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Mr. FITZGERALD. Could we not add to that the appreciation this committee has for the very accurate and definite knowledge of all these problems by the director?

The CHAIRMAN. I think that that could not be better stated, Mr. Fitzgerald, because it is a fine thing to be able to secure this information, with the executive and the legislative branches cooperating together as they have been and are without thought of politics or any other division. It is certainly improving the conditions of the former service men throughout the entire country. The cooperation of the bureau, the Congress, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars, I think, has been one of the finest things that I have seen in my experience in the Government.

General HINES. Mr. Chairman, you offer me an opportunity to thank you for this kind expression, and also to say that I appreciate greatly the courteous manner in which I have been treated by this committee, and also for the splendid cooperation that I have had since being director of the bureau from the committee as a whole and from the members individually. It is gratifying, of course, to feel that my administration has brought about some good in the bureau. I have tackled the problems without any selfish motives with only one desire, and that was to bring about proper administration. I feel, however, that this committee and the committee of the Senate have made it possible to improve the bureau. Without the legislation which you gentlemen have placed on the statute books it would not have been possible to have changed the bureau as it has been changed. So that I can not accept your very courteous statement and thanks for what I have done without saying that your share, I think, is more than equal with the officials of the bureau in bringing about whatever change has been brought about.

I desire to thank you and I desire to assure you that if there is any information still lacking, if by further hearings I can clear up any further points, I desire to do it; and I am at your call any time. Thank you. [Applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, General Hines. It is in the mind of the chairman to hear next from the representatives of the three service organizations that are recognized by both the Congress and the American Legion, Disable American Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who have always cooperated with us.

Next, there are many Members of Congress who have measures before this committee, bills introduced that might properly be coordinated, or possibly could be placed in the bill before us, and I think the committee would desire to give every Member of the House a chance to appear before the committee. If there is no objection, we will proceed with the hearing, commencing at 10 o'clock tomorrow, hearing the service organizations; then, from Members of Congress who have previously served on this committee and who desire to come before it, and next from any Member of the House who desires to present any legislative matters.

The committee will now adjourn until 10 o'clock to-morrow. (Thereupon, at 12.10 o'clock p. m., the committee adjourned to meet to-morrow, Friday, January 15, 1926, at 10 o'clock a. m.)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON WORLD WAR VETERANS' LEGISLATION,

Friday, January 15, 1926. The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. Royal C. Johnson (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. We have with us this morning Mr. Edward McE. Lewis, who is connected with the American Legion and who rendered the committee and the Congress much valuable assistance in drafting two legislative bills that have come from this committee and have been later enacted into law.

Connected with Mr. Lewis in this work are Watson B. Miller, I. H. Horton, John Thomas Taylor, and others; and representing the American Legion we desire to hear from those gentlemen later. Mr. Miller, however, is attending a meeting of the executive committee of the American Legion at Indianapolis, and can not be with us to-day, and I have requested Mr. Lewis to give the Legion's viewpoint on the legislative proposals contained in H. R. 4474. Many of these provisions contained in the proposed law were recommended by the American Legion as well as other veteran organizations.

Mr. Lewis, will you give the committee the Legion's viewpoint, as you understand it?

STATEMENT OF EDWARD MCE. LEWIS, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I desire at this point to make a very brief statement concerning the American Legion.

The American Legion, as the committee is aware, has a membership in excess of 600,000, and it has an auxiliary with a membership in excess of 200,000.

The Legion is divided into 49 departments in the United States. It has 11,000 posts, and those, in turn, report to a department, one of which is organized in each State in the Union and one in the District of Columbia. Each year each one of these departments hold a convention at which recommendations for legislation, brought to these conventions by the various posts of the Legion, are carefully considered.

Those department conventions in turn adopt resolutions on legislation, which are forwarded to our national convention, which is held each fall. A great many of these resolutions have to do with rehabilitation and the care of the disabled men; for instance, at the last convention we had something in excess of 200 resolutions which were recommended by various departments of the Legion for adoption by the annual convention. Now, prior to the annual convention meeting, there is a meeting of what we call our national rehabilitation committee.

I would like, Mr. Chairman, to insert in the record here a statement concerning that committee.

The CHAIRMAN. You can insert it at this point in your testimony, Mr. Lewis.

(The statement referred to is as follows:)

STATEMENT

The American Legion has always placed the interests of disabled veterans first in its considerations. We have felt from the very beginning that the proper care and treatment of the men who suffered physical or mental injury through their participation in the World War should be the paramount obligation of the Nation, and at each annual convention the American Legion has dedicated itself to assist whole-heartedly in this endeavor.

To make its effort effective the Legion created its national rehabilitation committee, with head offices in Washington and field offices throughout the United States. Watson B. Miller, who will appear before you at a later moment, is entering upon his third year as chairman of that committee. The committee is set up along lines similar to the central and field organization of the United States Veterans' Bureau. In the Washington offices there is a staff of experts in all matters affecting disabled and well veterans. The committee proper is composed of 49 general or State members, representing the States and the District of Columbia, and an advisory staff of medical, legal, and technical experts. Under the direct control of the chairman is a staff of 13 full-time salaried field representatives, located at strategical points throughout the country, who travel throughout their respective territories at the direction of the chairman.

The general membership of the committee is divided into five area committees, following the lines of the five control areas in which the Veterans' Bureau has divided the country. The chairmen and vice chairmen of these area committees, 10 in number, constitute the executive committee of the national rehabilitation committee, which meets on call by the chairman to discuss and decide questions. of Legion policy of a national character concerning disabled veterans on situations and matters which arise between the regular annual conventions of the Legion.

Going further down in our rehabilitation organization, the general or State members of the national rehabilitation committee also head up the rehabilitation activities in their respective State departments of the Legion, and under them are organized the county and post rehabilitation committees, reaching right down into each community.

With these numerous points of constant contact in the States and local communities, and with his permanent staff of direct field representatives, the chairman of the national rehabilitation committee at Washington is able at all times to know conditions in the field as they actually exist; he is able to secure information and data through reliable first-hand sources; and he is able in turn to keep the field generally advised as to the policies and plans of the Veterans' Bureau and of the Legion nationally as to disabled-veteran matters.

Thus the information which the Legion presents to your committee, or which you may require of it, in connection with its legislative proposals, has come from authoritative sources, either from these field representatives based upon their long experience and contact with the work or by virtue of the knowledge and experience of the members of the national rehabilitation committee proper, all of whom have been actively engaged in the work since its inception.

The largest specific activity of the national rehabilitation committee is its claims work, carried on by its service division. This involves the handling of thousands of claims annually and personal appearance in behalf of disabled veterans before the appeal agencies of the Veterans' Bureau, both in the field and in Washington. It may be of interest to state that during the year just past in excess of $2,000,000 in cash benefits were recovered for disabled veterans through the direct instrumentality of this service.

With the permission of your committee, I should like to insert in the record the names and places of residence of the members of the national rehabilitation committee, which are as follows:

American Legion national rehabilitation committee: Watson B. Miller, national chairman; C. C. Brown, service officer: I. H. Horton, secretary.

National advisory members: Dr. H. Kennon Dunham, Cincinnati, Ohio; Dr. William Le Roy Dunn, Asheville, N. C.; Prof. Charles W. Kofoid, Berkeley, Calif.; Dr. B. C. MacNeil, Washington, D. C.; Dr. William F. Lorenz, Mendota, Wis.; Robert E. Bondy, Washington, D. C.; Daniel J. Callahan, Washington, D. C.; Judge Frank M. Dineen, Omaha, Nebr.; George Mathers, Bennington, Vt.; Dr. Hugh H. Young, Baltimore, Md.; Mrs. Hazel L. Workman, Indianapolis, Ind.

GENERAL MEMBERS

Area A Maine, Dr. Estes Nichols, chairman, Portland; Massachusetts, Leo M. Harlow, vice chairman, Boston; New Hampshire, Maurice F. Devine, Manchester; Vermont, Kenneth H. Wheeler, Burlington; Rhode Island, Henry T. Samson, Providence; Connecticut, Clarence C. Scarborough, New Haven.

Area B: Virginia, H. H. Porter, chairman, Clarendon; New York, Charles Hann, jr., vice chairman, New York; New Jersey, Philip Forman, Trenton; Pennsylvania, R. J. Sagerson, Johnstown; Delaware, J. Paul Heinol, Wilmington; Maryland, Ralph E. Barnes, Baltimore; District of Columbia, Dr. Joseph M. Heller, Washington; West Virginia, A. E. Haan, Huntington.

Area C: Louisiana, Rudolph J. Weinmann, chairman, New Orleans; North Carolina, Dr. I. Thurman Mann, vice chairman, High Point; South Carolina, James C. Dozier, Columbia; Georgia, R. C. Thompson, Augusta; Florida, Dr. Davis Forster, Nero; Alabama, Charles F. Kimball, East Florence; Mississippi, Alexander Fitz Hugh, Vicksburg; Tennessee, J. G. Sims, Maryville; Arkansas, Dr. Samuel G. Boyce, Little Rock; Oklahoma, Dr. T. Hugh Scott, Muskogee; Texas, Dr. M. W. Sherwood, Temple.

Area D: Ohio, Robert L. Black, chairman, Cincinnati; North Dakota, William Stern, vice chairman, Fargo; Indiana, Dr. C. R. Bird, Greensburg; Illinois, J. M. Dickinson, jr., Chicago; Kentucky, James D. Sory, jr., Louisville; Michigan, Paul A. Martin, Battle Creek; Wisconsin, James F. Burns, Milwaukee; Minnesota, Dr. E. T. Boquist, Minneapolis; Iowa, Dr. R. J. Laird, Des Moines; Missouri, Henri Warren, Kansas City; South Dakota, Wright Tarbell, Watertown; Nebraska, Si Wheeler, Omaha; Kansas, Frank Haucke, Council Grove. Area E Colorado, John C. Vivian, chairman, Denver; California, John A. Sinclair, vice chairman, San Francisco; Washington, George R. Drever, Seattle; Oregon, E. K. Oppenheimer, Portland; Idaho, A. H. Christianson, Downey; Nevada, Lew M. Meder, Carson City; Arizona, Hilliard T. Brooke, Phoenix; Utah, J. D. Hurd, Salt Lake City; Montana, Charles E. Pew, Helena; Wyoming, A. B. Tonkin, Riverton; New Mexico, Jose G. Rivera, Sandoval.

Field representatives: Percy J. Cantwell, Boston, Mass.; Patrick E. Fox, New York, N. Y.; Thomas V. Dowd, Philadelphia, Pa.; Robert M. Tolson, Washington, D. C.; Fred E. Leister, Atlanta, Ga.; John L. Moore, New Orlaens, La.; John A. Hartman, Chicago, Ill.; George H. W. Rauschkolb, St. Louis, Mo.; William T. Kroll, Minneapolis, Minn.; John C. Keene, Denver, Colo.; James P. Mulcare, San Francisco, Calif.; Norman W. Engle, Seattle, Wash.; P. L. Forbes, Dallas, Tex.

Mr. LEWIS. You will understand that that committee is composed of men who work constantly for the American Legion in rehabilitation work, in its relief work and who give a large portion of their time free to this work; and for three days prior to our national conventio nthe rehabilitation committee meets and goes over these hundreds of resolutions which are forwarded by the various departments.

Following that three-day session, the rehabilitation committee makes a report to the convention, and the convention immediately appoints a Convention Rehabilitation Committee, which is composed of a member from each State, who has specialized in the affairs of the disabled; and that rehabilitation committee meets with the Legion's permanent rehabilitation committee, which advises and informs the convention committee, and out of that three days' session, which is subsequent to the other three days' session, the Legion's recommendations follow for the year.

These are then ratified by the convention and they are sent down here to Washington, and we submit them to the committee annually in the form of a bill that is prepared; and that is the history of the recommendations at least a major portion of them that are contained in this bill that you have before you to-day.

The CHAIRMAN. To make it clear, Mr. Lewis, the recommendations that are submitted by the American Legion are then joined in a proposed bill, such as we have before us, together with the recommendations also contained in that bill of the Veterans' Bureau, of the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and under such things as the chairman or the members of the committee desire to insert for consideration?

Mr. LEWIS. That is correct, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Then the committee discusses those questions that are submitted and also entertains such provisions as the committee might think proper?

Mr. LEWIS. Yes, sir. I will say that in this particular bill H. R. 4474, which we have before us, the Legion's recommendations are contained. Also, at the request of the chairman of this committee and at the request of the ranking member of the minority in the committee, the provisions of last year's bill, H. R. 12308, reported favorably by this committee and passed by the House of Representatives last session, which were stricken out of the Senate-provis ions which this committee and members of the service organizations believed were highly important for the relief of the disabled-are also included in this bill before you, H. R. 4474.

And, in addition to that, there are recommendations in this bill of other service organizations which were placed in the measure at a conference held at the Veterans' Bureau between the three service organizations and the bureau, and finally there are also recommendations in this bill which the Veterans' Bureau desires. With that preliminary statement, gentlemen, I will proceed with the bill.

The CHAIRMAN. Then you may discuss the bill as you desire, Mr. Lewis.

Mr. LEWIS. If I may make one more statement: I understand that the chairman desires to speed these hearings up as much as possible. So that any provision of this bill which seems to meet general agreement need not be discussed at length.

The CHAIRMAN. That is true; and in cases where there are provisions in the bill which were thoroughly covered in either your testimony or Mr. Miller's testimony of last year you may, if you desire, insert that testimony in the record. It perhaps would be better if Mr. Miller, when he appears before the committee, would insert his own testimony. But that may be agreed upon between you and Mr. Miller.

Mr. LEWIS. Very well. The bill under discussion is H. R. 4474, introduced by Mr. Johnson, the chairman of this committee.

The first proposed amendment is to section 4 of the World War veterans' act of 1924, and it would provide for a chaplain to be appointed at each United States Veterans' Bureau hospital at a salary of $3,000 a year. I might state that a year ago the Legion asked for the inclusion of such an amendment, and it was included in H. R. 12308 as it passed the House. For that reason it was included in this year's bill, and as that measure was thoroughly discussed at last year's hearings, and the committee had an understanding as to its desires in the matter, I will not discuss it here unless the committee desires.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Lewis, you recognize the fact that so far as this committee has been concerned there has been and will be neither

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