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Statement on the World War Veterans' Bill.

June 24, 1930

IN RESPONSE to press questions the President said:

"In this problem we are dealing with sick and disabled veterans. Except for some marginal cases the Government has long since generously provided for the men whose disabilities arise from the war itself. These cases before us, except for a comparatively small number of marginal ones, are in reality men disabled from incidents of civil life since the war.

"The whole matter is one that must be approached in a high sense of justice and utmost sympathy. But this veterans bill is just bad legislation. It is no more in the interest of veterans than in the interest of the taxpayer. The financial burdens, the amount of which has again been reaffirmed by General Hines--and they were even increased by Senate amendments yesterday--do constitute a serious embarrassment to the Government and to the country, but there are other objections even more serious.

"This bill selects a particular group of 75,000 to 100,000 men, makes provision for them in the most wasteful and discriminatory way conceivable and entirely neglects the equal rights to help of over 200,000 more veterans who are likewise suffering from disabilities incurred in civil life since the war. Furthermore, the very basis of the bill sets up an untruthful, and, according to our physicians, a physically impossible 'presumption' and predicates its action upon this. For instance, a man who has served a few days in the Army in his hometown or in camps, and afterwards enjoyed 7 to 12 years of good health, then after all that time incurs any affliction, is thereby declared to have a disability due to the war and is to be compensated or pensioned on the same basis as the man who suffered in the trenches and from actual battle. It contains many other discriminations and injustices.

"These things violate not only the fact but the very integrity of government. It is a sad thing for our Government to set standards of subterfuge to our people. It is unfair to all other veterans who have become disabled in civil life. It is unfair to the whole spirit of the World War veterans.

"There are emergency and marginal cases which I have insisted should be cared for and which will be cared for, and there is the additional necessity for us to study the broader subject exhaustively before we plunge.

"The American Legion presented a bill designed for emergencies which has had the earnest support of many administration members but their views have been overridden. The sensible thing is either to take care of these emergencies or marginal cases and then soberly determine future action, or alternatively, to make the beginnings of sound action now on such foundations as will contribute to the ultimate settlement of the problem with real justice to veterans and with generosity in solution for the future. Such action can be taken within our present financial resources, and I believe the Nation would support that."

Note: Frank T. Hines was Director of the United States Veterans' Bureau.

Herbert Hoover, Statement on the World War Veterans' Bill. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/210850

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