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years of honorable service, are recommended by their commanding officers for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity, and a suitable bar or device to denote each subsequent period of three years' honorable service.

"SEC. 2. Such sum as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of designing, manufacturing, and supplying the medals, ribbons, bars, or other devices hereinbefore provided for, and the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to employ, under any appropriation which may be made for such purpose, the service of an artist for the design of the medal, without reference to the provisions of the classification act of March 4, 1923."

I favor the passage of the bill for the following reasons:

I believe it would have a beneficial effect from a morale and disciplinary point of view. The soldier would probably regard with pride the possession of the medal, and it would therefore serve as an inducement to good conduct. It would be a visible mark of distinction to the recipient.

It is estimated that a suitable medal could be provided at a cost of about 65 cents, and that the initial cost of the bill if enacted into law would be about $11,250. Thereafter the yearly cost would approximate $9,750.

A bill (H. R. 13402) similar in import, was introduced in the Seventieth Congress but failed of enactment.

If any additional information from the War Department is desired, I shall be pleased to furnish it. Should hearings be held upon the proposed legislation, suitable witnesses will be designated to appear.

The proposed legislation has been submitted to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget who advises that it is not in conflict with the financial program of the President.

A similar letter has been addressed to the Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs of the Senate.

Sincerely yours,

JAMES W. GOOD, Secretary of War.

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AMEND THE WORLD WAR VETERANS' ACT, 1924, AS AMENDED

FEBRUARY 18, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. Swick, from the Committee on World War Veterans' Legislation, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 17116]

The Committee on World War Veterans' Legislation, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 17116) to amend the World War veterans' act, 1924, as amended, having had the same under consideration, reports it back to the House with the recommendation that the bill do pass.

In general, this bill provides a monthly allowance for widows and children, and dependent parents of 65 years of age or over, of honorably discharged ex-service men of the World War who entered the service prior to November 11, 1918, and served 90 days or more during the World War and who died of disabilities not acquired in the service.

The rates provided are as follows:

Widow and one child, $26 per month, with $6 for each additional child.

No widow but one child, $20 per month, with $6 for each additional child.

Dependent mother or father of 65 years of age or over, $15 per month; both, $20 per month.

Various proposals of wide range looking to the relief of widows, children, and parents of deceased World War veterans have been submitted to your committee, and after very careful consideration of the entire subject, and particularly the history of the granting of similar pensions to dependents of veterans of the Čivil and Spanish-American Wars, the bill herein reported was approved.

The first act passed for the benefit of widows and children of veterans of the Civil War was enacted June 27, 1890, 25 years after the close of that war. The first act granting similar benefits to dependents of ex-service men of the Spanish-American War was enacted July 16, 1918, 16 years after the close of that war. When it is considered

that the World War has been officially terminated only 10 years it will readily be seen that the beneficiaries provided for in this bill are being granted benefits in advance of the time similar benefits were afforded dependents of veterans of prior wars.

Two somewhat novel provisions have been included in this bill: First, the elimination of widows without children; second, the inclusion of dependent parents, irrespective of whether the ex-service man is survived by a widow and children.

As to the first group, in view of the comparatively young age of widows of World War veterans and the modern tendency of women to enter the business world, it was not felt that the Government was under obligation to provide an allowance at this time for such widows. It was realized, however, that where a widow has a child or children to support she would be under a handicap in looking after herself as well as any children she might have, and your committee felt that in such cases the allowance should be granted.

As to the second group, your committee felt that as the parents of men who served during the World War reach the age of 65 they should have a right to look to the Government for some support where they are unable to support themselves. These parents gave their sons to the Nation in time of need, and even though they may not have died from injuries or disease incurred in the service your committee felt justified in recommending an allowance for such parents.

Estimated cost of paying allowances to widows with children, children and dependent parents 65 years of age and over, of World War veterans whose deaths were not the result of service

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Dependents of veterans having less than 90 days' service were excluded in this estimate. Rates of allowances on which above estimate were based: Widow, one child, $26 per month plus $6 for each additional child. No widow, one child, $6 per month, plus $6 for each additional child. One parent over 65 years of age, $15 per month. Two parents over 65 years of age, $20 per month.

In compliance with clause 2a of Rule XIII there is herewith printed the preceding section of the existing law in roman type and the proposed amendatory provisions in italics.

SEC. 201. That if death results from injury—

If the deceased leaves a widow or child, or if he leaves a mother or father either or both dependent upon him for support, the monthly compensation shall be the following amounts:

(a) If there is a widow but no child, $30.

(b) If there is a widow and one child, $40, with $6 for each additional child. (c) If there is no widow, but one child, $20.

(d) If there is no widow, but two children, $30.

(e) If there is no widow, but three children, $40, with $5 for each additional child.

(f) If there is a dependent mother (or dependent father), $20, or both, $30. The amount payable under this subdivision shall not exceed the difference between the total amount payable to the widow and children and the sum of $75: Provided, That in case there is both a dependent mother and a dependent father, the amount payable to them shall not be less than $20. Such compensation shall be payable, whether the dependency of the father or mother or both arises before or after the death of the person: Provided, That the status of dependency shall be determined as of the first day of each year, and the director is authorized to require a submission of such proof of dependency as he, in his discretion, may deem necessary: Provided further, That upon refusal or neglect of the claimant or claimants to supply such proof of dependency in a reasonable time the payment of compensation shall be suspended or discontinued.

(1) If death occur or shall have occurred subsequent to April 6, 1917, and before discharge or resignation from the service, the United States Veterans' Bureau shall pay for burial and funeral expenses and the return of body to his home a sum not to exceed $100, as may be fixed by regulation. Where a veteran of any war, including those women who served as Army nurses under contracts between April 21, 1898, and February 2, 1901, who was not dishonorably disharged, dies after discharge or resignation from the service, the director, in his discretion and with due regard to the circumstances of each case, shall pay, for burial and funeral expenses and the transportation of the body (including preparation of the body) to the place of burial, a sum not exceeding $107 to cover such items and to be paid to such person or persons as may be fixed by regulations: Provided, That when such person dies while receiving from the bureau compensation or vocational training, or in a national military home, the above benefits shall be payable in all cases: Provided further, That where such person, while receiving from the bureau medical, surgical, or hospital treatment, or vocational training, dies away from home and at the place to which he was ordered by the bureau, or while traveling under orders of the bureau, or in a national military home, the above benefits shall be payable in all cases and in addition thereto the actual and necessary cost of the transportation of the body of the person (including preparation of the body) to the place of burial, within the continental limits of the United States, its Territories, or possessions, and including also, in the discretion of the director, the actual and necessary cost of transportation of an attendant: Provided further, That no accrued pension, compensation, or insurance due at the time of death shall be deducted from the sum allowed: Provided further, That the director may, in his discretion, make contracts for burial and funeral services within the limits of the amounts allowed herein without regard to the laws prescribing advertisement for proposals for supplies and services for the United States Veterans' Bureau: Provided further, That section 5, title 41, of the United States Code, shall not be applied to contracts for burial and funeral expenses heretofore entered into by the director so as to deny payment for services rendered thereunder, and all suspensions of payment heretofore made in connection with such contracts are hereby removed, and any and all payments which are now or may hereafter become due on such contracts are hereby expressly authorized: Provided further, That no deduction shall be made from the sum allowed because of any contribution toward the burial which shall be made by any State, county, or municipality, but the aggregate of the sum allowed plus such contribution or contributions shall not exceed the actual cost of the burial.

Where a veteran of any war, including those women who served as Army nurses under contracts between April 21, 1898, and February 2, 1901, who was not dishonorably discharged, dies after discharge or resignation from the service, the director shall furnish a flag to drape the casket of such veteran and afterwards to be given to his next of kin regardless of the cause of death of such veteran.

(2) The payment of compensation to a widow shall continue until her death or remarriage.

(3) The payment of compensation to or for a child shall continue until such child reaches the age of eighteen years or marries, or if such child be permanently incapable of self-support by reason of mental or physical defect, then during such incapacity: Provided, That the payment of compensation shall be further continued after the age of eighteen years and until completion of education or training (but not after such child reaches the age of twenty-one years), to any child who is or may hereafter be pursuing a course of instruction at a school, college, academy, seminary, technical institute, or university, particularly designated by him and approved by the director, which shall have agreed to report to the director the termination of attendance of such child, and if any such institution of learning fails to make such report promptly the approval shall be withdrawn.

(4) Whenever the compensation payable to or for the benefit of any person under the provisions of this section is terminated by the happening of the contingency upon which it is limited, the compensation thereafter for the remaining beneficiary or beneficiaries, if any, shall be the amount which would have been payable to them if they had been the sole original beneficiaries.

(5) As between the widow and the children not in her custody, and as between children, the amount of compensation shall be apportioned as may be prescribed by regulation.

(6) The term "widow," as used in this section, shall not include one who shall have married the deceased later than ten years after July 2, 1921, and shall include widower, whenever his condition is such that if the deceased person were living he would have been dependent upon her for support.

(7) That this section shall be deemed to be in effect as of April 6, 1917: Provided, however, That the receipt of a gratuity, pension, or compensation, including adjusted compensation, by widow, child, or parent, on account of the death, disability, or service of any person shall not bar the payment of compensation on account of the death or disability of any other person: Provided, That before compensation under this section shall be paid the claimant shall first surrender all claim to any gratuity or pension payable under any other law on account of the death of the same person: Provided further, That no changes in rates or compensation made by this act shall be retroactive in effect.

(8) Where any honorably discharged ex-service man who entered the service prior to November 11, 1918, and served ninety days or more during the World War, dies of a disability not acquired in the service the following monthly allowances shall be paid:

(a) If the deceased leaves a widow and one child, $26, with $6 for each additional child;

(b) If the deceased leaves no widow but one child, $20, with $6 for each additional child;

(c) If the deceased leaves a dependent father or mother who has reached the age of sixty-five years, $15, or both, $20. Such allowance shall be payable whether the dependency of the father or mother or both arose before or arises after the death of the ex-service man: Provided, That the status of dependency shall be determined annually in accordance with regulations to be prescribed by the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs: Provided further, That upon refusal or neglect of the claimant or claimants to supply such proof of dependency in a reasonable time the payment of allowance shall be suspended or discontinued;

(d) The payment of allowance for a widow shall continue until her death or remarriage, but not longer than the period during which the child or children would draw allowance under paragraph (e);

(e) The payment of allowance to or for a child shall continue until such child reaches the age of sixteen years, or marries, or if such child be permanently incapable of self-support by reason of mental or physical defect, then during such incapacity; (f) Whenever the allowance payable to or for the benefit of any person under the provisions of this subdivision is terminated by the happening of the contingency upon which it is limited, the allowance thereafter for the remaining beneficiary or beneficiaries, if any, shall be the amount which would have been payable to them if they had been the sole original beneficiaries;

(g) As between the widow and the children not in her custody and as between children, the amount of allowance shall be apportioned as may be prescribed by regulations;

(h) The term "widow" as used in this subdivision shall not include one who shall have married the deceased later than nine years after July 2, 1921;

(i) No allowance under this subdivision shall commence prior to the date of the passage of this amendatory act, or the date of application therefor, and such application shall be in such form as the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs may prescribe.

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