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I have traveled through the majority of the States since 1917 and talked to many soldiers and I have never heard any of them make any serious complaint. I make this statement because I believe that Capt. Thomas W. Burns's statement to the committee yesterday gave an entirely wrong impression; was contrary to the facts and was unjust to the hospital service as it is being carried on to-day.

I served as a private in Company G, One hundred and thirty-fifth Infantry, and I am a member of the Private Soldiers' and Sailors' Legion, and, like all the rest of the privates whom I have ever met, I am in favor of the $500 bonus.

(Thereupon, at 4.30 o'clock p. m., the committee adjourned to meet again at 10 o'clock a. m., Monday, March 8, 1920.)

PART 5.

SOLDIERS' ADJUSTED COMPENSATION.

COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Monday, March 8, 1920.

The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Joseph W. Fordney (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the committee, I have a large number of letters here, some for and some against this bonus plan, and before we call the first witness, I would just like to read one letter. It is short; and then I think it proper, however, to have these letters printed in the hearings.

Mr. GARNER. If you are going to put all these letters in, we will have a stack of them every morning.

Mr. KITCHIN. I don't think it is necessary to put them in, unless it is from some man you have asked to come here.

Mr. GARNER. I was going to make this suggestion, Mr. Chairman, that wherever there is a post of the Legion, or an organized representation of the soldiers, that has passed resolutions and declared themselves, I think that would be perfectly proper to go into the record, but I do not believe it would be advisable to put into the record every letter that comes to the committee, or to any member of the committee, touching on this subject.

The CHAIRMAN. I will say to the gentleman from Texas that the petitions in the possession of the committee here would make a large volume.

Mr. GARNER. I am not speaking of petitions; I am speaking of official actions by posts of the Legion. They have posts throughout the country, and they are constantly passing resolutions with reference to this particular matter.

The CHAIRMAN. These petitions that we have represent posts somewhere and independent organizations that is, local organizations.

Mr. HULL. Mr. Chairman, in that connection I think it is the province of this committee in the course of these hearings on these different bills proposing several kinds of alternative recognition for the soldiers, to develop the full facts and all the important viewpoints, both pro and con, in order that our colleagues in the two Houses may have the benefit of this record. We are making up a record now, both for the present and the future, and all phases of the matter should be developed, and it seems to me that we might at present print in the record any resolutions of a State organization, and then the members can comb out the individual letters they get, and letters from local posts, and wherever any facts or views are found that have not already gone into the record, if they are deemed of general importance or sufficient importance, then the members could, after culling them out, submit a proposal to put them into the record.

Mr. LONGWORTH. Let me suggest this, Mr. Chairman, that the chair appoint a subcommittee to examine these letters and decide whether or not they should go in.

Mr. GARNER. I think that would be proper.

Mr. KITCHIN. How about the resolutions from different posts?

Mr. LONGWORTH. Let those all be referred to a subcommittee, and those that are really pertinent and bring out the facts that Congress and the committee ought to know let them go into the record; otherwise we might have the record filled up with a great many things that were not relevant.

Mr. KITCHIN. I have one from a post in Greenville, Miss., protesting against the bonus bills, that was sent to Mr. Humphreys for the record, but if you are going to take that course I will submit it to the subcommittee.

Mr. GREEN. I would suggest also that the subcommittee have power to set out these resolutions in the form of an abstract if that can be done. For example, resolution from such and such a post indorsing such and such a plan; just state it in a few words. I fear if we put in the resolutions from every post in the United States-and I presume we will receive resolutions from pretty nearly every one of them, and then these other letters-I am afraid the bookcases that we have here will not be large enough to hold them.

Mr. LONGWORTH. That is the reason I think we ought to have this subcommittee.

Mr. DICKINSON. I have a number of resolutions from my State. Mr. YOUNG. You don't include in that telegrams or representations made from State organizations, do you? I have a telegram here from the State commander in North Dakota that I would like to have in the record.

Mr. LONGWORTH. That is for the committee to decide, what it wants in the way of information. It doesn't want petitions necessarily, but information that may come from individuals or posts, pro or con, and the subcommittee will decide what it wants, and then those things which are really pertinent will go into the record.

Mr. YOUNG. This telegram will not exceed 100 words, and I would like to have it go in.

Mr. GARNER. In that connection I have resolutions this morning from the State organization of the Legion of Texas. They have sent delegates from the various posts to a central meeting in Texas and passed resolutions upon this particular thing. Now, it occurs to me that these resolutions ought to be submitted to a subcommittee and let them determine what ought to go into the record, and whether an abstract of the resolutions, or whether the resolutions themselves should go in, as suggested by Mr. Green. That, of course, will include your resolution as well as mine.

Mr. KITCHIN. I have many letters from ex-service men protesting against the principle of bonuses.

The CHAIRMAN. Unless there is objection, then, the subcommittee will be appointed and all petitions and all the personal letters will be referred to that subcommittee to arrange them in such order as they deem proper for printing in the hearings.

Mr. DICKINSON. Mr. Chairman, a day or two ago I read a resolution from a mass meeting in St. Louis. Has that gone into the record? The CHAIRMAN. Anything that is read before the committee has gone into the hearings. I want to read one letter here because it is

in answer to the statement made by Capt. Burns, and it is signed by a number of soldiers who give their company and regiment, etc.

Mr. GARNER. I have a letter from Mr. Burns, two of them, and they are very intelligent letters.

Mr. KITCHIN. Is Capt. Burns present?

The CHAIRMAN. No; Capt. Burns is not present. This speaks for the individual only. It is a short letter, and if you will let me read it, I will do so. It is addressed to the chairman of the committee, dated March 5, from Baltimore, Md.

(The chairman proceeded to read the letter.)

Mr. KITCHIN. Mr. Chairman, I don't believe you ought to put that letter in unless you permit me and other members to put letters in at this point. We have just passed a rule to submit all letters to the subcommittee, who will decide whether they should go in.

The CHAIRMAN. I will read it then for the benefit of the committee. I don't want to insist that it go into the record, but I want the committee to hear it.

Mr. KITCHIN. You have just passed a motion here that we will have all of these communications go to a subcommittee. Now you are making exception.

The CHAIRMAN. I am not going to insist upon it, but I want to read this letter because it is a reply to Capt. Burns. Capt. Burns claims, of course, to represent these men.

Mr. FREAR. We listened to Capt. Burns for an hour or more the other day. Not a question was raised in regard to it, and now the chairman, I understand, wants to take two minutes to read a letter in reply to it. It seems to me as a matter of courtesy we should permit him to do that.

Mr. KITCHIN. I was just trying to show how inconsistent reading this letter was with the motion that we have just adopted. I had something to put in myself. If the letter is in reply to Capt. Burns testimony, I will not object.

The CHAIRMAN. I ask unanimous concent to read this letter. Is there any objection to reading the letter at the present time, and then let the committee decide whether it goes into the record or goes into the file? I do not insist upon its going into the record, but if there is no objection I will read it.

(The chairman continued to read the letter.)

This is signed by 11 men. I will not ask to have it put into the

record.

Mr. KITCHIN. You have got some more there. Let us hear those. The CHAIRMAN. It would take all the afternoon, and some of them are opposed to it, and I would rather not read them. [Laughter.] Mr. OLDFIELD. I have a resolution here from a post in my district. Will that be referred to a subcommittee? I will ask unanimous consent to read it.

The CHAIRMAN. You will not get any objection from me. (Mr. Oldfield read the letter.)

I will say to the gentleman that so far as I am concerned, if this committee writes a bill granting a bonus to the soldier boys there will be no language in it compelling any man to take the bonus that don't want to take it.

Mr. KITCHIN. There was no language in the law compelling a Member of Congress to take his salary when they raised it. A good

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