships they endured and the dangers they encountered? What can we do to show our gratitude? Someone has said that "Gratitude is the fairest flower that sheds its perfume in the heart," I say to you tonight that a nation that will not de- fend its defenders and protect its protectors is a disgrace to the map of the World, (Applause.) Some have advocated giving them land on easy terms. Some have advocated loaning them money at a lov; rate of interest and for a long period of time. Some have proposed that they be given a bonus. Some have advocated that they be paid at the rate of thirty dollars per month for every month they served, and fractional part thereof. All these plans have their advocates and are good as far as they go, but none of them, it seems to me, meet the im- mediate needs of the disabled soldiers and those dependent upon them for sustenance, clothing and support. On October 6, 1917, Congress enacted the War Risk In- surance Act- The bill is divided into four parts — Title I '^i.i'.i. •: '".•' W: • ■}■■: 'f.-': 1 i. J c;.,' 1 . ...... '. ;■ ) -;. J. :i ;;:.;::: '.V'' I i r I '■>'> 57: relates to the organization of the Bureau — Title II relates to allot meaits and family allowances -- Title III relates to cornpensa tion to be paid in case of deatli or disability — Title IV relates to insurance payable in case of death or total disability. The objects and purposes of the Act v/ere to take care of the families of the soldiers, sailors and marines, their wives, children and those who were dependent updU them, while they were fighting the battles of the Republic. It v;as v;ar legislation. This is the first time in the history of the Nation that leg- islation of this character has been enacted prior to the close of a war. Our pension legislation has always been enacted after the war. Now that the vmr is over what can be done to make the War Risk Insurance law meet the inmediate demands and needs of the disabled soldiers, sailors and inalfines, and their dependent? The allotment and family allov^ance features will soon become inoperative, for they relate solely to war conditions. The compensation features should be amended to meet the existing conditions — first, as to the condition of disabled soldiers, as measured by their earning capacity in civil oc- cupations — second, to meet the ever increasing cost of living. The insurance features should be liberalized and mad© more attractive. T!be organizatioii and management of the Bureau should ,C.t ' ; .. 58 be made more efficiant. On Septf^moer ]3th the House passed a bill amending and modifying thy Wai' ,Ri.3i: Ir'iuranc^ act, keeping in mind at all times the Lrsmf^.dir.tQ ail iJip-i^sti-^e deiTiPnd:? of the disabled soldiers, sailors ami rriariur^s &}yl "^.lirir dope rid^n^is. In t>iis ?'ixl coirrcon^ajicn for disabled soldiers was al- most trebled. Unciir the present law a soldier without dependents receiv3s for total temporary disability not to exceed thirty dollars per months Under the bill passed by the House he will receive eighty dollars per month. If he has a wife and children he will receive more than that. The compensation features of the bill are made retroactive and if it is passed by tho Senate in its present form the Government will iiTimediately pay to di&abled soldiers, sailors and marines over fourteen million dollars, in acoorc'ar.ce v/lth this phase of the bill. It has been reported to mo that in many instances disabled soldiers are borrowing money from the Red Cross and their relatives and friends in order that they may have sufficient funds to tide them over ur^til tho bill becomes a law. They simply cannot exist on the coirpensation they are now receiving. It is not a theory that confronts them but cold, ha,rd facts, in justice this legislation should be irrmodiately pas-3od by the Senate. ©le bill pas JO d the Eouse L-y a unanimous vote. The com- pensation features of the bill have met with almost universal ap- MT.f ' t < ;, i :i. >«; ( I i. 59 -• ppoval by disabled soldiers throughout the country, Thousands of letters have been "written to Congressmen and Senators, voicing their approval. The bill has met with the enthusiastic support of the whole press of the country. Not only that, the ^erican Legion in convention as- sembled at Minneapolis, on November 10, 11, and 12, gave it their unanimous endorsement. (Applause.) The Legion also suggested that a number of important amendments be added to the bill, and es-> pecially one making yearly renewable term insurance payable in a lump sum or thirty-six equal installments, at the option of the insured* (Applause.) Senator Smoot in his remarks tonight has stated that he will do all in his power to have the bill passed by the Senate as soon as possible, and I am sure that the Senator means just TX^t he says. (Applause. ) The United States Senate during the last four months has been considering unusual questions. Those of prims importance have been the peace treaty, the league of nations and the rail- road bill. If this bill were now a law we would not be listening to the statements and complaints from the boys at Walter Reed Hospital tonight. (Great applause.) They would be receiving the compensation to which they are justly entitled. There is nothing nobler, nothing grander In this world, than to alleviate suffering. In my judgment there would be nothing nobler, nothing grander for the United States Senate to do, than to make the soldiers of the Republic a Christmas present by passing this bill Immediately. (Applause.) And when I speak of Christmas, it reminds me of a story. I''; -^^ib •• i.VA : : .:'l\:.' n^' :■>?•'• \{.?<'}S-'o ■'')■: ^'^lu .;om a.'»l ■,;'■: .f'i: - • v :•..': :v*-"f vi-r .jj .{:•!■ iti".i ft',. ;} •1.-:, ,cTfie.Tir ■^^•;nf •'•' r^;-n .^.!!v I ». i. r ■' .■-■">(..'; .'.: ; '• : '..: ^v '.''•^ ;• . 'v- ^" ' • •/■ • ton r , '. •) ■• \ ■ . f.- <-. i ^•;jH-r..i»; v,j-, ; .{■. - .-...I r -T '^nJ,S.•':v*r \{ ^r.' - <'; a:-f <::..^;rf .•'I"' . i ^ ''jI ul-rt ' m'- . i' .:* '•'!>:;('.:•> T- :•/'•'!:';■. * ;< - 60 - In a certain city in one of the Southern states people were lined up one morniiig in front of an express office. It was just before Christinas and they were receiving the packages that thoughtful friends had sent them. The v;hite people were waited on first, and in due time the colored people received their packages. Among the colored people was an old gray-haired darkey, and vflnen he received his package he placed it carefully and caressingly under his coat and walked away, his countenance wreathed in Sdilas. ' After he had walked along about half a block in some inexplainable way he dropped the package^ and the "bottle was broken, and the contents ran out upon the walk. The o3d darkey stood still for a moment as if in bewilderment. Then fully realizing what had happened, he exclaimed with great earnestness, "di, lord, Christmas am came and went". (Applause). I trust, gentlemen, that the inaction of the American Senate with reference to this legislation will not p33ce the dis- abled soldiers of the Bofablio in the position of the old darkey, so that they can truthfully say, "Gh, lord, Christmas am come and went . " ( Applause ) • Gentlemen, during this period of reconstruction, let us keep pace with the march of events and the deuands of the hour. Let us honor ourselves by honoring thoce who horored the nation and manl^ind everjrwhere in the greatest struggle of all the ages. Gentlemen, I tha;.k you. (Applause). •) /'I --J Si I ; ■•. i '"'■J' '\ii- i -II ./■'•)• ^5' •-:-;■; v.r fi »./•.., », i-.j •r. ■< .([ ■■-■ ■;! ■••n h MH, ?!1LLER: Coxporal HocHe, of Warrenton, Virginia, 6n my right, was a farmer before he went into the Aimy. He has a leg hei-e that he cannot operate without a "brace. You see he cannot run the plow Miy more, euad he can't sit on his hay rack. He is the last one of the boys from Walter Reed that we will hear a talk from tonight, but he has a real story. (Applause.) CORPORAL HOCKLE: I feel Mnd ol out of place here tonight talking to so many distinguished personages, but the idea is like that bt the fellow down in Kentucky about the race horses. He went down there and asked to see some race horses and a man took him out and showed him some and said, "Here are some that once were among the finest horses that ever were on the track." Then the man took him over to another stable and said to him, *^Here aro some fillies and colts that have had the finest of ancestors and they are going to develop into some of the great fillies and colts of the future." And the man who was looking for race horses said; "I am not asking for »ha8 been* s or *will be*s,» I want a ' right now," * That is my point as to the situaMon of the Army here tonight. The boys have been trying to impress upon you and tell you the idea of what they want. What does it mean? We have been in the hospital for quite a while, as you will asstime from the time of the Aimistice, when it was signed until the present time, unless they are unlucky like this man here who was in the Army at North Archangel Expedition. There have been numerous things suggested as remedies of all kinds, but the man in the Hospital today receives his army pay regardless of what amount of in- surance he carries. Written into the War Risk Insurance Act is a sug- gestion offered to the enlisted men and the oommissionea officers of the ■7d /i c?.rc/l' ■8 ; '■■■'•' V V .< I. Wirt i'jir-.V'-n'., i-,-.,. *.,.,». .,i , •■ ■ ■*■■ o C^x^v ./^r. ion .1-0 '-.1 "l/- :.- V«.^ ;f..^j ^ . YK ^i{;'^i» L. r. ;Jt ♦ :ir-r: ,: .-r ".f: ■' -^''^-' ^^^'- ^o --^^.X^'x. .,,. ,, '■■''■■■ ■■■■ .•'•;:xr« i^v-'.o ■n.^ :n[-: V:V :;,-;:"» y.,.^.;,? I, _^p,. .;; . ^^ 62 Army Forces of the cotntry, as a greater protection. These par- tially disabled men do not receive that greater protection^ Totally and peimanently disabled men are in line to receive that. The idea is here, that if a man is partially and per- manently di3a,bled while in the hospital he shculd receive the benaefit of that amo-unt of insurp.nce according to his percentage of disability, the same as the man that is totally and permanently disabled, because while the man is in the hospital he is totally disabled, and if his injury is permanent it should entitle him to this insurance. However, undoubtedly the War Risk Act does not read that way, unfoTxunately, and there is a little word in there that says "permanent '^ that prevents these partially disabled men from getting a percentage of their insurance from the War Risk Insurance Depart- ment. If they could draw this insurance it would tide them over this oppressing economic condition at the present time. Many of than have families. Unluckily, I have none. They have to look out for their families. They have those questions on their minds and they have mothers and fathers and dependents to look out for, I have not either, because my people are luclsy enoiigh to be able to take care of themselves, they own a little fana and they get along, but the idea is that we have many comrades in the hospital that" took out this insurance, but they do not get this allowance -A^'^- i-* ■ .A-* r '■ :■ * r I ;■♦.• * .tr r • •n./ •'. ^r^- t^r;-v •••>;.: ..-c ,. . ^'.-,>. vvo-h^' ,-^--.- .*» ■;■•,.•:; 7 .,'.■ -.■ .,;a .... •...,. , , 63 while they are in the hospital, but if they could get that they could send it out and it would "be not spent or thrown away on imfertile land, not at ftll» The question tha,t is uppermost in my mind and has teen since last Spring is while I have seen my "b.iddiea in the hospital there, in the condition that they are and seeing the letters that they get from the home folks urging them to send more compensation or more money so that they will be enabled to carry on the ways that they have for obtaining credit in their home places, This is most disco-oraging, I do not know what efforts will have been made to al- lettiate the suffering of these men that I speak about. The totally disabled man is receiving his check at the present time, but the partially disabled man receives absolutely nothing but his army pay, which as has been testified to here is small enough. There is just one little thing that I want to say, and that is this, that if the civilian employes of the United States Government are entitled to two-thirds of the pay as civilian em- ployes of the Goverrjment, then the soldier when he is disabled should be entitled to two-thirds of his former pay. The greaw Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces says this wa» was really v/on by the civilian soldier. Now the civilian soldier who won this war was taken from civil life and •,i\\i f' at,.. .:q V r-vi^ nwo-;.rf:t "C •. "^j .n.f ^,7:^ >:• /f-" -' .•?:.--..' •r x: ;;. '^ v-r r. ■'-( V- ;- •* _!'•(■ -I.' 0' .5b' v .~:3-'i1f r^v-^ii Ilriv ;;..--: 'll;. j-r/lw worTi' -^ \: . U-. 'ixr{ vi/o ■..;:.• ' .?/•• i4Xu»/ui.^^:< j •■•■.• /:c-M--:i n'":rr sznh:.:'.'b \i.L :j:J,-j3 .:•'.;.(■;,; .:••' ■;:> ^i^vi.rl.-iia? i-in- j:.r.i.: ■..,:-^ H ,;.;.'' t .-riff" ;■ ■ •■;y-. .ri.txi. vrs :..: 7.;.; -.lii- lo ^. I ix^^ J ■■<•"■;? c/ ir lJi-*iTe- :>\.-. ^fn;;;/. ■«■. ^.'-f f €4 Piacea in ^Utar, l,,e, „M.h necessitate, a' g.^, ,^^ 3. he Ms ..„e .^. to .Ms co.^>.., ,,, ,,,,,, ,^^ ^,^^^ .^.,Jr and his coMxa^e who did net t/ufrer in,-,,-^ _.,. .,„^, . occw'-ng positions, good ponition., ^ut of co-a-so i-, th •"- i'l the majority of cae^e that depe-ids on the individtal. In the „,= • •. ■^^- m the majority of oaeea these disatled .en would net want any considaratio. .. ,x, ,,.^ you if they had been discharged ,trai£j,t without a S.C.D. .ttZh«4 onth«n. When you get a S.C.D. man It means this: That no »>_ Ployer of a private concen, can faithfvaly take you and consider you in his business or in his work the same as a man that is not disabled. Since the Federal Ez5>loye» a Act of September 7, loig, two-thirds of the fo«,er Ul.ry of ci.iU.. c^.oyos of Le United States has been paid, and I want to ask you, and we .bin:. It u only fair and Just thirt we should ask it, that the aervxce n.en should at least receire compensation for disability .- l«s.x-.._ eqiml to that, of two-thirds of fairs e^lar^y bof^r. H«^ entered the amy, or navy, or whatever branch it was. Gentlemen, I think that is all I have to say. It la- the point of my argument. I have very little to say, and I have gotten that out of my system. I thank you. MR. MILLER: Sergeant Matthe-.TS has one point he wants to bring out. SERGEANT MATTHEWS: Gentlanen, I did not intend to do 65 this, fe-vit after I foimd out that it had not "been hro-aght out hy the men -up until this time I thought I should do so. This is in regard to the examination that is given you by the Insurance Board. Now> there is one man at Walter Heed Hospital who rates a man* s disability so far as insur-nce is concerned, and he rates it from a table. A man with an ankle, stiff anKLe, it makes no difference in regard to his stature, or his build, he is given a standard rate. Now, it stands to reason that a light man, a little nffln, would not be disabled so much as a man who was heavier, Is not that clear? What I wanted to eay was this. Why can't they have a Board examine those men? I know this from a personal standpoint. I went down myself to be examined. I lacked twelve and one-half per cent from being a dead man. In other words, I am eighty- seven and one-half per cent disabled. If I had twelve and one- half per cent more disability, I would be a totally disabled man, dead. Now, I am not dead by a long si^t, I will admit. I do not think it is fair that one man be allc^ved to do this. I went down there and went before what they called the board. This board was three men, three civilian doctors who never examin3d any of my injuries at all. They took it under the consideration of but one man today, and I feel that men ought to be allowed to be ;. d :.' « ■« rr X'-^ *, ejcamined "by more than one p«rt and no table to "be "used, "because I ]mow that there are no two wouids that have been received in this war that are exactly alike. There are absolutely no two worinds exactly alike. Wounds may affect a man differently. Now, in the hospital you will find men that the mere shock of losing an aim has affected mentally. Now, what consideration is given to that? A man may not be a "nut , " may not be crazy enough for that, but hi« mental disposition may be lowered to a certain ex- tent, and I feel that a man like that ought to be taken into consideration. Now, they told me further, for exaniple, if a man was a professional mechanic in life and lost a cot5)le of fingers, that did not make any difference in regard to his disability. Now^ if he was an expert tea^-taster, if his palate was injiired, that did not make any difference in his disability. Now, owing to the extremes of this vocational ed- ucation- I Em getting off the point, but coming back to this vocational edtication — a man that was brought up there this momifcg, thirty- three years old, - how about the younger chaps? — the younger fellows in the army? There is a clause in this Vocational Education which says four years is the limit of time. How about those fellows that came out of High School tmder age and lied to get into the service? I am- one of them. I will admit that I was a liar onee In my life. I lied to get into service. When I was sixteen years old I enlisted, I am eighteen •J':) ■.-:■■ ■■ . ■••--i. . „--i4 err ■;".. n:^ : ■ t • -' . '>• • ■■.:-.■-■.■. .;' ■ '.^' ^>^T, Oit '■^\ • "3 . .*■"•■- •;• ,>il :,C 'li . '».•'?, cj:.f ^1 . -: =-.>-^ > • ' ■ . .•- , . * ^ , . , . ..1 , ■ ,, .1. , _ .. ^ • ^ . 67 years old today. I have been out of sohool two years. What college Can I enter without a year* s preparation? What college will tatoe me without a year's preparation and put me through? Now, .to get a college education, with a year* s propa.ration would take five years. The clause says you have only four years to do it in. "Wha-t can we do? That is from one extreme to the other. There is a man thirty- three years old that Qan't change, but the yo"unger men are too young to do it. Something ought to be done there. That is all. I thank yotu MR. MILLER: Gentlonaen, the word Centralia is a shrine in the American Legion memory. The Johnson family supplied two flight- ing Congressmen from the chamber abo«e. We want to hear a very brief statement from Congressman Johnson of Washington, an American Legion member and a service man. HONORABLE ALBERT JOHNSON (WASHINGTON) ! Mr. Chairman, Senators, my Colleagues, Members of the Americ£.n Legion: I can only take one minute. I have been profoundly im- pressed here tonight, I know that you all real5.5se as we do in the House of Representatives, that each one of you can't do all of the work. EachEsniJi^ir finds a committee and gets along to the best of his ability on that committee. It has been my pleasure to follow my colleague, Mr. Sweet, It has been my pleasure to follow my colleague, Mr. McEadden, on nitrate matters and the like of that. But I have only one purpose in Congress, to get the dirty, red, slimy snakes, out of the Ifeiited States. u o; '■) "^^•: ■.■•)■'■,: . .-r : ::' .•■; . ■ .:. ■ •:.' yl *?:: • sir.- .'. . , .ir:<- ; •-; * :u. ■,-v ' '• ,-1 ' i r v"ri:j.;^ 68 And it ia vH.tb a great deal of pleasure that I say to all of yotu that there went on the calendar in the House of Rep- resentatives today a hill to make sure th?t these deportations that we have intended to take place shall take place, and right away. {Great applause,) Tou see, each one of us in Congx-iss has got something to push. This District which 1 have the honor to a^epre3ent has teen a hothed of red revolution for ten years. 1 have been through it, every phase. TShen my people honored me with election to Congress, they Imew that I would get on the Immigration Com- mittee. I state that we have had in my time, seven years, two Mils that we thought would work. And then, just to cap the climajs on Armistice Day, in the Very center of my District, this assassination toCk places Ifeiese soldiers, a company of 100, marching in a joyful celebration were shot down in this way: The I. W. W's^ these traitorous revoltltionists, that have been gnawing at the foun- dation of this Government and are now doing it so boldly, planted some of their men in theif hall, planted others with rifles on the hill nearby. "Riose in the hall were to fire when they heard A.4hot fired. Those on the hill were to fire when they heard a shot fired. These scoundrels in the hall fired at close range a cot^le of shots and then ran, and with a back signal the men on the hill^ with long range rifles, fired, and those men, jast back from Russia like that lad, fought, having served on ^3> 0,1 V-v r . „ - • ■» ■ ■* .no-.;: w' •- ■ '\-. •• - ? ' ■' ■ • IV • ''j* :?-t X'^x!. r i;r ,T0 V-T' '*'s"''^0 ' •" j*"* ■^:.T7 ' * ■' •*• > ■ ..'1 ..r ;o -•?■•, ^^- '^ ^^n^t ,^..:^j .n; ^'-"' t^'.^^it..ia Ir.'^ t ■ -o if or S :i' , i^i J ■• -> ». ^■'•»■ :-'v^o *ii- I •.l ■-i:'? /IS- s.:.-l ^.:::,'\ C : T., *■> • *■-*'■ 'p ■■■■ -t , ■■'^•" JvO.it, "rr. --•3' :?i:i;;t v^,j^^ ^^^^^^ *^' "".'/i; v.'.-/" ,IX/rf - ^ X'-r-'^ ' «'r;;t ;;• ■- .'■■^/ r-l.? ,.:tx ,,i.(jr:^ .... .j., - . . . . •■^* ;C',-r» .^\/^; 69 both fronts. They returned to thi«^ their own Tfeited Stateo, and were shot down with that -unifoim on. And one lad was killed, hie insurance had lapsed owing to failure to get to the postof fice, as a result of the Russian Goverranent, Now, to show you what kind of men we have got in that district, the Reds will claim and their defense will be that our Legion "boys started to rush their homes to mob them. That is not 60. The start was made when the pistol shot was fired, and it might have been pretty quick; but when the Mayor of the City rushed in and called \qpon those Legion boys to save that jail with twenty men that they had arrested, save those men in the jail, the very Legion soldier whose four brothers who had been shot to death got in front of that jail and st6od off the mob. That is American! ^. (Applause.) One fellow, the fellow who ran with the pistol that fired these shots, was on the road trying to get cuii ox tc'^n, and turned and shot a man, and was lynched. Now, over in "^ew York there lies tonight, shivering and shaking in the wfng of the 5"^:Ms Island building there, a dirty, cowering, cowardly skcmk, nruned Berkman, about to be deported to Russia, and I hope the cold part of Russia. The. coward ciinges and cries. Why? Because he is afraid of death. Think of itl An anarchist, the man that plur.ged a kriiZe into the back of Henry C. Prick, the man who has planted coTaho, the man who has written the most damnable literature preaching assassination, -' f -- .;•! ;„ O'. : .'7 ■• t' ). :; ,i •. T T. .. •:^ L-iii :> • I'v'* ■ I :s:>i-i :. ; : J -' t:.' J "J -t 71. SENATOR r/TSON: Oh, no. MR, MO^iDSXt: Well, that's too baxi, but there are plenty left, even at that, I enjoyed, as I always enjoy, hearing from Ibcle Joe. I am delisted to know that our good friend, the Senator from Utah, does not propose to do a thing to the War Eisk Bureau, but dismember it, I am sure that whatever happens to that great or- ganization, the gentleman who at present presides over it, will be found doing his duty and doing it ably and well, vdierever he may be Callad to service, (Apjlause,) We have all had some experience with that War Risk Bureau. We have all visited it frequently, corresponded with it regularly, have consulted its efficiency frequently, and cussed it at least part of the time, (Laughter.) I think the Bureau is getting better. In fact, I know it is, God knows there has been an opportunity for Improvement, I am sorry that we have not gotten on well with our vo- cational-trainings Surely Congress has been generous. Congress has meant well. Congress has done everything that anybody sug- gested should be done and I have not only been surprised but grieved to know that that organization with all of its opportunity has functioned so poorly, I have been interested in the oratory of the evening from these gentlemen who are accomplished orators, but I have been very deeply touched and affected by the simple stories of the men from Walter Reed Hospital, ,i;'^'2ix.-I :l>'.xil *: ..-^ -^/b o:* :i::i.i1 s. :\': --^i '-r: .-■lo"-. * >:< -'rib ^i'li-S-J CiOi'i I ,oc;.'-*i..:i;V) .-.•zx'-M^v o-^ ii. tif^'O -. ' V ,iO;\: ;■ I ,7.-. +-:. J •s.T.f-l :« '>^ £;• ^f '^i^l.C^- 'Jr -^ 1 . / * ••»y/ tjyo rTtl'r Xi »;. -\o .-^r •?:♦ -i^ :»c/t f>v;- ' v^ ■■'■li:^ •^tic-: nir- T ij'j/i 5^.' i'/ijT'-ji; ri..jr^,} ^^Ctto .tort r2v,=:;i t b.fn -^-.TOf: :5ii dXc-vJIj: : • .1'^?.-^'^ ■IrfTi'vi/T.-* cat '^.^ -v;i.-J-'-iD on.t ni foeic:" •^.'.■i.ti: '. •••?;: evr>' ^ 12. It certainly seams we have failed in oiir duty in certain regards. Brother Johnson just called attention to the fact that we each and ail of us have our particular jots, our particular lines of work. My particular line is to do whatever all of the other members conclude ought to bo done, to help ttiem accomplish those things which they think ought to be acccmplished. I am sure tnat while there are many^ men in Congress who have given careful attention to this matter of compensation and care of the woi'^jfidod men of the service, we certainly have failed griev- ously of d'.'ii.'g justice in certain classes of cases, as indicated by the statement £ that have been made here tonight* I hope we may be able to remedy -those faults and short- comings, I cc?.l?,borated wJlliiO^ good friend Sweet and his colleagues in connection '.viirh the bill that they drafted, and did 'Ahat I could to help them get the bill through the House in the Fall, We have all regretted, of cor.rse, that ohe 'rerjjte has not been able, owing to the press of other business, to bimig that measure up, but we have never, any of us, at ar-iy tiire imagine-i lo.at thsre was any possibility of the failure of the legislation. There has s:.mply beer, an unfort\anate situation that has prevented the moa^xxe from being taken up, up to this time, I hope th.'=»t it v/Hl be passed in t:he Senate very soon, I repeat I hope very much that befcro we ad.jo-'j-.Ti for the Christmas holid^,ys, Brother Gweet, that the bill may be agreed to in both Houses, ()Applav.se. ) el r-^ ■■ .. • 7-c:i .-V ' ; ■ i -. ■ -■♦ t ' ; •( t ■ . .. - 73. It is a pleasure to meet you splendid yoiang gentlemen, to look you ih the eye, to confer with you, to talk over with you those things you have in your mind. You come from every part of our great land. You have proven your worth on many fields the world around. The future is in your hands, I still thirk I am a young man, almost as yoiang as Uncle Joe, "but I realize that those of us who have been on the field of action for a long time will before long give way to you young, vigorous, hearty, capable, dependable, patriotic young men, of the men of the American Legion. You are needed at home today, just as badly as you ever were needed on the battle line of the Western Front, for there are a lot of folk in this country at this time who are not thinking very straight, and folk that need the Ijaflueace of well-intentioned right-thinking men. That is the field in which you are going to exert your helpful influence, and in the days to come you will do yourselves credit in the pursuits of peace and in the maintenance of true Americanism at home, as you reflected glory on your country in the battlefields beyond the sea. I thank you, (Applause.) MR. MILLER: Gentlemen^ a matter of business has come ■qp since I enno-unced that Mr. Mondell would be the last speaker. It is so pressing that a number of the State Commanders have called me aside and asked that Mr. McGuire be heard for a moment to ex- press the ideas as held by them. MR. MCGUIRE (NEBRASKA) (APPLAUSE.) ... ¥• MR. T, J* MCGUIBE: Mr. Cooanander and Gentlemen of both Houses cf Congress: We are particularly directed to listen to the expressions from the eminent and cistingiiisted senate t* fi-om Utah along the lines of the bill as proposed by the Aiiieri'^.an v.e^ion for the benefit of disabled men. I listened with very grea''' cc.re to so/ne of the other Cornnanders also, anLi they seem to- feel that perhaps Senator Stooof^s expression has not q.-ai be met the point as laid down in o"ur resolutions. We ha^^e one concrete case, a man with one leg. He says that in order to benefit under the present Ioawc he must hobble aroiind on that one leg to tlx^ee different biireaus in order to funft.lon J)ro«— perly. . Uiat was one case. There were others. Not, acting on those things and after a careful study, we decided to recommend to your honorable body the need of coordinating these Btireaus -onder one head, I hold no brief for the War Iiisk Insiirance. I am a member of Senator Smooths political faith, therefore I have no partisan spirit. I cannot see what benefit is going to corns to the dis- abled men in the plan indicated by Senator Smoct as a possibility or a probability; that is to say, where a man in order to function, as our wounded buddy says, will have to go from the Pension Bureau to the War and Navy Departments and from there to the Post Office De- partment, Our Legion resolution says these things ought to be co- ?6» ordinated vunder one "branch. Now, I -under stood today from a visit to some of OTir Congressmen that some of them have some personal griev- ances against the War Risk Bureau, We have grievances, too, those of us who were in the service, but we looked upon the grievances d\iring the war as something that was incidental to war. You questioned the n\imber of employes* Have you thoaight, Senat:>r, that the present number of employes is not only taking caxe of the business that has accrued and that is on the docket, sc to speak, to bd taken care of presently, but also the business, that accrued during the war, of nearly five million men? Those Are pertinent facts. Now, then, when you say this Bureau is improving and is doing better, it suggests itself to our minds that it would be better for you gentlemen to use your power and strength to support this and develop it and increase its efficiency, rather than to spread it to the four winds and divide it up into three or four bureaus. That is our thought. Fe are not Bolsheviks. We look to you as our repre- sentatives* We don*t come and demand attention as some others have come to this body. We come to you and put our case before you after we have studied it; and at least with all due respect to the Senator from Utah, we have studied it as carefully as he has and perhaps more carefully from the standpoint of our buddies who sit around here with- out limbs and without features, and with other marks of disability upon them. So therefore, let us say to you, sir, that our Legion resolution commends Itself to your attention, that we believe that this Far Risk Bureau — call it what you may, but whatever Bureau .:ii;-e7d t": %'S'^^'^' T''^''$ "iC 1^?-'^ "jioD li'" ■r -. t»/.. ^c •■ "•, .. .} .'■ ••'■'. ' 3?? : ■ £ ■r .i^;' -. : > ? .; v .. S-- •: 't 1. ' •: 7 ;■,■ J. V •■ -='■:'•■■ i' '■■■■" J L- : • i;;''i'i c ^^^ J:'. ■ 'r.i):\t-:i^ ■J-* •;./tf. -l U^-^^l^ ^-'' ^'''*'' :.'*} .-., 4.. ... . f ■ f^.'. -- tr> ■'Uf^' 'rx 76. it is or whatever organization it is — all these functions should "be coordinated xinder one head, and that the breaking vp of this Stureau and separating the work and giving part of it to the Pension Bureau, part to the War and Navy Departments and part to the Post .Office Department — which certainly cannot be held 15) as a mark of efficiency today — will not tend to icake these disahled men any happier in their lot# (Applause*) HONOMBLE REED SMOOT: Just one momeht^ please- It wou^d be altogether too long for me to even start to teiko the time to reply, but I want to say to Mr, McGuire that I think that I have given ss much attention to this sUhjoct as any man, and if I can not convince any man v^ho has, first, the interest of the Government, next the interest of the soldier at heart, that the proposition that I suggest herp is better than the situation as it exists today, I do not want him to sijgpport it, and I shall cay so on the floor of the Senate if it ever comes up. But as I stated here tonight I have not time to go into the detail of this matter, ao I will ask to "be excused and I am going to ask the soldiers to withhold their judgment until the whole case is presented, God knows I do not want to do anything that is to your dis- advantage, and if there is any better way to correct the evils that we all know exist, I am for that way, I received a letter the other day from a young man in my State, and this Bureau has been trying to make him dead for six months, and he wonH be dead, and his wife won't allow him to say that he is dead* iThere are so many things, so far as the ^.fk ^'^'^SSSZil.: ':/^ ■t^. .V- : r *...:. -.. J .M .-a..i. 1., rj • : .<••• — • . .>■ i{.f' •.(:♦. r .u *i ■ A ■■T-,.i .ji^ij ;i : ..u'l: ■■■-■■■ .:■■{*■ :. '/f '.^rk^M ,>r..:/.i •;:>■■■ r'f. 'TTJ/^O*^ .=?' X .;::r. ,c J:r-u;^':;. . .':«■ 'tv.-^j'. v;;? ;;x: : - : :! .lix^it ,■■?;■ ^;;vr'.t IC'V' ■■^"rS /t ;..; r;..-.J:i.-;«?.,..-, •. • .' .;:- ; > ;.. .CXxv/ c'.^J ■:f:;:i;i .:^^-r.> -^ /.-. . v;^ :• t'. ...^^ ■-.. 78. to call thQ .attention of the nan vt.o makes the complaint to the fact that from the thirteenth day of i3op\;ember to the very day that they voted upon the League of Nat; tors the I'lnlted States Senate was worl&- ing with all its power to save oui- piesbnb form of Governmani , to preserve iimerica's independence and sovereignty. Just tell msm thati Gentlemen, Senator Watson will close the mee>:iing. SENATOR WATSON: B/Ir# Cha3rcir.n and Gent lemon: I know that we all feel that it has been good for us to be here* Our hgarts have been touched, our pat.ric':ism has been aroused, our sense of justice has been stirred by thone very simple, direct, statements from the Bo^sp of Walter Reed Hospital. Wo all jaaow that the nystr Risk Insurance was created hastily, that it was organized under extreme cond.it ior^/?, the.t there were many inequities and many ineq.'ualities, and th^.t after awhile under some system it ie all going to be straight fc»nod out, and the jrough places will be made smooth, and the crooked places vd^l be straight. I feel soire that you will l^ave no reason to complain of the inattention of the Axaerican Congress, just ao soon as we can arrange for proper leg- islatio^u Of course, nobody, as X^cle Jo a has said, will alv;E.;:''s be satisfied with legislation, because we are so many mlilions that are directly interested, and it is iiqpossible to leg:5,slate for the case of each individual concerned. But on the whole this legislation will be satisfactory to you because w© txioiy tLat we are the repre- sentatives of the people, the servants of the men who have fought this war and won it» r.;Y.y tfi^rif- •i-i.-. ,''. , •. ri ■• I • • :>^i:/r ■I- f- a"« o>i ■ • '.'L 0^7.0^: C ,' J. />• iV 1 . .3,.- it: 79. Tbe sad feature of it all, is perhaps, that all o-ur soldiers did not return, and it is alviays to me the saddest of all the features of this war, to think of those who lie silent this night, av«ay over yonder in foreign lands. It seems so far away when we think of our Boys, avsay from their homes, away from those vriio loved them, and in turn were loved "by them* I take it that we can not more properly close this meeting than by standing in silence for a whi^e, in memory of our sacred dead who ^leep so far aw&y, in foreign fields vifeere they wait the call of angels. (All rise. Meeting adjourned.) ov.-;' .r> .;•.;;?• ;';<;;v 1 -^Ki'r .•;•.; il Ji/- b*: -■i.^vr* ■-• - ..-I .:v'vf%1 I 4':. "v ^ ,:::Xix^v; I RETURN TO the circulation desk of any University of California Library or to the NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY Bldg. 400, Richmond Field Station University of California Richmond, CA 94804-4698 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS 2-month loans may be renewed by calling (510) 642-6753 1-year loans may be recharged by bringing books to NRLF Renewals and recharges may be made 4 days prior to due date DUE AS STAMPED BELOW NOV 7 1995 LIBRARY USF -MAfi-(U-2uIii !RCULATiONM|!I L.^ I 20,000 (4/94) _l Yf C9730 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY