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Show PRESIDENT APPEALS FOR U. S. UNITY llon-Combatant Veteran Must Take Chances With All Others By FREDERICK A. STORM United Press Staff Correspondent CHICAGO, 111., Oct. 2 (U.R) The non-combatant war veteran must take his chanc es with other citizens in earn ing a living, President Roosevelt Roose-velt said today in a straight-from-the-shoulder speech cai-rying cai-rying his economy fight before be-fore 30,000 members of the American Ameri-can Legion Mr. Roosevelt spoke boldly in his crucial address before the Legion Le-gion convention, which had potentialities poten-tialities of winning the veterans whole-heartedly or arousing- revolt against the president's drastic compensation com-pensation cuts. Lays Down Principles He laid down three principles in dealing with veterans and declared that his policy of financial retrenchment re-trenchment was inperative if the country is to thrive. His principles princi-ples were: 1 Governmental responsibility for those who suffered injury or disease in the war. 2 No special class of beneficiaries, beneficiar-ies, over and above all other citizens. citi-zens. 3 Federal aid for non-connected service disability cases but only when all other agencies fail. No Special Favors "The fact of wearing a uniform does not mean that he (the veteran) veter-an) can demand and receive rom his government a benefit which no other citizen receives," the president presi-dent declared. "It does not mean that because a person served in the defense of his country, performed a basic obligation of citizenship, he should receive a pension from his government because of a disability dis-ability incurred after his service had terminated, and not connected with that service." In thanking the Legion for its loyalty and service, he appealed for unity and the elimination of sectionalism and class. Mr. Roosevelt referred to his economy program in cutting the realities of the depression and observed ob-served that "millions were out of work, the banks were closed, the credit of government itself was threatened." The car was stalled,, he said. Obviously, the first objective ob-jective was to get the engine running run-ning again. "It is true," he added, " we succeeded suc-ceeded in reopening the great majority ma-jority of banks, but this would not have been possible if at the same time we had not been able to restore the credit of the government. govern-ment. Industry cannot be restored, people cannot be put back to work, banks cannot be kept open, human suffering cannot be cared for, if the government itself is bankrupt. We realize now that the great human hu-man values, not for you alone 'but for all American citizens, rest upon up-on the unimpaired credit of the United States. . Recalling that mistakes, manv of them, were made in the last 15 years of administering veteran relief, re-lief, the president frankly pointed out also that "I personally know that mistakes in individual cases and inequalities affecting various groups have occurred in the past six months." "But at the same time," he said, "there stands out the fact that many of these mistakes have been rectified and that we have the definite purpose of doing justice not only to the mass, but in so far as possible, to every individual as well." He asserted that "furthermore, it is my hope that in so far as justice concerns those whose disabilities are, as a matter of fact, of war service origin, the government will be able to extend even more generous gen-erous care than is now provided under existing regulations. It is to these men that our obligation exists." Turning away from the direct problem of veteran relief and administration, ad-ministration, the president appealed appeal-ed for the support of the former service men in the efforts for national na-tional recovery. "The realization of our national program cannot be attained in six months," he said. "Re-employment has proceeded only a part of the way. From week to week there will be ups and downs, but the net result is a consistent gain. The freezing of credit has been stopped and the ice is definitely melting. Farm income has been increased; , it must be further increased." "Industry has picked up but an increased purchasing power must stimulate further." |