of age or over (or when she reaches the age of 65 years) she shall be paid a pension of $50."

Mr. SCHAFER. How will that read? A widow 50 years of ageMrs. WORRELL. Yes; objection is made to younger women being pensioned, and this provision eliminates that objection.

Mr. SCHAFER. Shall be paid a pension of how much?

The CHAIRMAN. $40.

Mrs. WORRELL. $40.

Mr. SCHAFER. Yes.

Mrs. WORRELL. But if such widow is 65 years of age or over, or when she reaches the age of 65 years, she will be paid a pension of $50. Mr. GRANT. Why would you cut out the widow who is under 50 years of age?

Mrs. WORRELL. There was some objections made by some of the members, I think, that a widow under 50 was too young.

Mr. GRANT. Do you think she might have married for the pension? Mrs. WORRELL. No. I thought you gentlemen would probably consider 50 years of age rather too young, and that is the reason I suggested the change I did in the bill, hoping it would meet that objection. These old widows will not live long enough to enjoy the stipend for which it provides, but it will be a godsend to them.

In General Hines' letter to me, in June 1939, he says "there are 3,616 veterans on the roll." If they die every year as they did in 1939, according to his statement, to the extent of 1,562 in a year, in 1940 there would be 2,054 alive, and in 1941, there would be 492, so they would be wiped out that year. There would be no veterans living in 1942, according to the statistics of the Pension Office.

In closing, I desire to place in the record a few excerpts from the letters I have received from some of these old widows, many of whom are nearing the nineties, and many in their 80th year, and most of them in very ill health, with but a few years of life left to them. Gentlemen, I beg of you to give this your serious consideration. Let us be charitable.

I will read just one or two of these, but wish to include them all in my statement.

They are as follows:

1. I am the widow of a soldier of the Civil War and my father was also a veteran of the Civil War. My husband died in 1921. I am a poor widow, sick, one leg, and a rose cancer on my breast. I am almost helpless and in debt and would be so glad to get a pension.

2. I am one of the unfortunate widows who married Civil War veterans after 1905. He was a helpless invalid for 5 years and had to be waited on and cared for like a little child and could not perform the natural functions of his body. I had to feed him food, drink, and medicines. I had two major operations in 2 years on account of my body being pulled to pieces from the awful strain lifting him like a little baby with no one to help me. I am 68 years old and never since his death have I been able to work. In order to live I have raised a little money selling my furniture and have not much left. I have no family. My father was in the Civil War also. I hope and pray something could be done for me.

3. I am a Civil War widow married after 1905. My husband was an invalid and I took care of him for 17 months before he died. Now I stay with a Civil War widow who is an invalid in a wheel chair. She is 92 years old and gets $40 a month. She has to have help day and night.

Mrs. WORRELL. Imagine this condition! Two poor old Civil War widows-one helpless-living on $40 per month.

4. I am 76 years old and was married to my husband in 1906, and lived with him for 201⁄2 years when he passed away in 1932. I am in ill health and I do hope and pray a bill may be got through.

5. I married a Civil War soldier and he has been gone 16 years. I am 75 years old, in poor health, and not much of this world's goods. What a blessing it would be if we could get a pension.

6. My next birthday I will be 82. I am a widow of a Civil War veteran. I have borrowed a little to live on, but it is less than $100 and if I didn't get a pension I couldn't pay.

I was married to my veteran husband in 1907, and lived a happy life with him for 25 years, when he passed away in 1932. I am now past 80 years of age, which tells its own story.

8. I have been a widow 11 years. My husband was a Civil War veteran. I live alone. I am 68 years old and my means are getting limited. I don't want to go on relief.

9. I need help very badly as I am out of health by having a goiter cut out some time ago and it has weakened my heart. I have no family and no one to ask for help.

10. I knew when I married that I was not eligible to my husband's pension, and since he died I have worked and took care of myself, but for the last year I have been sick all the time. I sincerely hope Congress will pass a bill not only for myself but others who took care of those old soldiers at a time when they needed the care that only a wife could give.

11. I was married September 6, 1905, and lived with my husband 34 years until he died in 1939, age 96. I am now unable to work, for in 1938 I underwent an operation for a tumor under my arm and now it has come back and I must go again.

12. I am the widow of a Civil War soldier. He left me a home, but I lost it for taxes and now I am at the mercy of the county.

13. I am 78 years old and the widow of a Civil War veteran who died in 1920, and I worked until October 1937, when I fell and broke my hip, but it did not knit and, of course, I could not walk. I am in bed most of the time and the State is caring for me.

14. My husband died in 1938, at the age of 98, and I am crippled from lifting him during his 4 years' illness. I am 60 years old and have a nervous disorder of the stomach and rheumatism.

15. I married a soldier of the Civil War and we was always happy together for 21 years. He was blind for 3 years before he died and it sure did make me a lot of worries.

16. My husband died in 1939. He was a semi-invalid for 3 years before his death. I am 68 years old and in need.

17. I am the widow of a Civil War veteran who died in 1932 after several years' invalidism and near blindness. I loved him devoutly and did all I could for his comfort and care during our 161⁄2 years of married life. I am not well and am trying hard to get along.

18. On account of marriage date I don't get any pension. We lived together for 17 years until his death. I live alone and with strict economy have managed to get along but my means are getting limited and I don't want to seek relief. 19. I married a Civil War veteran who died in 1929. He had a stroke of paralysis in 1923, which left him with the mind of a little child, but I cared for him every minute. He had no one but me and deserved the best of care which I was happy to give him, but 6 long years broke my health and I am unable to work, even if my age is not against me.

20. On January 17, 1930, my husband passed away. We had been married for 25 years and for many years I dressed and cared for him as he was not able to stoop over. I live alone 3 miles from town and take in washing and also take in quilts to quilt.

21. My daily prayer is that I may have what little eyesight I have while living and am trying so hard to get where I can walk without my crutches, but am afraid I will never be able to.

22. My husband had a stroke before he passed away in 1927, which left him entirely hepless and he was in bed until he died. I took care of him all that time. 23. I am the widow of a Civil War veteran and get no pension. I have been working in the sewing room at Lake Worth, Fla., but have had no work since August and am almost crazy.

24. I have been ill since 1930 with diabetes and heart trouble. I am 68 years old and unable to work and a pauper on relief. My father and my grandfather

was in the Civil War and my husband died in 1932. My father suffered for 11 years before he died from a gunshot wound in his left shoulder and his pension was so small I had to help support him. My husband was 84 when he died.

25. My husband passed on in 1929. I am past 73 years old, too old to get a job. 26. I am 81 years old, and no support, and my health very bad. My husband broke his hip and arm, and I took care of him for 23 years. I shaved him, cut his hair, and bathed him, and did not get what I needed to eat because he gave most of his pension to his children by his first wife.

27. My husband died in 1939, at the age of 97, and all the money I had was spent for his sickness for doctors and nurses. I am 79 years old.

28. I am a widow of a Civil War veteran and 82 years old and not able to do my work.

29. My husband passed away in 1938. We lived together 28 years. I cannot work and earn anything as I have a broken shoulder and arm that does not seem to heal and also a rupture tumor.

30. I am a Civil War widow, past 81 years old, and would be so thankful if I could get some help. I feel I am a burden.

31. I am the wife and daughter of a Civil War veteran. My father lost his life in the Battle of the Wilderness. My husband passed away in 1934. I am over 81 years old and a cripple for life; have been on crutches for over 12 years, and must soon be in a wheel chair or on the broad of my back.

32. I was married in 1905. My husband died in 1920. I am utterly alone in the world and in very poor health. Doctor says I am ruptured and must be careful. I fell and broke my hip and have a brace on leg and no use of knee, and on two crutches.

33. I married a Civil ar soldier in 1924, and lived with him until his death in 1936. Mv age is 67, and I am under a doctor's care and have been for several years. My trouble brought on from overwork and anxiety in caring for my seriously ill husband the last years of his life. He finally died of cancer of the stomach.

34. I am a Civil War widow without a pension. I lost the sight of my right eye and in 1938 fell and broke my limb and have not been able to help myself along, and now a dependent. I am past 75 years old and have never had any help.

35. My veteran husband passed in 1939. He was 92 years old. in very good health, and an invalid the last 3 years of his life. to the veteran hospital for treatment and his increase was taken find myself with health broken and no financial support.

He was never He had to go away. Now I

Mr. Chairman, I should think these cases would touch your hearts. Mr. ANDERSEN. Would the lady yield for a question? How many of these widows do you suppose are past the age of 60?

Mrs. WORRELL. I think about 73 percent of them are, from what I have counted on the 515 cases reported. I have counted them up and taken the percentage. I do not know whether I have the figure here with me or not. I think about 73 percent of those are over that age. Mr. ANDERSEN. Personally, I am very charitable to anybody when they are over 60 years of age, and I should go a long way further toward this bill if there is an amendment in there providing that these widows should also be 60 years of age.

Mrs. WORRELL. That is provided in 7876.

Mr. SCHAFER. Wait a minute. Your amendment was 50.

Mr. ANDERSEN. Your amendment I thought was 50; yes.

Mrs. WORRELL. Yes; I put that amendment in, that if they were 50 years of age and less than 65. You say you could go along with it if they are over 50?

Mr. ANDERSEN. Over 60.

Mrs. WORRELL. Over 60. All right. That does not affect that amendment, Mr. Andersen.

Mr. ANDERSEN. I said I would feel very much disposed toward the bill if the age of 60 was in there.

Mrs. WORRELL. I agree with you. This bill provides if they are 50 years old and less than 65 they get $40. If they are in ill health, as most of them are, you know, and it certainly was hard work taking care of those husbands of theirs when they were old and ill.

Mr. ANDERSEN. I do not think the committee has anything to do with that.

Mrs. WORRELL. You must remember the World War men went over to "save the world." We realize now that there is no possibility of "saving the world for democracy," or anything else, but these Čivil War men saved the Union and prevented all of the States disintegrating, grouping together-one group fighting another in this country, the same as is now going on in the old country. These widows stand alone from every other war. General Hines may claim that this sets a precedent. All right, the precedent is 75 years after the close of a war. Let the Spanish War and the World War follow this precedent. Let us say to the widows of those wars, 75 years after the close of the war, we will pay you pensions. This would be following what we propose doing now.

Mr. SCHAFER. Right at this point let me ask this question: We had 5.000,000 men in the World War. It is better than an even break that we are going to be jockeyed into this next world war, and perhaps we will have about 10,000,000 more veterans before saving democracy again, and, as Mr. Rich says, "Where are we going to get the money?" Are you going to destroy the country from within? I have supported veterans' legislation, and I am an overseas veteran myself, but I certainly realize the present financial predicament of my country. I will not help to destroy my country from within through bankruptcy and inflation.

Mrs. WORRELL. We are not going to get into any other world war, because the women of this country intend to prevent it.

Mr. SCHAFER. Do not be so certain about that. It is now proposed that we raid our almost bankrupt Treasury to furnish sinews of war for foreign nations now engaged in war.

Mrs. WORRELL. They can do all the raiding they want, but I am saying that when you start to send our boys away you will find the women here to reckon with.

Mr. SCHAFER. Just one more question.

Mrs. WORRELL. I do not think I answered one part of your question. You mentioned about having all these widows in the World War.

Mr. SCHAFER. Yes.

Mrs. WORRELL. And if we put it at 75 years after the World War that they shall be pensioned, we will probably have but few of them left.

Mr. SCHAFER. Yes; but at that time we will have to tax the people to fill Mother Hubbard's social-security cupboard, which will be bare. Now, one more question: On line 8 of II. R. 7876, it reads:

In no event shall the widow or former widow of a Civil War veteran be denied a pension if she married the veteran ten or more years prior to the date of his death.

Would this preclude the payment of a pension to a widow who met all other requirements and her husband had been in a Soldiers' Home for two or three years during that 10-year period?

Mrs. WORRELL. I doubt if that would take them in, and I doubt if it would take in some widow that had become a widow through accidental death of her husband, but that amendment might be put in.

Mr. SCHAFER. No, no. This is the point: Should this committee favorably report this bill and include your proposed amendment, would a great many widows who are in just as dire circumstances be denied a pension if perhaps for 30 days, 1 year, or 2 years her husband did not live at home, but lived in a veterans' hospital or the Soldiers' Home?

Mrs. WORRELL. And it was through no fault of their own? Major Clark, I think maybe you might be able to answer that part for me. Is there anything in the law (which I have not gone into exhaustively) that says if a widow does not cohabit continuously, not through her own fault, she is still granted a pension? Is there anything in the law to that effect?

Major CLARK. There is nothing in the law to that effect, Mrs. Worrell. We have been forced to define the word "continuously" because the language in the act gave us no other definition. We have defined it, if I remember correctly, to grant the pension to the dependent widow because she lived continuously with her deceased husband if they were not separated through any fault on her part, or the absence was temporary in nature.

Mr. SCHAFER. So, if they had been married 10 years, and during 6 months or 1 year or 2 years of that period the soldier had not lived at home with his wife, but had been taken care of in a Government institution, that widow would come within this 10-year provision? Major CLARK. Yes, sir.

Mr. SCHAFER. Now, there is another question, Mrs. Worrell, you read some very pitiful cases of aged people. There are many thousands of similar cases where the person who is suffering has no title, to pension under existing law, and would not have under this bill. What would you think, in view of the apparent troubles of a great many of these aged Civil War widows in taking care of themselves, of legislation to set up in these veteran administration institutions scattered throughout the country, facilities where they could be taken care of in the same manner that the veterans are cared for?

Mrs. WORREL. I do not think these women would want to go in those places. I know I would not want to go unless I was starving to death, and nobody else would. I do not think we should insult them with that suggestion.

Mr. SCHAFER. Take an 80 year old widow, who receives $40 a month pension. Are you going to leave her live alone?

Mrs. WORRELL. If you are paying the widows who married during the Civil war $40 a month all of this time since her husband has been dead, she has been getting along, and I think it would be a Godsend to these other widows. You know it is not as expensive to live out in the country as it is here in Washington.

Mr. GRANT. Mr. Chairman, I think all of us are much impressed by the sincerity and the determination of Mrs. Worrell.

Mrs. WORRELL. Thank you.