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Resolution 99, New York, 1952

Resolved, That the American Legion urge continued efforts be made to secure additional Veterans' Administration hospital beds for war veterans, especially for mental and TB cases.

Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, funds; Resolution 479, New York, 1952

Resolved, That the American Legion does most vigorously protest the proposed program of the Veterans' Administration in reducing the number of beds allocated to VA in United States Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, from 400 to 0 by the end of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year; that we call upon our Senators and congressional committees, as well as the resources of the national organization, to maintain the 400 beds now in effect; and that the opening of the new VA hospital at 39th and Currie Avenue in Philadelphia be expedited to the greatest possible degree.

Hospital in Puerto Rico and funds; Resolution 455, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we strongly recommend the erection of a hospital and domiciliary home to meet the medical needs of approximately 100,000 veterans living in Puerto Rico and that copies of this resolution be sent to the President of the United States, to Members of Congress, and to the Administrator of the Veterans' Administration.

Veterans' Administration Medical Service, extension to veterans in foreign countries; Resolution 205, New York, 1952

Resolved, That the American Legion urge the amendment of the laws and regulations under which the VA operates so as to permit the extension of medical treatment and hospitalization by the VA, outside the United States, to veterans for service-connected disabilities, regardless of the nature of the residence, on the same basis as veterans residing in the United States providing such veterans retain their American citizenship while in the foreign countries in which they may be domiciled.

Outpatient treatment to retired personnel; Resolution 368, New York, 1952

Resolved, That existing law be amended so as to provide that retired personnel of the Armed Forces shall be entitled to outpatient or hospital treatment by the VA for service-connected disabilities which are determined by the VA to have been incurred in or aggravated by service, without being required to waive any part of their retirement pay.

Socialized medicine, oppose; Resolution 577, New York, 1952

Resolved, That the American Legion records its unalterable opposition to any sort of covenant which would bring about by international treaty or otherwise any type of socialized medicine.

INSURANCE

Commercial insurance; Resolution 43, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we reiterate prior convention mandates seeking amendatory legislation to exclude commercial insurance in computing annual income for death pension purposes.

Judicial review; Resolution 89, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek amendment of section 602 (n) and (r) of the National Service Life Insurance Act of 1940, as amended, so as to assure the right of judicial review of any decision of the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs in suits brought under section 617 of said act.

Relieve liens on United States Government life insurance policies; Resolution 170, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek legislation to amend section 304 of the World War Veterans' Act of 1924, as amended, to reconstitute the liens on United States Government life-insurance contracts of service-connected disabled World War I veterans, which liens were established by virtue of provisions of that section, so that the principal sum shall be only the premiums due from the date of lapse to date of reinstatement and conversion, without interest, retroactively, and with simple interest prospectively at the rate established for policy loans.

Restore certain insurance rights; Resolution 269, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek amendatory legislation to restore rights removed by the Insurance Act of 1951 of insurable World War I veterans, who served between October 6, 1917, and July 2, 1921, to obtain new United States Government life-insurance contracts, and of insurable World War II veterans, who served between December 7, 1941, and September 2, 1945, to obtain new mutual national service life-insurance contracts.

Insurance suits, court costs; Resolution 8, NEC, October 1952

Resolved, That we take immediate steps to bring about an amendment of section 617, National Service Life Insurance Act of 1940, as amended, by modifying the provisions of section 500 of the World War Veterans' Act of 1924, as amended, so as to provide for the payment in a lump sum, direct to counsel, of a reasonable attorney's fee in a suit brought by or on behalf of an insured during his lifetime for waiver of premiums on account of total disability, such fee to be approved by the court and paid by the veteran in an unsuccessful action and paid by the Government where judgment is entered in the veteran's favor.

ARMED FORCES REVIEW BOARDS

Retirement review boards; Resolution 555, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek legislation to amend section 302, Public Law 346, 78th Congress (the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944), as amended, to provide for consideration by a board of review of the findings and decisions of any board or official which resulted in discharge, retirement, or release from active military, naval, or air service of any commissioned or warrant officer or enlisted person, with physical disability, without retirement pay.

VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND TRAINING

Eliminate subversive activities in VA education programs; Resolution 203, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek amendatory legislation of applicable veterans' laws to prevent known agitators and supporters of communistic principles and policies from taking advantage of sources of study abroad and to provide that, when such veterans studying abroad are discovered to be engaged in activities contrary to the interests of the United States, they be deprived of all rights deriving from their status of veterans with regard to studying abroad; also seek the removal from VA lists of approved institutions of study of foreign schools found to be harboring communistic activities.

Training entrance date extended for disabled veterans; Resolution 511, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek amendatory legislation to extend the date for entering education or training under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended, so that the entrance date be extended for those who were so disabled prior to July 25, 1951, that they could not enter training until such time as their disabilities permit their entrance and that the ending date of training for such veterans be the period of their eligibility for such training.

Training entrance date extended for World War II veterans; Resolution 10, NEC, October, 1952

Resolved, That the Congress amend Public Law 346, 78th Congress, as amended, to provide that an eligible World War II veteran who reentered the Armed Forces prior to his delimiting date and before he had initiated a course may initiate training not later than 6 months after the date of discharge and that combined entitlement under Public Law 346, as amended, and Public Law 550 shall not exceed 48 months.

Tuition and subsistence allowances; Resolution 512, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek legislation to amend Public Law 550, 82d Congress, to provide that separate tuition and subsistence allowances be paid to veterans eligible for educational benefits, both payments to be made directly to the veteran, and to provide further that the tuition allowance shall be payable to each eligible veteran in the amount of the tuition charged similarly circumstanced students at the institution the veteran elects to attend, except that the tuition allowance in no instance shall exceed the rate of $360 per school year.

Vocational training ending date extension; Resolution 526, New York, 1952 Resolved, That we seek legislation to amend Public Law 16, 78th Congress, so that the termination date for the completion of training programs shall be extended beyond July 25, 1956, in order that service-connected disabled veterans may have full opportunity for vocational rehabilitation, the amendatory legislation to provide that the termination of their entitlement be the termination date of their training.

Subsistence allowance automatic reduction; Resolution 22, NEC, October 1952 Resolved, That existing law be amended to provide in substance that the reduction in subsistence in the case of GI farm trainees shall not begin until the end of the first crop year or animal cycle (12 months).

CLAIMS AND RATINGS

Burial allowance; Resolution 514, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we initiate amendatory legislation so that the present $150 VA allowance shall be for funeral expenses only and that the Government provide a further sum of $75 to be used exclusively toward the interment expenses of deceased veterans.

Compensation for service-connected disability; Resolution 190, New York, 1952 Resolved, That we seek legislation which will remove the inequity created by the enactment of Public Law 356, 82d Congress, so that all degrees of serviceconnected compensation be increased by the same percentage.

Compensation for disability, retroactive award of additional; Resolution 421, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek amendatory legislation to permit retroactive awards of additional disability compensation for dependents, providing documentary evidence in support of the dependency claim is or was received within 1 year from date of VA request.

Misconduct; Resolution 118, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek legislation clarifying the term "misconduct" and eliminating restrictions on payment of disability pension except in those cases where there was proved malicious or deliberate misconduct.

Presumptive service connection for multiple sclerosis; Resolution 90, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek legislation that would provide a 3-year presumptive period of service connection for multiple sclerosis.

Service connection for psychoses and TB; Resolution 97, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we sponsor legislation to provide for service connection as chronic diseases of the chronic psychoses and nonpulmonary forms of active tuberculosis upon manifestation to a compensable degree within 3 years after separation from active service in wartime claims.

Reservists' benefits be equalized; Resolution 337, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek enactment of legislation to bring about an equalization of benefits for veterans and their dependents under laws administered by the United States Veterans' Administration and the United States Bureau of Employees' Compensation in the cases of certain enlisted and commissioned reservists of services of the Armed Forces.

VA benefits to veterans residing in foreign countries; Resolution 601, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek amendatory legislation to overcome Veterans' Administration instructions relating to sections 4 and 5, Public Law 144, 78th Congress. Widows and orphans, parity for all; Resolution 268, New York, 1952

Resolved, That an identical basis for award of pension to surviving widows and orphans of World War II and Korean service be established as now afforded World War I survivors.

Disability pension awarded under Public Law 149; Resolution 562, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek a more favorable interpretation of Public Law 149, 82d Congress; and, failing in this, then we request the Congress to amend the

law by making the necessary changes in its wording that would clearly define the meaning and intent thereof in order to give to veterans who need the regular aid and attendance of another person increased benefits.

Disability pension increase; Resolution 96, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek legislation to increase the present $63 and $75 monthly disability pension awards under Veterans Regulation 1 (a), part III, to $75 and $90, respectively.

Disability pension, recognize dependency of parents; Resolution 513, New York, 1952

Resolved, That the Congress be requested to immediately amend the present law to include any person with dependent parents or parent among those entitled to the higher income in determining eligibility to disability pension under Veterans Regulation 1 (a), part III.

Disability pension for tuberculosis; Resolution 450, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we seek amendatory legislation so that disability pension under Veterans Regulation 1 (a), part III, shall be payable to all veterans having active tuberculosis, providing their incomes do not exceed the statutory limitation.

Disability pension for permanent and total cases after an aggregate of 10 years; Resolution 548, New York, 1952

Resolved, That Public Law 313, 78th Congress, be amended to strike out the word "continuous" from paragraph 1 (f), part III, Veterans Regulation No. 1 (a), as amended, so that the higher pension rate will be granted where a veteran has been rated permanent and total for an aggregate of 10 years.

Oppose Hoover report legislation affecting Veterans' Administration; Resolution 21, New York, 1952

Resolved, That we most earnestly petition the Congress of the United States to disapprove any legislation based upon the Hoover report which would in any wise affect the proper administration of veterans' rights under the supervision and control of the Veterans' Administration as it now exists.

Mr. GOUGH. First of all, as a rather preliminary statement, I should like to say that the House of Representatives in establishing this committee has performed a positive action to give a specialized and continuous attention to the manner in which the program of veterans' benefits and services is administered and handled by the Federal Government. I voice not only my personal opinion but the official opinion of the American Legion in saying that the conduct. of the business of this committee in the past has justified the farsightedness, the confidence, and the good judgment of Congress in establishing the committee and you have done much by your past actions to serve not only the veterans but the Nation as well.

I should like to express, if I may, admiration and respect for Madam Chairman. We of the American Legion have had the opportunity and the pleasure of working with her in the past. We are cognizant of the fact that she has a rich experience because of the study and consideration she has given in the past to problems pertaining to veterans' benefits and services.

We should like to express appreciation, also, to the former members of the committee who helped, along with the chairman, to create the program of benefits and services. Your experience has been invaluable in the mutual program of service to veterans as administered by the Federal Government.

If I may, I should like to express a welcome to the new members and to tell you that the objective of the American Legion--and I am speaking this morning for the 4,000,000 members of the American Legion and its auxiliaries-have been, are the same now, and are in

concurrence with your objectives, I am sure; and that is that we want to find every means possible to increase the efficiency and to further the economy in the program of benefits and services as administered. We believe we must have a positive course of action.

There has been criticism and a deterioration of confidence so far as the public is concerned and certain segments of Congress, more or less in the executive branch of government, on matters pertaining to veterans' affairs. We have had campaigns and investigations conducted against the manner in which the affairs have been conducted in the Federal Government in this program. We have all had the opportunity to study these surveys, to study the results; and some new legislation has emanated.

No investigating group, however, found any major compromise with the laws of Congress which provide for the benefits and services. Therefore, we do believe the time is here for a positive attitude. We are committed to the principle that the cost of veterans' benefits and services is a direct, although a delayed, cost of war and that the cost has not increased disproportionately with the increased cost of living, the increased cost of war, and the national income.

Veterans do not start wars. They fight them. Those who criticize the costs must realize that their right and their prerogative to criticize is preserved by veterans in war.

We believe that the Veterans' Administration can be improved. In every office of the Veterans' Administration there is a representative of The American Legion. We are constantly making suggestions for improvement, as we are never satisfied.

We have studied the adverse reports relative to the Veterans' Administration, and we have presented Congress with the results of our thinking. We are aware and alert to the fact that bills have already been presented to the 83d Congress which, in our opinion, would dismember the Veterans' Administration; and, as in the past, we oppose these bills; and we shall present our specific opposition at the proper time.

I should like to refer to the proposed reorganization of the Veterans' Administration, the plan as presented by the Administrator of the Veterans' Administration. We believe that there are positive recommendations here and there is much to recommend this proposed reorganization, but we do feel it has been entirely too long delayed in being presented. However, now that it has been presented, it is in line with our ideas of positive action. It can operate administratively under the authority already established by Congress, within the existing framework of the Veterans' Administration, and economically will not be disruptive, requiring the tearing down of old agencies and the creating of new, which is neither economy nor efficiency.

We urge that this committee give the greatest consideration to the administrative recommendations to the Administrator of the Veterans' Administration. While we disagree, of course, with some details, and we want to study the entire plan further, in general we give it our approval. We feel it does provide the proper relationship between staff and operational functions.

Many of the things the plan recommends have been championed by the American Legion over a period of years. If the plan is given

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