on their reconstruction work in a more efficient manner than we have done. If the American people as a whole had the cases of these wounded and disabled men brought to their attention forcibly and in great numbers, the present conditions would not exist. This is not said in a critical tone of any particular set of people or of Congress, but it is a general indictment of our whole attitude of the American people toward the conditions affecting the ex-service men, and the American Legion wants to see, and its first endeavors have been to see, that the wounded and disabled men receive the proper attention and that the Government's debt of honor is paid in full to them. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Miller, it will not interrupt you to ask you a question there? Mr. MILLER. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Referring to the manner in which our associates have taken up rehabilitation, can you recall what the French have done as a governmental agency? Mr. MILLER. Dr. Fess, I did not have the privilege of getting over much of France. I was with a combat division the whole time I was there, and after the armistice we did not move around much, but I know the French nation saw this coming on long before the armistice was ever thought of and provided for it, and the French have a faculty for doing things in a much more frugal and economical manner than we. They fought much more economically in human life and money than we did, and they are taking care of their maimed and disabled men in as fine a manner as any nation could take care of them. The CHAIRMAN. It was testified by a representative of the Legion the other day that the work in France is purely voluntary; that the government is not doing it. I was just wondering about that. Mr. MILLER. But their whole system, Dr. Fess, of looking after their mobilization and the wounded is divided into communities rather than in the nation. When a man is killed they do not send a telegram from the war department to his wife. The mayor of the cantonment gets it and arranges for the news to be broken to the family gently. The CHAIRMAN. It is very true that France did take the lead in rehabilitation? Mr. MILLER. It did. The CHAIRMAN. It was right upon the ground at first. Now, just another question. There are 303,000 casualties; what would be your estimate as to the number of those who would be subjects for rehabilitation? Mr. MILLER. I will only give you the official figures, because those certainly can be relied upon. The total number registered was 209,000, and after they had boiled it down and taken out the duplications it was 150,000, and the total for rehabilitation was 110,000. These are official figures, and I take it they can not be disputed. The CHAIRMAN. Have you the information as to what proportion or what percentage of the casualties in Britain or France or any of the countries at war are subject to rehabilitation? What is the percentage? Mr. MILLER. I can not give that, but I would say, Dr. Fess, that it would run the same average as the figures that I have just given you for the men engaged during the duration of the war. The CHAIRMAN. Let me put it specifically this way: My impression has been that the United States was more generous in its rehabilitation than these other countries. Am I mistaken about that? Mr. MILLER. You mean more generous in its intentions. The CHAIRMAN. Well, I mean that we-well, we include more people, a greater per cent in the rehabilitation work than the other countries--that is, we will rehabilitate persons that if they were in Europe would not be rehabilitated. Am I mistaken on that? Mr. MILLER. I can not answer authoritatively, Doctor, so I would rather not answer that question. The CHAIRMAN. Very well. Mr. MILLER. But if you have the information- The CHAIRMAN (interposing). No; I have not; I am trying to get it. That is my impression. Mr. MILLER. For instance, I called attention a moment ago to the fact that the whole system of demobilization and looking at demobilization was more decentralized in France than it is here in America. The CHAIRMAN. Well, excuse me; I did not intend to interrupt you. Mr. MILLER. You have not interrupted me at all. The American Legion, through its national commander, indorsed and approved of the campaign now being conducted by the New York Evening Post and its associated newspapers. If out of this investigation and out of these exposures in the New York Evening Post something is going to come, so that the remaining disabled men in this country, to whom the Government owes vocational training, get what should be coming to them and get it quickly, before they become discouraged and are lost to us, all the hard feelings that may have been created and a few of the injustices that may have been perpetrated will be well worth while, and we heartily indorse what is being done in accordance with the policy I have just stated. The CHAIRMAN. Let me state to you, Mr. Miller-and state it for the committee-that the committee is desirous of getting all of the facts without fear or favor; with but one purpose in view, namely, to better the service if it can be; to correct errors, if there are any, and this without regard to defending anybody but to allow the chips to fall wherever they may fly. Mr. MILLER. We realize that, and we only wish, Dr. Fess, that the Committee on Education could have been permitted to have started this investigation last fall when you remember we were before the Rules Committee. It is six months late but it is better now than not coming at all. The American Legion on March 30, through its national headquarters, issued a bulletin asking all State departments to call a department conference on vocational education. I am not going to read all of this. I may ask to put it into the record as Exhibit A, but I want to bring out one or two points. The CHAIRMAN. If there is no objection on the part of the members of the committee, that may be made a part of the record. (The paper referred to follows:) BULLETIN. Service No. 9. THE AMERICAN LEGION, NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, MERIDIAN LIFE BUILDING, Subject: Department conferences on vocational education. 1. It is strongly urged by national headquarters that each department of the legion call a conference for the "purpose of considering matters relating to Federal Vocational Education. This conference should be attended by the Post Vocational Education officers, and by representatives of the auxiliary units. The Federal board will also provide a representative from the Washington office, from the district office, and from the State office and will prepare for distribution to the legion representatives a manual of procedure covering interesting facts and important instructions relating to Federal Vocation Education." 2. The proposed conferences will not only educate the post officers in the proper performance of their duties but will also tend to stimulate general interest in the benefits of vocational education. For some time past it has been evident that these benefits are not generally appreciated by the men. Lists of those approved for training and who had not entered upon their courses have been forwarded from time to time by the district officers of the Federal board to the department officers of the legion, in order to assist in placing men in training. Some good work has been done along this line, but it is evident that nothing but a close personal contact and intelligent cooperation can enable the legion to render the service that is due to its disabled members. 3. The Legion intends to undertake four projects: First. Instruction as to the benefits of Vocational Training and the methods of obtaining them. Second, Assistance in placing of men in training. Third, Recreational follow-up. Fourth, Location of employment for rehabilitated men. 4. It is strongly urged that representatives of the auxiliary units attend these conferences, as the recreational follow-up feature comes almost exclusively within their sphere. It is also suggested that the post representatives attending this conference shall not be the ones who attended the War Risk conferences, as every possibility of confusion of the benefits and administration of the two acts should be carefully avoided. 5. It is particularly desired that these conferences be a great success, as they will be the first joint undertaking of the American Legion proper and its Auxiliary Units. Furthermore, this question of Vocational Training is of particular interest at this time in view of the option providing for vocational training of all ex-service men, which is a part of the Legion's proposed solution of the question of adjusted compensation. The insight to be gained of the advantages and workings of Vocational Education as they affect disabled men will tend to familiarize all Legion members with this training and will enable them to understand and appreciate the opportunities which it is hoped will be made available to all upon the passage of the adjusted compensation bill. 6. A proposed program is attached covering the meeting itself. There is also attached a list of suggested dates within which it is desired that each department hold its conference. Kindly advise National Headquarters the date upon which your conference will be held and also notify Mr. Uel W. Lamkin, Chief, Division of Rehabilitation, Federal Board for Vocational Education, Washington. D. C. The date of the conference is important, as it will determine the representative to be sent from Washington, and the dates suggested should be selected if possible. 7. Traveling expenses, etc., of the Legion representatives are to be paid by the posts and units sending them. It is believed, however, that little difficulty will be experienced in securing funds for this purpose when the importance of the matter is understood. If the post itself is unable to finance the matter, it is probable that assistance may be obtained from the local Chamber of Commerce, etc.. since the question of Vocational Education concerns not only the disabled man but also the community of which he is a member, which will also benefit by his restoration to a self-supporting status. FRANKLIN D'OLIER, National Commander. Mr. MILLER. The national headquarters urges that each department of the legion call a conference for the purpose of considering matters relating to the Federal Vocational Education. The Federal board by arrangement with the national headquarters will provide a representative from the Washington office and from the District office and from their State office to attend these State conferences and give them all of the information and instruction that they need. The proposed conference is intended to educate the post officers to properly perform their duties in connection with the men in the post, or the ex-service men, whether they be members of the legion or not, who should be deriving the benefits of vocational education because of disability. The legion intends to undertake four projects. First. Instruction as to the benefits of the vocational training and the methods of obtaining it. Second. Assistance in the placing of men in training. Fourth. Location of employment for men who have been rehabilitated. All posts and departments are to notify Mr. Lampkin, Chief of the Division of Rehabilitation of the Federal board, so that he may be prepared to send a representative to these State conferences. That is the meat of what we have sent out to our departments and our 9,000 posts to do. We believe, of course, that a good deal of talk will be indulged in at such an investigation, but we want to show you gentlemen that the Legion voluntarily is willing to let by-gones be by-gones, if we can only arouse some concerted effort to clean up the thousands of cases over the country which the figures show are still needing attention. Now, I do not know whether you want this in the record-the news that the Rules Committee is going to report a special rule on the Darrow bill is most gratifying, for this bill was introduced at the request of the Legion and has been pushed by our representatives before the proper committee. That increases, as you know, the compensation for men taking vocational training, from $80 to $100 a month, and in the case of married men to $120 and graduated increases for whatever family they have. On that point I want to say that in my opinion $80 a month in addition to the subsistence that these men have when undergoing vocational training is none too much for any man who has been through this war, and wounded and disabled; disabled so that he is unable at this time to go ahead with his regular vocation or want training for a new vocation. It is very little considering the small number of men, comparatively, who draw it, for this Government to give any man temporarily for having gone through what he did and now is needing it in order to live respectably while he is undergoing this schooling. It should not be forgotten that many of these men are men that have families. If they are not married, they have sisters or mothers or other people dependent upon them. In this connection I might call your attention to the fact that Congress did not consider the matter of money when they voted a $20 a month bonus to Government clerks under the civil service, nor when they raised that so-called bonus for the civil employees recently. So the small sum that will be spent in paying these men a little more money while undergoing vocational training is not wasted. The CHAIRMAN. Have you the figures, Mr. Miller, as to how much additional this law will entail? Mr. MILLER. I unfortunately have not the hearings with me, Dr. Fess, but you can figure it out roughly. We will say there are 110,000 men and if all of them undergo vocational training and receive on the average $120 a month, you can see that that will bethat will only total about $13,000,000 to $14,000,000. Mr. TOWNER. That does not measure the increase. That will be the total allowance. Mr. DALLINGER. The increase will be about $20 per man. Mr. MILLER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. I think about $5,000,000 is the estimate we had. when we recommended it. However, that is not here nor there now. Mr. MILLER. But I merely wanted to bring that in at this point, because I could not help but overhear what one of the witnesses said to-day, and I did not want it to go without challenging the statement that the gentleman made. The CHAIRMAN. I might state, Mr. Miller, that any amount of money beyond what is really necessary is not the best thing for the young man in the city. If he has more than is necessary for his actual expenditures, it would not be the most conducive to his training or his education. Mr. MILLER. Well, Dr. Fess, as long as you have brought the point up. it was given to these civilian employees here in the departments and throughout the country, and the high cost of living and everything in connection with it affect the families of the service man, as well as it does the families of the civil-service man or woman, and the amount is really so small when you come to consider it that we are very glad that Congress is going to put the so-called Darrow bill through without further delay. The CHAIRMAN. I think it is quite generally known that Congress will not stint in any way the actual requirements of these boys, if we know what they are. Congress will not hesitate to meet it absolutely. Mr. MILLER. I doubt whether there will be very much opposition, if any, to this when it gets on the floor. Now, let us get back to the question of the vocational board. I have read over a good part of the testimony given here, and much has been said in the newspapers about the so-called "hard-boiled order." I notice here in part one of the hearings of March 2, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Blanton, interrupting the gentleman from New York, Mr. Husted, when he was speaking of this hardboiled order, intimated that no such order had ever been officially issued. Is that correct, may I ask you, Dr. Fess? The CHAIRMAN. You mean is the testimony correct? Mr. MILLER. Is it correct that no such order as the hard-boiled order was ever issued? The CHAIRMAN. The board has not been on the witness stand yet, and we are confining our testimony to those who are appearing on these charges. |