Show LEHUE LEAGUE FAILS IN EFFORT TO PROVE ECONOMY IN CLAIMS legion has overwhelming evl evi dence that payments in great majority of caces go tor for actual needs need washington D C many of th the e charges made by opponents of benefits for sick alck and disabled veterans v 13 t were refuted as the testimony of american legion officials and experts was brought to tb a cl close ose before the joint congressional committee watson 13 miller chairman of the national rehabilitation committee of the american legion addressed himself particularly to the cu cuts ts recommended by president aloo hoover v er and brigadier general frank T nines hines administrator of veterans et erans affairs it if any specific modifications in veterans laws are recommended by the committee it Is probable abla that they will ber be based on the proposals of the president and a 11 d gen nines hines the programs of the national economy league and united t ed states chamber of commerce having indicted themselves by I 1 the he r a ckles s nesa of their demands doland deland n land g DIscus discussing the question of disability allowances which parti cu barly was the target for president hoovers attack mr miller pointed out that this law was not the responsibility of the american leion loile lohe ile he recalled that it was tha ha presidents own administration which wrote it and forced it through congress he declared nevertheless that the legion protested with all of its ability against cessation of these payments particularly ticul arly in this period of economic distress and human suffering buffering nothing less leas than cruelty in hla his budget message the president recommended cancellation of 0 f all disability allowance payments except to veterans who are perma bently and totally disabled reminding thet committee that disability allowances go to the so called non service ervice 87 connected cases mr miller declared the presidents president 8 proposal probably would remove from the rolls 94 per cent of the tha those benefit s american legion 1 I 1 nel le matti iMd has haja overwhelming evidence that the 12 and 18 monthly disability allowance payments which proceed to the overwhelming preponderance of cases actually provide rent uel fuel and in many cases food this money literally all they have to ward oft off cold and hunger to now now suggest a cancellation of these small but vitally important payments tn in this national emergency represents nothing less than a clea cies ot of cruelty it would mean deprivation in its starkest sense this provision may not have been advocated by the legion but the keglon ran can now tell you definitely and with complete conviction born of personal contact that to cancel it now would be unthinkable the effects of the review of cases now being paid will be ba bad enough it those who propose this step had been out in the small email communities as all you gentlemen have recently been and as aa I 1 have recently been where mines and factories are closed where agriculture Is stifled and had been able to see what even these small payments can do under wase administration tor for little children they would know that the suggestion amounts to nothing short of family annihilation it la Is one thing tor for well fed men to come before this bar to juggle figures but quite another to know of the apprehension and even stark existing at this minute in every hamlet town and countryside of this land lest this last bar against penury and hunger may be taken down |