Mr. GARNER. You will be here subject to the call of the committee? Mr. D'OLIER. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Some of the gentlemen would like to hear you now and would like to ask you some questions.

Mr. KITCHIN. No; if the gentleman prefers not to be questioned at this time, the committee, I should think, will not insist now in asking questions, but will wait till later.

Mr. D'OLIER. Mr. Miller will probably answer any question you might ask.

Mr. KITCHIN. I do not think I want to ask him any questions, but will wait until the gentleman is ready.

Mr. D'OLIER. I shall be very glad to answer any questions.
The CHAIRMAN. Now or at any other time?

Mr D'OLIER. Yes, sir.

Mr. GARNER. I thought Mr. D'Olier, as president of the association, would be probably better informed as to the general policy that he wanted adopted than any other member of it, but if Mr. Miller has charge of the hearing and has it well mapped out, I would not want to interfere with it. I would like to have Mr. Miller go on with the program.

The CHAIRMAN. Perhaps Mr. Miller, as chairman of the legislative committee, has been requested to make a full statement.

Mr. D'OLIER. Yes, sir; he has the details.

The CHAIRMAN. Then suppose we hear Mr. Miller, and if we desire to recall Mr. D'Olier, we will do that. Mr. Miller, we will hear you

now.

STATEMENT OF MR. THOMAS W. MILLER, OF WILMINGTON, DEL., CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN LEGION.

Mr. MILLER. In so far as money compensation is concerned, the United States determined upon entering the war that it would deal with the soldiers and sailors and with their dependents in the spirit of justice and not in any spirit of charity. It is proposed, in various measures presented to Congress, that the National Government give to those who served in this war a cash bonus. And it has been stated by various Members of the Congress that our National Legislature intends to await the attitude and action of the American Legion on this subject. At Minneapolis, November 11, 1919, was held a convention attended by delegates representing over 1,000,000 paid-up members of the American Legion, 2,000 delegates sitting in the convention. That convention was as representative of our American Legion constituency as you gentlemen are representative of your districts in Congress. On the subject of the bonus or adjusted compensation, the following resolution was unanimously adopted by this convention. It has heretofore been read into no record of Congress, and with your permission I will read it, because it shows you the attitude of the legion with regard to this subject:

Whereas the question of adjustment of compensation or extra pay for service men and women is now pending before the Congress, and before acting thereon the Congress has shown the disposition to await the view of this convention upon the subject: Therefore be it

Resolved, That while the American Legion was not founded for the purpose of promoting legislation in its selfish interest, yet it recognizes that our Government has an

obligation to all service men and women to relieve the financial disadvantages incidental to their military service an obligation second only to that of caring for the disabled and for the widows and orphans of those who sacrificed their lives and one already acknowledged by our allies-but the American Legion feels that it can not ask for legislation in its selfish interest, and leaves with confidence to the Congress the discharge of this obligation.

Mr. LONGWORTH. They passed resolutions on these various other questions, also, did they not, on the farm proposition, etc. Mr. MILLER. Yes, sir.

Mr. LONGWORTH. I think it would be well to put all that in the hearings, all the resolutions pertaining to soldier aid.

Mr. MILLER. All right, sir; I will not read it, but hand it to the reporter.

Mr. TREADWAY. How long are they, Mr. Miller?

Mr. MILLER. I am not going to read them, but will put them in the record.

Mr. TREADWAY. All the resolutions, not only the one which you have read, but all of them?

Mr. MILLER. Yes, sir; this is in a public document.

Mr. GARNER. What do you mean by being a public document? Mr. MILLER. The resolutions were inserted in the Congressional Record on the 18th of December by Congressman Johnson.

Mr. GARNER. I thought you said a while ago that they had not been read into any record.

Mr. MILLER. I beg your pardon. I meant in the public hearings. (The resolutions referred to are as follows:)

RESOLUTION FOR AN ACT OF CONGRESS TO PROVIDE FOR DISABLED EX-SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN BETWEEN THE TIME OF DISCHARGE AND ENTRANCE UPON TRAINING.

Whereas the immensity of this task, the large number of individuals to be provided for, the detail and consideration of manifold problems involved in the proper performance thereof renders it physically impossible to consummate the duties imposed by statute and a high devotion to the disabled ex-service men and women, at a rate of speed sufficient to provide a compensation or rehabilitation for them without unavoidable delays and an interval between the time of discharge and the time of receipt of first pay check for a course of training for rehabilitation; and Whereas this has necessitated and will necessitate for some time to come the borrowing of money from private or semipublic cocperating organizations or becoming dependent on family or other relatives for such period as is necessitated for the care of and provision for those entitled by priority of discharge to the prior services of the several governmental agencies: So, therefore, be it unanimously

Resolved by the American Legion in convention assembled, That it is the duty of Congress to provide, and Congress is hereby respectfully requested and urged to provide by law with the least possible delay, the following:

A special payment of $75 per month to be paid to ex-service men and women disabled by tuberculosis, and a special payment of $50 per month to be paid to other disabled ex-service men and women of the United States Army and Navy who served during the period specified in the war-risk insurance act and the vocational rehabilitation act, and who have been or may be discharged from the United States military or naval hospitals with an honorable discharge showing a disability, or who shall develop a disability traceable to their service and apply for compensation within three months.

Said bonus of $75 and $50 per month, respectively, is to be automatically due from date of discharge and shall be paid by the War Department or Navy Department out of special funds which Congress is asked to appropriate for that purpose, and shall be paid continuously from time of discharge until award of compensation or entrance upon a course of training for rehabilitation.

Provided, however, That when an award of compensation shall have been made, as provided in H. R. 8778, commonly known as the Sweet bill, the sums so paid shall

be deducted from the amount of arrears of compensation awarded, unless the compensation awarded be less than the sum so paid, in which case no refund shall be required of the amount in excess of said arrears of compensation awarded: And provided further, That if no award of compensation be made before the disabled ex-service men and women enter upon a course of training only such sum of arrears of compensation shall be paid to said ex-service men and women as such award may be in excess of the bonus paid for the period between discharge and entrance upon this course of training.

Seventh. Recommend that the American Legion continue its cooperation with the Federal Board for Vocational Education, Bureau of War Risk Insurance, and Public Health Service in informing and educating all members of the legion, and other ex-service men and women in their rights under the provisions of the various acts administered by said agencies, thereby dispelling, so far as possible, any bad impressions that may have resulted from unwarranted newspaper criticisms.

Eighth. Recommend that the the provisions of section 3 of the vocational rehabilitation act be extended so as to include all disabled persons.

Ninth. That paragraph 2, section 2, of Senate resolution No. 4557, the vocational rehabilitation act, as amended by Senate resolution No. 1213, approved July 11, 1919, be amended to read as follows:

"The board shall have the power, and it shall be its duty, to furnish the persons included in this section suitable courses of vocational rehabilitation, to be prescribed and provided by the board; and every person electing to follow such a course of vocational rehabilitation shall, while following the same, be paid monthly by the said board, from the appropriation hereinafter provided, such sum as in the judgment of the said board is necessary for his maintenance and support of persons depending upon him, if any: Provided, however, That in no event shall the sum so paid such person while pursuing such course be less than $100 per month for a single man without dependents, for a man with dependents $120 per month, plus the several sums prescribed as family allowances under section 204 of article 2 of the war-risk insur

an ce act.

"Be it further provided, That we recommend the enactment of legislation which will permit or enable the Federal Board for Vocational Education to pay the necessary traveling expenses of an applicant and his dependents while he may be performing necessary travel in connection with his course of training, and while traveling under orders of the said Federal board."

Tenth. That a resolution regarding equality of disability pay to all officers and enlisted personnel of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, where the disability was occasioned incident to service in the war with the Central Powers of Europe, be enacted, to wit:

Whereas the officers and enlisted personnel entering the Army from civil life during the recent war bore the same risks, the same responsibilities and burdens under identical conditions with officers and enlisted men of the Regular Army; and Whereas National Guard, National Army, and Reserve Corps officers have been discharged on disabilities ranging from 10 per cent to total, which means that they receive after discharge only from $3 to $30 per month while a Regular Army officer, if he is unfit for active duty, is retired on three-fourths of his pay with additional amounts for commutation of heat, light, and quarters; and

Whereas the present laws and regulations constitute an unjust discrimination in favor of a certain class of our military forces, viz, the Regular Army, and this discrimination being in principle un-American and unworthy the practice of a great democracy: Be it

Resolved by this national convention of the American Legion, That the existing laws and regulations do unjustly and unwisely discriminate in favor of persons whose interests were no greater and whose service was of no greater benefit to the Nation, and that such discrimination has a tendency to place the several branches of our military system on a different status, thereby causing friction and injustice; and be it further

Resolved, That this national convention of the American Legion heartily indorses the resolution on this subject adopted by the St. Louis caucus of the legion, and we again request the Congress of the United States to amend the present laws so as to place all disabled officers and enlisted personnel on the same basis as to retirement for their disability, whether they happened to serve in the Regular Army, the National Guard, the National Army, or the Reserve Corps.

Eleventh. That it is the opinion of the American Legion that in the administration of the compensation features of the war-risk insurance act that the greatest liberality be shown in determining the ratings, and that in case of question as to the rights to

compensation or as to the amount of compensation the disabled person be given the benefit of any doubt that may arise.

Twelfth. That legislation be enacted providing that if any person who has been eligible and who has received the benefits of the war-risk or vocational-rehabilitation acts or any other act for the relief of disabled service men or women shall suffer the recurrence of the disease or other disability resulting from military or naval service, such persons shall again become automatically eligible to all the provisions of such acts without the formalities now required, to the end that speedy relief may be extended to such person; and that all tubercular persons shall be considered totally and permanently disabled while undergoing treatment.

Thirteenth. That the following legislation affecting former service persons securing educational courses be enacted, such legislation being known as the Kahn resolution (H. J. Res. 78):

"That in the interpretation and execution of section 42 of the act of Congress approved June 3, 1916, and section 50 of said act, as amended by joint resolution of Congress of September 8, 1916, credit shall be given as for service in the junior or senior division of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps to any member of those divisions for any period or periods of training during which such members shall have been in active service in the Army of the United States or shall have received intensive training under the supervision of the War Department or shall have pursued a course of military training in any organization authorized by any law of the United States, the amount of such credit to be determined by regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of War."

Fourteenth. That the national legislative committee of the American Legion be empowered and directed to investigate all complaints of irregularities and injustices suffered by disabled service men and women in the administration of the war-risk, vocational-rehabilitation, and other beneficial acts and to urge legislation to remedy the same in so far as such legislation may not be covered in this report and is not inconsistent with anything herein contained.

LAND-DEVELOPMENT AND HOME-AID LEGISLATION.

Fifteenth.

Whereas the American Legion, in national convention assembled, has before it a number of bills purporting to be of benefit to those persons who served honorably in the military and naval forces of the United States; and

Whereas none of the proposed bills make adequate provision for the needs of the proposed beneficiaries; and

Whereas delay would be most disastrous: Therefore be it

Resolved, That we request the immediate enactment of a law, to be known as the American Legion home-founding act, embodying the following features:

1. Reclamation of unproductive lands by direct Government operation for settlement by service men and women.

2. Reclamation and development of rural communities by loans of Government credit for settlement of such communities by service men and women.

3. Direct loans to service men and women for the purchase and development of farms.

4. Direct loans to service men and women for the purchase of city homes; and be it further Resolved:

1. That the administration of the same be decentralized.

2. That no heavy financial restriction be imposed.

3. That the right of eminent domain be incorporated to prevent speculation.

4. That the provision of such act shall be administered by former service men and women; and be it further

Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by the national executive committee to be known as the committee on land and home aid to secure this needed legislation.

Sixteenth.

ADJUSTED COMPENSATION.

Whereas the question of adjustment of compensation or extra pay for service men and women is now pending before the Congress, and before acting thereon the Congress has shown the disposition to await the view of this convention upon the subject: Therefore be it

Resolved, That while the American Legion was not founded for the purpose of promoting legislation in its selfish interest, yet it recognizes that our Government has an obligation to all service men and women to relieve the financial disadvantages

incidental to their military service an obligation second only to that of caring for the disabled and for the widows and orphans of those who sacrificed their lives and one already acknowledged by our allies-but the American Legion feels that it can not ask for legislation in its selfish interest, and leaves with confidence to the Congress the discharge of this obligation.

Seventeenth. The committee desires to record its thanks to the disabled service men and the representatives of various organizations who have given the committee the benefit of their advice and information upon the subjects before it.

LUKE LEA, Chairman.
CUMMINS, Secretary.

In the consideration of this subject there has been a notable failure to differentiate between the bonus and a service adjustment which would be based on justice and which in no sense would be a gratuity. A correct consideration involves the entire elimination of the bonus plan, and the substitution therefor of the same principle of justice which is involved in legislation providing for the disabled men. war service adjustment will not detract from that high sense of patriotism which the service man will ever hold as a heritage. By approving the plan the American Legion will not depart from its high purposes and lofty ideals. Justice needs no apology.

A

Take the case of our allies. Australia sent 10 per cent of her population overseas and paid its fighting forces 40 per cent higher than our men are paid. When its fighters were brought home an Australian blinded in the war received a home for which he paid a nominal rent of a few cents a month to his Government. Those returned men who were unable to connect with positions immediately were paid anywhere from $10 to $15 a week until they obtained employment. Able-bodied service men who were able to go on a farm were given the opportunity to go on a farm at a nominal rate of interest. Canada sent 5 per cent of her population into the service overseas. Let us see how returned Canadians were dealt with. Returned Canadians were given adjusted compensation according to whether the man was married or single, in the case of a married man running from $400 to $600 a year per man, based on length of service. The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask you a question. You say Canada sent 5 per cent?

Mr. MILLER. Yes, sir. There were 8,000,000 Canadians, and 400,000 troops went across.

The CHAIRMAN. I have from the Canadian Government these figures. Five hundred and ninety-two thousand were enlisted. They did not all go over.

Mr. MILLER. I see.

The CHAIRMAN. You say 5 per cent went overseas?
Mr. MILLER. Yes, sir; I meant overseas.

Returned Canadians

receive $75 per month while awaiting employment.

Now, let us look into the case of one of our soldiers. A man earning $100 a month was drafted or volunteered in 1917, and under the act which your Congress has passed and which was a very fair act at that time, a soldier with a wife and one child had going to his family $15 per month for the wife and $10 for the child. Added to that was his pay of $30 a month, which made the munificent sum of $55 a month that that man in the Army had coming to him and his family. But you forgot, gentlemen, that out of his $30 a month. as a buck private $15 went as an allotment, $6 or $7 for insurance, and in addition thereto the Army took its quota of Liberty bonds,