This is my story in brief.
I have pleasure now in introducing to you Congressman Madden, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the House.
CONGRESSMAN MADDEN:—
“Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen:
The most sacred obligation we have today imposed upon the Government is the proper care of the men who came back from the War less physically fit than they were when they went away. Provision is being made for their care to the extent that it is possible to make it. I think it may be safe to say that no country in all the world has been so generous in its care of its wounded soldiers, as America.
Hospitalization is one thing that we must provide, and we must provide every necessary comfort for those who gave to the country in its hour of direct need. We must not be foolish, however, in what we do. We must have a care as weal of other things as of the men themselves. I think the American people would be willing to make any sacrifice for the comfort of the men who served the nation either in the late war or any other war; and the best evidence of their willingness to do that and of the willingness of the Congress to cooperate is the fact that we are spending out of the public treasury for the allotments, allowances, hospitalization, vocational training, insurance, and other things for the comfort of these men, 489 million dollars a year; and it is growing and, as far as I can see, it will continue to grow.
Now we may be doing some things in connection with this expenditure that are not for the best interests of the men, and I sometimes have doubt as to whether we are wise or unwise. I sometimes have doubt as to whether we are managing this expenditure as it ought to be managed,—whether we are giving the proper care to the moral situation surrounding the hospitals where these men are being treated. We have evidence before my committee in the record testified to by those in charge of hospitals in which these men are being cared for, to show the most demoralizing situation as the result of the extravagance and expenditure of money by the men being hospitalized at the expense of the Government.
I have a suggestion to make in this connection. I have no desire whatsoever to take away from any man anything that ought to be given to him in the way of service or care by the Government. On the contrary, no man will go as far as I will to see that proper care and proper attention is given to every man that served the nation; but I believe that in the payments we make to these men who are being hospitalized, we ought to have some control over where that money goes, while they are in the hospital. (APPLAUSE).
I would suggest two thoughts, either the thought that while they are in the hospital they must deposit their money with those in charge, and be allowed to expend only a limited sum, and thereby prevent the assemblage in the neighborhood of the institution which the Government of the United States is maintaining for the care of its patriotic men, from becoming the nest of demoralization or prostitution. You can’t make it too strong. The facts disclose the situation. Now, we have an obligation greater than the obligation to care for the man, and that is to see that while we are caring for them we do not destroy them. (APPLAUSE). We have got to have the courage to adopt a plan.
Up to the present moment most men connected with the government service have been afraid to express an opinion in connection with the ex-service men, lest somebody might become offended at his attitude. (APPLAUSE) Now I am not one of these men. I believe the time has come when the man in public office has got to have the courage of his convictions; there is nobody in the world that people hate so much as the man in high public place who has not the courage of his convictions. The man in high public place has got to have sufficient courage to protect the rank and file of those who are being protected by the Government from the folly of their own deeds; and that applies as well to the Legion and all other organizations connected with the ex-service men, as well as anybody else, for it can.