not apply for it during his lifetime? It seems a very nice thing for the family to have and nice for the veteran to have the posthumous recognition of his valor.

Mr. CHURCH. Yes; we have a precedent for it. The Daniel Bissell case. I cannot recall the woman's name, but she is a leading and an outstanding person. She has been given through the War Department the Purple Heart which is simply the same decoration extended to her which Daniel Bissell himself received in 1782.

Mrs. ROGERS. Of course, but it keeps alive in the people's mind the sacrifices of the veteran.

Mr. CHURCH. Yes.

Mrs. ROGERS. And that is true of the children. They would take great pride in their father's record. It would seem as an inspiration to them.

Mr. CHURCH. Yes, we really do not want to express the feeling of the organization with regard to that because that will be a matter for the War Department to determine, themselves.

Mrs. ROGERS. But you would like to have that done?

Mr. CHURCH. But we would like to see it. The above-captioned organization desires to direct the attention of the committee first to H. R. 2734 and H. R. 7927.

As has been pointed out by the representative of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Mr. Millard Rice, the provision incorporated in this bill was incorporated also as section 7, în the bill passed last year and known as H. R. 5452. This section was as has been stated eliminated by the Senate Committee. May we direct your attention to the Congressional Record of July 6, first session, Seventy-sixth Congress, page 12094, last paragraph, second column.

Senator George has furnished a report of the deliberations of the Senate Committee upon that section. May we quote from Senator George, when he said: Obviously such rating does not necessarily relate to all to the disability suffered by the veteran. In that connection as shown by the report, the Veterans' Administration agreed with the committee to rerate all veterans of the World War who suffered wounds during the war, and also agreed to establish by order, a board out of the Board of Veterans Appeals-a subcommittee of that board, so to speak-so to rate all wound cases, so that there will be uniformity throughout the country, which does not now exist, inasmuch as a rating board in one State may consider as being a 10 percent disabling wound which would not be rated as a 10 percent disabling wound by a rating board in another State; but of course, that situation might be corrected if the matter were brought to the Veterans' Administration; but the Veterans' Administrator has announced his purpose to set up a special board in Washington to rate all cases of veterans suffering from any wound.

The figures furnished by the Veterans Administration when H. R. 2734 was under discussion (or rather section 7) were that about eightyseven thousand would be affected by this bill if it became a law. We are not in a position to state how far the Veterans' Administration has proceeded on the basis of the promise made by the Administrator to the Senate Committee, but it seems from what may be gathered that only two or three thousand combat wounded veterans have been added to the rolls. This is merely conjecture.

May I ask General Hines for that figure?

General HINES. I think that is rather a generous number. I doubt if that many have but the review is still going on. It is only partially completed but we are going ahead with the desire to placing on the rolls any man who had a disability even under the greatest liberality and doubt, those men who had combat service.

Mr. CHURCH. We want to say that we certainly appreciate the desire of the Administrator to give us all that it is possible to give. Mr. VOORHIS. Mr. Church, excuse me just a moment, but what is the number of the bill you are addressing yourself to right now?

Mr. CHURCH. I am referring back to H. R. 5452, Section 7. For this reason, the combat-wounded organization known as The Military Order of the Purple Heart feels that this legislation should be pressed to a conclusion such as will be of benefit to that type of veteran. However, we disagree somewhat with the bill proposed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and are asking that H. R. 7927 replace the one offered by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The wording as furnished in this bill meets with the requirements such as are used by the War Department in the provision concerning the bestowal of the Purple Heart Medal. We feel that such wording will be of benefit to the combat wounded man. We call attention to the fact that the phrase "in line of duty" has been eliminated. We feel that this has been used to permit too wide a latitude of interpretation and has been used as a means of refusing an award of compensaton justly due him for combat service. We wish also to quote a nationally known service officer, name unknown, as follows: "After many years as a service officer, I have concluded that this question of fair adjudication of combat cases will never be settled except by the passage of an adequate law."

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Church, the law that passed the House last year, was it satisfactory?

Mr. CHURCH. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. As we passed it, it was satisfactory. But it did not get through the Senate.

Mr. CHURCH. It did not get through the Senate.

The CHAIRMAN. You came last year in behalf of it?

Mr. CHURCH. Yes, sir. The writer of this report has before him Veterans' Administration service letters under date of August 10, 1938, and August 8, 1939, relative to responsibilities and duties of rating specialists and the latter, review of combat injury cases rated less than 10 percent. The quotation goes on to say, "Service letters from the Administrator to field stations of the Veterans' Administration have value as declaration of principle but they do not give any authority whatever to field officials to take action.

"We certainly want to emphasize that statement. When such authority is lacking we simply do not get the action. It seems justified because we know that in the majority of instances medical records were not kept to any extent in combat outfits. This results in the men who have best right to consideration receiving in many instances less liberal treatment than the men who incurred disabilities at times and places which permitted of immediate hospital treatment and definite recording of disabilities."

That is very applicable to conditions as they exist now. The man who fell from a roof of a car on this side had his disability recorded

immediately. We therefore feel that the placing of a veteran who has received a wound in combat due to an act of the enemy on the rolls at a rate of 10 percent is thoroughly justified in view of what has been set forth in the quotation of this service officer, and in view of the lack of action on the part of Veterans' Administration in placing combat wounded men upon the compensation rolls.

May we point out that of possibly 140,000 men who were wounded in combat in action, 70,000 men at the most are on the rolls now out of 341,000 receiving compensation.

We therefore commend to you in toto H. R. 7927.

Relative to H. R. 7704, introduced by the chairman of the committee, would say that in view of the difficulty of interpretation of the 1925 ratings and the 1933 ratings, this bill is an absolute necessity in order to carry out the will of Congress. We therefore commend this bill for passage.

We desire to direct your attention also to H. R. 6450, which is to establish certain rights for combat-wounded veterans of wars of the United States.

We believe that section 1 is being observed by the Veterans' Administration insofar as is possible at the present time. With regard to section 2, this provision would assure that the cases would be considered upon the basis of the type of service as well as upon the medical records and testimony. It would apply equally to the combat veteran or to the men who served elsewhere. It would give the Veterans' Administration officials the authority to consider carefully the matter of hazardous or arduous service. Section 3 indicates that the Veterans' Administration shall give full consideration to conditions under which combat and zone of advance men served, in determining direct-service connection or aggravation of alleged preexisting disability. It permits that good medical judgment which should furnish the basis for service connection, where it is shown that the service had a relation to the disability or disabilities. As to section 4, we feel that it limits the group to combat men and does not include those who are not really entitled. It indeed furnished a strong support for section 3.

We trust that the suggestions herewith tendered may be of service to the committee in writing the necessary requirements of the bill, which we trust will become a law.

Mr. VAN ZANDT. Captain Church, the Order of the Purple Heart is a regularly functioning organization?

Mr. CHURCH. Yes.

Mr. VAN ZANDT. And they hold annual conventions?

Mr. CHURCH. Yes, sir.

Mr. VAN ZANDT. And they elect their national commander?
Mr. CHURCH. Yes.

Mr. VAN ZANDT. Are you in a position to insert in the record the names of the officers as well as a financial report of the organization covering the last fiscal year?

it.

Mr. CHURCH. I do not have it with me, but I will be glad to insert

Mr. VAN ZANDT. Mr. Chairman, will you grant permission for the insertion of that data?

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, it will be inserted.

214844-40-13

Mr. VAN ZANDT. I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Captain Church, who is a retired employee of the Federal Government and who devotes hour after hour as legislative representative for his organization, making great contribution to the veterans of this country, especially the disabled men.

Mr. CHURCH. Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, I believe we agreed to hear next the American Veterans Association.

Mr. Bull, give your full name to the committee.

STATEMENT OF CORNELIUS H. BULL, GENERAL COUNSEL,
AMERICAN VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Mr. BULL. I have it here. In connection with the request I made last year, which the committee very graciously granted, I would ask to be permitted to read this through without interruption, and after that I am at your disposal.

The CHAIRMAN. How long will you take?

Mr. BULL. I have four typewritten, double-spaced pages here. The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed with your statement and we will save our questions until you finish.

Mr. BULL. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, that no member of this committee nor any other person may have the slightest misunderstanding of the purposes and principles of the American Veterans Association, I shall now restate them in the record of this hearing. We believe that:

1. Service to the country in time of war is a fundamental obligation of citizenship.

2. The country owes the highest degree of care for all veterans who were in fact disabled in service in line of duty.

3. The dependents of those who lost their lives because of wounds, injuries, or disease sustained in line of duty are justly deserving of full and adequate care by the Government.

4. When a member of the armed forces has terminated his service, unharmed in mind and body, he should then be willing to resume his status as a citizen and assume the normal risks of civilian life. He should not seek for or receive money from the Federal Government, not available to citizens in equal need, who are not veterans. For the past 3 years we have been urging upon this committee the passage of H. R. 2891, our bill to increase the miserably small sums this Government pays to the widows and dependents of the men who died as a result of their war service. This committee made the munificent increase of about $8 per month in such pensions last year. If it can do no better than that this year it will be because of more interest in giving that money to men and dependents of veterans who suffered no disability in the service.

The American Veterans Association is again here demanding something resembling an adequate, decent pension for the real war sufferers. We want a minimum of $60 per month paid to widows who lost their husbands in war service. And what is more, we are willing to pay the additional direct taxes to do this. H. R. 2891 should be promptly and favorably acted upon by the committee.

UNIVERSAL PENSIONS FOR ALL VETERANS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS

We now stand at the very threshold of a general pension system. By that I mean the question is now before you, whether or not we eliminate all question of a service-connected disability and pension everybody on the basis of need.

The American Legion has come before you with the piteous cry that this Government give a pension (called "protection") to every widow of a 90-day veteran, if she needs the money. The Legion blithely disregards the cause, time, or character of the veteran's disability or death. It also disregards the fact that the widow may not have been born until after the World War ended. In other words, the Legion has embarked upon a program of a general pension system, but it is not honest enough to call it that. That is exactly what it is.

If you pass such a law, bringing in millions of people who never lived during the war for which they are drawing money, the American Legion will soon be right back before this committee demanding pensions for all veterans. In fact, the Veterans of Foreign Wars is already here clamoring for pensions for all veterans on the basis of

age.

In the eyes of this association of ex-soldiers, and I do not mean socalled ex-soldiers either, and in the eyes of the now heavily-taxed American people, no class of person in the United States is entitled to preference over his fellow citizens who are in equal need. The sole exception is the man and the dependents of the man who was injured in the military service; who actually suffered injury to preserve us, our institutions and a free country.

This committee is composed of Congressmen, something more than mere patrons of veterans. As Congressmen you must be aware of the condition of the finances of the United States. At least one member of this committee has been prominent in calling attention to that fact upon the floor of the House. You, yourselves, have set a limit of $45,000,000,000 upon the debt which may be incurred by the Government. That limit is now very close to actuality. You represent, in your districts many more nonveterans than veterans and it is just as much the duty of this committee to consider the interests and welfare of its nonveteran constituents as the veterans themselves. This Government has two sources from which it derives its revenues-direct taxation or borrowing. Nobody has yet seen or heard of a Legion tax bill or a V. F. W. tax bill designed to meet the costs of the legislation they propose here. Neither have I seen or heard of a tax bill introduced by any Congressman on this or any other committee for the same purpose. We do have a direct tax bill for national defense, for you well know that the man who does the actual paying of those taxes will readily dig down in his pocket for them. You don't mind facing your constituents back home with that, but have you the courage to go to your constituents with a direct tax and say, "Here is a tax bill for pensioning a woman, not born until 1920, who married a 90-day training-camp veteran in May 1938." You know as well as I do what the answer is.