O/MithMrn Oregon Miner. Thursday. March 14. 1946
F a c to r s T hat D eterm in e
V e te r a n ’s P en sion R ate
Where veterans of World War II
have a disability incurred in or ag
gravated by service in the armed
forces, there is no set disability pen
sion he may receive, the amount
being determined by the degree of
disability upon examination by the
Veterans' administration.
The rates of pension range from
>11 50 per month for a disability of *
a degree of 10 per cent to >115 a CHILD STAR WINS ’BROW NIE’ AWARD . . . Beverly Simmons, seven-year-old movie star, may not win an
month for total disability, and where “ Oscar” this year, but she has already been awarded a “ Brownie” from her Girl Scout troop In appreciation
certain specific disabilities occur, of her fine screen portrayals. She Is shown in the center as Janice, left, and Phylls Jones, right, pre
such as loss of hands or legs, or sents her with the “ Brownie.” The presentation took place on the set of “Three Kids and a Queen.”
blindness, or combinations of dis
abilities, the amount payable may
be as Wgh as >265 per month. These
rates are determined, as near as I
possible upon the average impair- '
ment of earning capacity.
It must be remembered, and
particularly in cases of World War
I veterans, where application is
made for disability pension, not
service-connected, that these pen
sions are not payable if the dis
ability is the result of the veteran’s
own willful misconduct or vicious
habits. Also where total disability is
not service-connected, pension is
not payable to the veteran where
the annual income is >1.000 if un
married, or if it exceeds >2,500 if
he is married.
Many
times,
the experience
shows, according to the Veterans*
administration. World War I veter
ans applying for pensions years
after World War I for non-service-
connected disability are turned
down because the Veterans’ admin
istration decides the disability is
due to the .“willful misconduct or
vicious habits” of the veterans.
Questions and Answ ers
Q. My son has been in the army
for 22 months and spent 16 months
in England, France, Belgium and
is now in Germany. He is with the
2242 quartermaster truck company.
Does the war department have any
word when this company will be MOTHERS PICK ET SCHOOL BOARD . . . Protesting the school board’s refusal to appoint Miss Ruth D. Mor
shipped home?—Mrs. H. N., Plank- row, veteran teacher, as principal of the Center school, Everett, Mass., mothers bearing placards and sev
lngton, N. D.
eral young pupils picketed the school. The school board had previously named a young war veteran to
A. As of February 15 this outfit the post. Other school strikes were reported in several sections of the country. Chicago group is demanding
was in Ausbach, Germany, and the a grand jury investigation of their school board.
war department has no word on
when it will be returned to this
country.
Q. My son, who is in Japan, made
out his insurance papers to me be
fore he went overseas. I have been
married since that time. Do 1 have
to have my name changed on the
policy?—Mrs. J. W., Fort Bragg,
CaUf.
A. Th Veterans’ administration
says it would not make much dif
ference, but would probably save
some time in the event the insur
ance became payable. The veteran
must make application to his com
manding officer to change the name
of the beneficiary.
Q. Is a widow of a World War I
veteran who is elderly and in poor
health, eligible for a pension if she
has an income of $100 a month?—
Mrs. W. Me., Arlington, Mass.
A. If death was service-connect
ed, yes, she is entitled to a pension.
If not service-connected, she is not
entitled if her income is >1,000 or
more annually, if she has no chil
dren. I would ask your nearest Vet
erans’ administration office, how
ever, because the law says that
certain items are not considered in
come and determination as to
whether the claimant's income ex
ceeds the respective amount is
TEX A N STAR . . . Jack Robinson,
made by the Veterans’ administra
B IR THD A Y OF CAMP F IR E GIRLS . . . America’s oldest organization 18, Fort Worth, Texas, who has
tion
Q. My son was given an honor- 1 tor y °unR
the Camp Fire Girls, celebrates its 34th birthday, March scored about 350 points while serv
able discharge in May, 1945. I 17 to 23. The purpose of Camp Fire is to provide opportunities for enjoy ing as forward on Baylor univer
wish to know if he should draw a able, worthwhile activities for the girls’ leisure time through which they sity's basketball team. Young Rob
pension, as he was wounded in Bel can develop their best potentialities. During the war they did more than inson Is considered on» af the most
promising 1946 players.
gium. He was with Patton’s 3rd their part, not only on the front lines but on the home front.
army. He is a member of the Amer
ican Legion at Fayette, Ala., Post
No. 127, but as yet has not even
been examined for a pension. No
one knows about the nervous dis
position he has except his parents.
—Mrs. E. M „ Fayette, Ala.
A. From your letter, 1 would say
your son most certainly is entitled
to a disability rating, but he must
apply to the Veterans’ administra
tion for an examination for deter
mination of the amount. Apply im
mediately to your nearest office of
the Veterans’ administration for this
examination.
Q. My boy died in the army in
France. I want to know how I can
get the large flag they put over
the casket to bury them. I know of
some mothers who have received
them. I would thank you if you can
tell me. — Broken-hearted mother,
Brownsville, Tenn.
A. Relatives or next of kin of de
ceased veterans, who died in serv SCHOOL FOR VETER A N FATHERS . . . Designed te prepare G.I. dads NEW STATE A ID E . . . MaJ. Gen.
ice, may receive a United States for coping with situations that may arise when they meet their off John H. Hilldring, New Rochelle,
flag by application to the postmas spring, a “bundles from heaven'* class is held in New York City. Ex-G.I. N. Y ., who has been named by
ter at any county seat post office. William Carey Is the student with the dunce cap. He la listening te President Truman to be an assist
Application may be made on Vet nurse Vivian Percival, who explains the correct technique of diapering. ant secretary of state. General Hill
erans' Administration form 2008 The baby is Carey’s 28-months-old daughter, Dawn. Nurse saya he must dring served as director of war de
really enjoy the job.
available a t local office.
partment civil affairs.
WASHINGTON. — Some people
are wondering whether the fact
finding board for the meat packing
Industry took the trouble to read the
newspapers. If so. they might not
have recommended that the house
wife bear the main burden of the
cost of Increased wages In the meat
packing Industry.
The fact-finding board, which In
cluded Dr. Edwin E. Witte of Wis
consin university, Chief Justice
Raymond W. Starr of the Michigan
Supreme court, and Clark Kerr,
former chnlrmun of the meat pack
ing branch of the war labor board
—three able men—decided that a
16-cent puy increase was fair and
equitable for meat packing work
ers. But they added that only five
cents of this wus “absorbable by
the meut industry without price or
subsidy relief."
In other words, the fact finders
recommended that the big meat
packers could pay only 5 cents of
the 16-cent wage increase out of
their own pockets. The rest would
have to be passed on to the consum
er or the government. Their report
was filed February 7.
However, early In December,
long before the fact-finding
board was appointed, a number
of smaller meat packing plants
had already signed contracts
with the CIO and AFL for 15
cents an hour pay Increase with
out any strings attached re
garding Increased meat prices.
The small packers who signeu
such agreements included Hygrnde
Food Products of New York,
George A. Hormel of Austin, Minn.,
and others in the Chicago area.
Apparently, the fact finders
did not take this into considera
tion. Apparently also, they ig
nored the fact that Swift and
company previously had agreed
to a pay boost of 10 cents an
hour without any strings at
tached
regarding
Increased
meat prices to the housewife.
For, despite Swift's offer of 10
cents an hour and the smuller com
panies’ increase of 15 cents, the fact
finders recommended that only
5 cents of the 16-ccnt increase could
be paid for by meat packers. The
remaining 11 cents will be passed
on to the housewife— unless the gov
ernment votes a subsidy.
BREAD WASTE SCANDAL
Department of agriculture sleuths
have been doing some quiet check
ing of unscrupulous bakeries which
violate bread sales regulations in
order to kill off competition.
Despite the fact that the nation
has been forced on a "dark bread”
diet to help feed war-starved peo
ples of the world, thousands of
loaves of good bread are still go
ing to waste, or being fed to hogs
and chickens.
It works like this:
If a big bakery is trying to grab
business away from a competing
bakery, it will begin supplying gro
cery stores on a “consignment
basis," which means that grocers’
shelves are loaded up with supplies
of bread in excess of what they can
sell.
The following day—sometimes the
same day—drivers pick up the un
sold loaves and replace them with
fresh stock, charging the grocer
only for the bread actually sold.
Idea is to promote sales of a particu
lar brand of bread because of Its
“freshness.”
This is a violation of war food
order No. 1, but it hasn't stopped
certain bakeries in Houston, Texas,
Richmond. Va., San Francisco,
Cleveland, Kansas City and St.
Louis from carrying on the prac
tice on a huge scale.
Instead of making their re
turned stocks of one-day-old
bread available at a reduced
price to poor families, the
loaves frequently wind up In
garbage bins. One Vexas farm
er who tipped off the depart
ment of agriculture about condi
tions in Houston said he had
been buying wagon-loads of
bread “ fresh enough to cat” to
feed his hogs and chickens.
ATOM VS. BATTLESHIP
Unless President Truman does
something drastic about it very
soon, the forthcoming atomic tests
in the Pacific, scientists say, may
turn out to be a study in water
spouts instead of atomic energy.
On-the-surface
atomic-bomb
explosions, the scientists claim,
will add nothing to the knowl
edge already accumulated from
previous explosions at New
Mexico, Hiroshima and Naga
saki, except that we .nay learn
the size and damage of the
world’s largest water spout.
Administration lobbying to con
firm Ed Pauley has reached white-
hot pitch. Gov. Mon Wallgren of
Washington was brought east to put
the heat on Senators Magnuson and
Hugh Mitchell, the latter having
been Wallgren’s secretary. Both
will now vote for Pauley. . . . In
some states, where the November
race will be close, a vote for Pauley
may mean defeat for a Democrat.
. . . The Pauley-Allen-Vardaman
Merry-Go-Rounds have evolved the
latest Washington wisecrack: "Tru
man is suffering from Pendergastrlo
ulcers I M
B y P aul M allon
lle le a a e d bv W e s te rn N e w s p a p e r U n io n .
N EW STA TE P O LIC Y
RETREAT TO RIIHNIA
WASHINGTON. - In complete of
ficial privacy, the state department
has spent some weeks getting up
a new statement of American for
eign policy. The only great question
of policy, of course. Is bow to treat
Russia. On this, the paper was not
illuminating In its original form.
The Byrnes policy established at
Moscow and London since mid-
December. has been
substantially this:
Press no p o in t
which would be of
fensive to Russian
claims. Retreat on
policy as much as
possible and accept
R u ss ian c o n te n
tions. The appar
ent but not pro
fessed purpose has
been to entice Rus
Byrnes
sia out of her na
tionalistic isolation In dealing In
the world of affairs.
This hns kept world news rather
calm but events behind the news,
p a r t ic u la r ly from
Europe, are work
ing up boldly and
may break sensa
tionally. Do n o t.
for I n s t a n c e , let
y o u rs e lf be cur
rently misled Into
believing the doin
in a tio n
of
the
F re n c h
go vern
ment by Commu
nists and Socialists
De Gaulle
is a permanent ar
rangement, or that the nume of De
Gaulle will remain forever In re
tirement from French politics.
Give greater notice than has
been given to the victory of the
Belgian Catholic party over
both Communists and Social
ists. Belgium is half French,
with all the same eDmcnls of
French politics In miniature. In
deed throughout Europe, even
in Yugoslavia, the resistance to
Communism is taking the only
effective form yet evidenced In
the gathering together of Cath
olic elemrnts.
I have heard American statesmen
say these Christian groups are the
only ones in the world today who
know how to resist Communism,
ideologically or politically. These
groups have a firm Ideology them
selves.
REDS PUT ENGLAND
ON D EFEN SIVE
Britain was the first nation to
talk up to the Soviets, but the dip
lomatic resistance of Bevln at the
London UNO conference was tacti
cal rather than formidable. The
Russians had raised the question of
British influence In Greece, pri
marily to cover their own tracks In
Poland, th® Balkans. Iran, Turkey
and other places where they are at
tempting to extend their influence.
They forced Britain to the defensive
by raising this question. After ac
complishing this purpose, and suc
ceeding In getting UNO to allow
Moscow to deal separately with a
pro-Communism
Iranian
prime
minister Installed at Teheran for the
purpose — Russia withdrew her
Greek charges against Bevin.
The common current belief
that Bevln may have found a
way of treating with Moscow
therefore is unjustified.
He
twice passed "the lie” to them
and they backed down, true
enough. But when you add up
the results, you will see Russia
won the action she wanted from
UNO, while Bevin won nothing
except the red herring.
President Truman, meanwhile, is
recognizing that the army seems to
know how to get along with the So
viets, without losing their shirts, bet
ter than our timid and confused dip
lomats. He chose General Marshall
to go to Chinn to get Chiang into
a peace with the Communists; and
now he selected General Eisenhow
er’s chief of staff to be ambassa
dor to Moscow, instead of a diplo
mat or a politician.
Army men, by nature, should
be more Interested In results
than in the political Ideas of
Justice for this and that, which
have so confused our diplomats
in recent yearn.
(Latest ex
ample: Joe Davies, who thinks
Russian spying on Canada justi
fied, but no doubt would cry out
against any Canadian spying on
Russia, wheras any realist
knows all nations have always
spied on all others and always
will.)
This new reliance on army real
ism is the most hopeful develop
ment In American foreign policy,
in contrast to these childish but
pompous accumulations of vapor
ous generalities the state depart
ment plans to put out under the
claim that they are great state pro
nouncements. I mean it Is most im
portant, if a recent pronouncement
by Mrs. Roosevelt does not out-
measure i t Mrs. Roosevelt has
been recognized as a spokesman for
the class-thought which pressured
Byrnes into the appeasement poli
cy, causing him te retreat.
a/
E D IT O R ’S N O T E : This newspaper.
through i p t c u l arrangement w ith th e
Washington Bureau of Western News
paper C nion al I0I6 Eye Street, N. IF ,
B"<uA »«<»<««, D. C„ u able to bring read
er« this w eekly colum n on problem s of
th e veteran and servicem an and h it fam-
ilp, Q uestions may be addressed to the
eb o ve Bureau and they w ill be answ ered
in a subsequent colum n. No replies can
be m ade direct by m ail, but only in th e
colum n which w ill appear in this n ew s
paper regularly.
N ews
B ehin
the 'N b L