The CHAIRMAN. Well, there are three witnesses that have been designated as material witnesses and they have been subpoenaed, so they evidently will be here to-morrow. Mr. DALLINGER. May I ask if Mr. Friedman was subpoenaed? The CHAIRMAN. Yes; but not until Thursday. But some one, I thought Mr. Friedman, spoke to me to-day stating that he was here; that is the reason I called for him; but he is summoned for Thursday. Col. Miller, of the American Legion, will appear tomorrow afternoon. The committee will stand adjourned until 10 o'clock to-morrow morning. (Whereupon, at 4.30 o'clock p. m., the committee adjourned until 10 o'clock a. m., Wednesday, April 7, 1920.) COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, Wednesday, April 7, 1920. The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. Simeon D. Fess (chair man) presiding. STATEMENT OF MR. HENRY KATZEN, 57 LILLIE STREET, NEWARK, N. J. (The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.) The CHAIRMAN. Give your full name to the stenographer and also your present address. Mr. KATZEN. My name is Henry Katzen, 57 Lillie Street, Newark, N. J. The CHAIRMAN. Were you in the overseas service? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. When did you go over? Mr. KATZEN. I started out April 6, 1918. The CHAIRMAN. When did you return? Mr. KATZEN. I returned on the 3d of March, 1919. The CHAIRMAN. Were you wounded? Mr. KATZEN. No, sir; I was not wounded, but I had trouble with my heart and coughing. The CHAIRMAN. You were discharged on what date? Mr. KATZEN. I was discharged on April 13, 1919. The CHAIRMAN. Just a little more than a year? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What was your disability, your disability rating when you were discharged? Mr. KATZEN. There was no disability rating on my discharge. The CHAIRMAN. Are you getting any compensation from the warrisk insurance? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What is it? Mr. KATZEN. $90 a month before I got training, and I am getting $115. The CHAIRMAN. What I mean is from the war-risk insurance alone you get $90 a month? Mr. KATZEN. $90 and the Federal board has put the rest up of the $115. The CHAIRMAN. When did you apply for training? Mr. KATZEN. In France when the Red Cross captain came around. and he took down my name. The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed to tell the committee in your own way your experience in your vocational training? Mr. BRAND. Do you mean in France? The CHAIRMAN. Wherever he attempted to get vocational training. Mr. KATZEN. The Red Cross representatives explained to us in the hospitals in France. They explained to us what they were going to do when we were discharged so as to fit us for civil occupations. They knew the physical handicaps we had and would put us in posi tions. After I was discharged I received a letter from the Red Cross and I made out the application for the Federal board's representative. Mr. BRAND. That was in France? Mr. KATZEN. No; that was here. But the Red Cross representatives explained to us in France about the Federal board. Mr. BRAND. Your application was made after you came over here? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir; after I was discharged. From that_time on I received letters right along from the Federal board and I had to come up for one examination after another and after the examination they said within a week I am going to get training and this week and a few weeks have passed and I have been down again and again. The CHAIRMAN. Do you remember the date that you appeared the first time? Mr. KATZEN. The first time must have been in May, I think. Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What was told you when you appeared the first time? Mr. KATZEN. When I appeared the first time they said that they approved it and that I am going to hear from them in a week or so or two weeks. The CHAIRMAN. Then how long did you wait? Mr. KATZEN. I waited about five or six weeks the first time. The CHAIRMAN. That would take it up to July? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Did you then come back? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What was your experience the second time? Mr. KATZEN. That second time. The second time I think I went down to the War Risk Insurance, and they sent me away to the country. The CHAIRMAN. What do you mean by sending you away to the country? Mr. KATZEN. They sent me away to a country place the War Risk Insurance. The CHAIRMAN. What for? Mr. KATZEN. Bronchitis. The CHAIRMAN. Were you under a physician at that time? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How long did you stay? Mr. KATZEN. I stayed three weeks. The CHAIRMAN. Then where did you go? Mr. KATZEN. I came back, and I got a letter to appear before the Vocational Board again for examination. The CHAIRMAN. That is the board at New York? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What did that letter say? Mr. KATZEN. That letter said to appear for examination. I appeared again for examination, and they say, you will hear from us in two weeks. I am going to hear from them in a few weeks-from the Federal board. The CHAIRMAN. Did you appear for examination? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. That was about what time? Mr. KATZEN. That was in September. The CHAIRMAN. Did you take the examination? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The physical examination by the doctors out there, and they made examinations right along every three or four weeks on an average. The CHAIRMAN. Then what did you do after that examination? Mr. KATZEN. I asked them whether I am going to get the training. They said they are sending it to Washington. The CHAIRMAN. Sending a letter to Washington? Mr. KATZEN. They approved it here, and sent it to Washington for approval. As soon as they heard from that they say they are going to notify me and that it is coming back in a week or 10 days, every time. The CHAIRMAN. That was in September? Mr. KATZEN. They told me that right along, in May, July, and September. The CHAIRMAN. They sent the papers to Washington after your examination in September? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Then what happened? Mr. KATZEN. I waited about four or five weeks again. The CHAIRMAN. That would carry it into October? Mr. KATZEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Then what did you do? Mr. KATZEN. I went to the Federal board and asked them what was the matter. The CHAIRMAN. What did they say? Mr. KATZEN. They said you will get it next week. I waited a few more weeks and I went to the Federal board again. The CHAIRMAN. When was that? Mr. KATZEN. That was in October or November. The CHAIRMAN. Then what happened when you went that time? Mr. KATZEN. They told me the same thing, so I went down to the Red Cross and told them all about it. The CHAIRMAN. What month was it that you went to the Red Cross? Mr. KATZEN. The Red Cross representative wanted to know how I am getting along with the Federal board and every time I went down to the Federal board I came back and told the Red Cross representative how I made out and told them just what they told me up there. 4661-20-VOL 1- -28 |