The veterans' review. [volume], October 01, 1936, Image 1

About The veterans' review. [volume] (Seattle, Washington) 193?-19??

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
wgag Would“Ziiminate Charity Racketeers And Frauds
THE ONLY INDEPENDENT
VETERANS' NON-PARTISAN
POLITICAL PUBLICATION
IN THE STATE OF WASH
INGTON
Vol. IV, Number 18
CRUELTIES AT AMERICAN LAKE BARED
FIELD NOTES
TlME—Evening.
PLACE—Official hideout in the
Arctic Building.
CHARACTERS—SeveraI elective
heads of county departments, vil
lage politicians, stooges and “board
of strategy” strategists..
MOTlVE—Political monkey busi
ness.
(Continued from last week)
Door opens and big shot stalks
in, chin hanging low and a dejected
look on his face, reminding one of
Caesar after he learned that Marc
was fooling around with his glrl‘
friend, Cleopatra.
CHORUS—HI{, Boss! |
FIRST VOICE—Hi, gang! But
where do you get that “boss” stuff?
Don’'t you know the war is over
and that your “boss” took an awful
beating?
SECOND VOICE—Aw, gee. Boss!
We're sorry, sorry as hell. We
worked like the devil, but it just
wasn’t in the cards. Your sins fin
ally caught up with you, Boss.
FIRST VOICE—Yeah, I know.
1l was eating you, Stooge,
just before election? First, you play
ed ball with me and then you had a
foot in Martin’s camp. And how
itbout Case? Were
you fiddling in his
camp, also?
Don’'t forget,
Stooge, you're up
for reelection in
1938 - if they don’t
get you before
then. That tax
dodging stuff is getting old. You've
made a lot of enemies. In lots of
ways, you're just plain dumb. Your
payroll looks like those of the Com
munity Chest and the Republican
party combined. Your aren’t kid
diag me any, Stooge, or the other
people, either.
SECOND VOICE—Aw, gee, boss,
you KNOW I was with you. Cant
cha see 1 was just trying to get a
line on things?
FIRST VOICE - Helluva funny
way to get a lie on things, if you
ask me. Why don’'t you try playing
square for a change, Stooge?
Aad now, my DEAR friend, what
was the idea of YOU flirting with
Case?
THIRD VOICE—I wasn’t flirting,
Boss, honest I wasn’t. [ only talked
to Otto because we're old friends.
I couldn’t help it.
Well, it's a good thing | didn’t
know about it before election or
the public would have heard
about that restaurant deal. And
THEN where would you have
Turn to Page 6, Please
Sen. Tydings Has
Notable Record
BALTIMORE.—When the United
States entered the World War,
Millard Tydings enlisted as a pri
vate and rose from the ranks to
emerge a lieutenant-colonel when
he was honorably discharged in
1919.
During his service in France the
ypresent Senator Tydings was cited
many times for valor. He was
awarded the Distinguished Service
Cross for bravery under fire and in
September, 1934, he received the
decoration in a ceremony at Fort
‘Myer. This was for gallantry ex
hibited in the fighting at Estrayes
‘Ridge and Samoeux, where he was
‘exposed to enemy fire and assisted
in the capture of flame throwers
and machine guns.
THE VETERANS' REVIEW
Sec. 562, P. L. &R.
UNITED ALLIANCE OF WAR VETERANS
PERFECTING STATE ORGANIZATION
SAYS COMMANDER WILLIAMS
Veterans Band Together to Secure Benefits for
Buddies and to Lend Assistance to Members
Without Protection—New Units Formed
A bigger and better state of Washington, a bigger and better Port
of Seattle, better working and living conditions, better administration
of funds donated for charitable purposes and—ELIMINATION OF THE
CHARITY RACKETEER.
The foregoing are just a few of the reasons why the United Alliance
of War Veterans was formed early this year, according to State Com-
mander Robert E. Willlams.
“Naturally, our interests are cent
ered in the veterans,” he said yes
terday, “and our main objective is
to see that veterans get what right
fully belongs to them ia the way of
jobs, veterans' preference and oth
er things that have been guaranteed
them at various times in the past
“On the other hand,” Williams
declared, “we are also interested in
seeing to it that all American citi
zens, regardless of race, creed or
color, receive their just rights, and
that injustices are corrected. We
will lend assistance to all unfort-!
unates, veterans or otherwise, who
are unable to protect themselves.”
SEMI-SECRET
The organization is semi-secret,
the commander pointed out, and
is handled along military lines. It
is strictly non-partisan, yet pelitical
to the end that better men and
jectives is to protect veterans from
politicians who would hoodwink
them by forming organizations prior
to elections and then use those or
ganizations to gain personal pres
tige or assist them in winaing pub
lic offices.
. Membership requirements are
rather strict in that no person is
eligible for membershio if he has
been or is on any political pay.
roll, “provided however, that a
man who has been off a political
| pavroll for more than thirty days
shall be considered eligible for
membership.”
Veterans of all wars, nurses, yeo
men and honorably discharged
peacetime soldiers, sailors and mar.
ines comorise tha membershin as a
whole. '
The organization maintains local
groups in various precincts, each in
charge of a lieutenant. The lieuten
ant reports direct to the district
captains, and the captains to the
Corporal Rustan Reed “Quite a
Ladies’ Man” . .. But Lives It Down
The door of the shop stood open. Late afternoon sunshine filtered in,
picked out the polished top of an old, valuable walnut table, sparkied on
a bit of cut glass in a china closet, and came to rest on the silvery head
of an old man seated in the largest and most luxurious easy chair in the
place.
He lowered his newspaper, glanced toward the door, and pulled a
pair of glasses down over his nose.‘ o - e
Then, pipe in hand, he rose, pop
ped his false teeth in his mouth
and courteously offered to show us
about the shop.
Our tour of inspection completed,
he ceremoniously seated us in an
other of his easy chairs close to his
own, and then told us the tale of
the dashing, young Rustan O. Reed,
who joined the 43rd Wisconsin
Volunteer Infantry in 1864,
Rustan was apprenticed to a
Michigan printer at the time his
father enlisted and was commis
sioned quartermaster in the Union
army. The young boy, eager to get
into the fight, refused to stay out
of the war after his father had
joined up. He enlisted at the age
of 17, but there were many no older
than he fighting in the Civil War.
MEETS FORREST
Young Corporal Reed was ship
ped south to Johnsonville, Teanes
see, where his regiment joined the
colored troops. There they encount
ered the notorious guerilla, General y .
Forrest, who upon the surrender of .
vice-commander in charge of per
sonnel. There are five vice.com
manders, each in charge of certain
phases of organization work.
State headcuarters will be open.
ed in Seattle within the next two
weeks, Commander Williams= said.
“Units have already been organi
zed in Tacoma, Chehalis, Vancou
ver, Bellingham, Everett, Spo
kane, Wenatchee and Yakima and
are doina exceptionallv fine work.
Other units are being organized
as rapidly as pocsible in various
other cities throunhout the state.” ‘
POST WINS TROPHY
SPOKANE.—For the first time in
the history of the American Le
gion a Spokane Post won the
Bolles membership trophy for the
greatest gain in its membership of
aay post in the state for 1936.
North Side Post, organized some
eighteen months ago, won the
honor and has received the big
bronze plaque. The post will have
its name engraved on one of its
bronze tablets and retain posses
sion of it for the coming year.
In the state-wide contest for the
trophy, North Side went more than
100 per cent over its quota in
reaching a membership of 156, ac
cording to Ralph Weeks of the
membership committee.
Wins Medal
~ TUSCON, Ariz.—Burnett Hart
‘aook of Phoenix was the winner of
‘the V. F. W. medal and diploma for
iproficiency in the C. M. T. C. basic
‘course given this year at Fort
‘Huachaca.
" The V. F. W. annually presents
medals and diplomas to outstand
ing students in the basic courses
at C. M. T. C. camps throughout
the country.
(Turn to Page 6, Please)
ONLY INDEPENDENT VETERANS’' NEWSPAPER
* SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, FIRST OCTOBER NUMBER, 1936
Earney Succeeds |
Van Zandt as {
Natioual Chief
A fortysix-year-old pi
attorney from the state of New
York, who served the United +
in two militry campaigns, is 3
new commander-in-chief of the
BERNARD KEARNEY
Veterans of Foreign Wars. KO*
elected at the recent Denver. en
campment to succeed James Vas
Zandt, who declined to Dt A
) ,m..;. 73.-“'»-.? )
Kearney started his military
career as a private in Company C,
2nd New York Infantry, in 1900.‘
at the age of nineteen years. 'l‘wo‘
years later he was transferred to
Troop B, Ist New York Cavalry,
and in 1916-17 spent nine months
on the Mexican border with that
outfit,
Kearney returned to New York
as a corporal, ‘but he was soon
called for service in the World
War. Commissioned a second lieu
tenant he spent three months at
the 2nd Officers’ Training School
at Fort Niagara, emerging as a cap
tain. He wexat overseas as a casual
officer, serving in various units and
numerous engagements, including
St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.
CITY JUDGE
Returning to this couatry in
February, 1919, Kearney served two
terms as city judge of Gloversville,
N. Y, and five years as usslstant'
district attorney of Fulton County.
He is credited with successfully
prosecuting several famous mur
der cases, and is now serving his
second term in office. His fellow
veterans were not forgotten, for
Kearney handled, without charge,
the legal problems of hundreds of
veterans in need of compensation
or other legal assistance.
Kearney is a past commander of
Fulton County Post No. 2077 and
served as chief of staff for the de
partment of New York during
1932-33, prior to his election to the
office of department commander.
During his administration he or
ganized an Allied Board of Vet
erans composed of the state com
manders of the various veteran or
ganizations whose purpose it was
to bring about coordinated legisla-|
tive efforts and achievements in be- i
half of all veterans. ‘
At the Louisville encampment in ‘
1934 Kearney was selected senior |
vice eommander-in-chief and was
reelected to that office at the New ‘
Orleans conclave in 1935.
-
Leavitt Heads
- Vets of 1898
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y.—
Scott Leavitt of Milwaukee, Wis,,
was recently elected commander-in
chief of the United Spanish War
Veterans assembled here for their
thirty-eighth rational encampment.
The Voice of the Veteran”
INDIVIDUALISM VIOLATED
About all any government can do is to pro
tect the individual while he develops into what he
chooses to be and do.
k IF HIS CHOICE INTERFERES WITH
THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS TO BE AND DO
WHAT THEY CHOOSE, THEN THE GOV
ERNMENT CAN AND SHOULD INTER
FERE, BECAUSE INDIVIDUALISM HAS
BEEN VIOLATED.
We have all seen individualism go mad.
Every citizen of the city of Seattle has seen con
crete evidence of people who, by abusing the right
to exercise their powers as individuals, have done
more to create unrest and turmeil than a whole
squad of soap-box orators. The system of govern
' ment under which they worked is not at fault.
THEY ARE!
. It matters not what system of government
you propose—democratic, communistic or mon
archial—that government MUST be admin
istered by individuals. What those individuals
are counts more than any system under which
they function and the results accomplished de
pend upon the individuals who choose them.
Sometimes we, as average citizens much en
grossed in our own daily problems, rely too much
upon the Fower of government. The routine of
our dala: ives dulls us into a state of re‘fose that
places the sense of dan&er just beyond our im
mediate abili.tx tg‘ grasp the situation and success-
The basic law which forms the foundation
upon which this nation has reared the mighty
and complex structure which is known as
America today lies, in its elements, in the Con
stitution of the United States. Every American
should know it and be able to pass judgment
upon its provisions, FOR THE VOTER IS
THE FINAL ARBITER OF ITS FATE ... NO
OTHER PERSON CAN TOUCH IT OR
ALTER IT . . .
Without a knowledge of this great document
no one can comprehend the rights, the duties, the
inviolate liberties of the individual citizen under
what political scientists believe to be the most
perfectly balanced form of government known to
mankind.
From this fundamental viewpoint but one
thing may be adduced: THAT THE ONLY
METHOD WHICH WILL MAKE THESE
UNITED STATES BETTER BY IMPROVING
THE MEN AND WOMEN IN IT IS FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL TO IMPROVE HIMSELF.
Character is not developed from books. It is
created and developed in ourselves. No form of
government can make a man honest, or make him
an enterprising citizen, IF he does not choose.
Nor can it force him to be efficient, charitable,
friendly or successful. It can only punish him if
he is not honest and attempt to teach him if he
does not assimilate himself to his immediate en
vironment.
Just such a situation for each of us as in
dividuals today confronts the people of Seattle.
And the emergency should not be construed as
a normal state of affairs,
We have a mayor who was elected by the
people, for the people, of the peogle. He was
elected to represent ALL classes of people but,
for reasons best known to himself, he prefers to
represent one class only.
INDIVIDUALISM HAS BEEN VIOLATED.
There is but one answer.
The people know what it is.
ALLONS!
—The Editor.
FINAL SLEEP
MOUNT VERNON. W. H.
Harris, ninety-four, Mount Ver
non's last Civil War veteran, passed
away at his home here recently.
Born {1 Indianapolis, Harris
joined the¢ Union Army there in
1862 and later served under Gen.
U. 8. Grant.
He is survived by seven sons
Mothers Honored
AUSTIN, Minn, A pereanial
foliage bed in Horace Austin State
Park is star-shaped and marked by
a bronze tablet engraved with the
names of Austin Gold Star Mothers.
The idea for the Gold Star garden
originated with Anna Svejkovsky, a
Gold Star mother and member of
Olaf B. Damm Post No. 1216,
Veteran Choked and Beaten into
Insensibility is Charge Made
By Former Inmate of Hospital
’Tom Thorne, World War Hel';). Reveals How Former
Doughboys Suffering from Mental Disorders Are
| Treated by Cruel Nurses and Brutal Guards
(Third of a series of articles dealing with veterans afflicted with
mental and nervous disorders, the treatment accorded them and the
way the GUARDIAN RACKET is worked.)
In a previous chapter of these amazing revelations, Tom Thorne, shell.
shocked hero of the World War, painted a word picture of what men In
his condition have to face in the world of today. The picture wasn't at
all pretty, nor did it reflect creditably upon officials charged with car.
ing for disabled veterans like Tom.
The picture we are about to paint is even uglier, reveals a situation
s 0 horrible, so revolting, so In
human that it ranks as one of the
greatest injustices ever done men
who wore their country’s uniform
at a time when that country was
in danger.
BEHIND SCENES
It coacerns the Veterans’ Hos
pital at American Lake and what
goes on there behind the sgcenes
where the beautiful lake and
grounds are so pleasing to the eyes
of casual, disinterested visitors.
The Jengle of Hewe.. s . the .
Nersh grating. of ORI ey
.. . more locks . . . day and
night . . . night and day . . .
\ barred windows . , . locked and
bolted doors . ~ . clang, clang,
clang . . . clank, clank, clank,
. .. rattling keys . . . the shrieks
of tortured prisoners . . . rat
tling keys . . . the moans and
groans of men bereft of reason
by inhuman practices , . . grat
ing noises of keys in locks . , .
slamming doors . . . harsh laugh
ter of harridans consorting with |
blood-thirsty fiends wearing the ‘
uniforms of guards . . . men }
spewing blood over everything |
as burly hooligans pound or l
stomp on their stomachs . . . |
whimperings of the abused men |
. . . prayers for welcome death
... day and night . .. night and
day . ..
Guards everywhere trained in all
the subtle, delicate ways of admin
istering torture that breaks down
the spirit of men, leaving no tell
Chief Sears . ...“A Square Guy”
Believes in Honesty and Decency
By CLINT ROWLEY
“An honest and decent administration. That is the only statement |
made when | took office. That is the only statement | make now.”
William H. Sears, chief of police of Seattle and dean of Northwest
law enforcement officers, wac speaking. We were discussing civic affairs
and many problems regularly confronting the police department of a
large city.”
“Protection of life and property e
is of greater moment to the peo
ple than any other issue,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean, however, that
we are neglecung tne many other
problems. Handicapped as we are
by reduced personnel and lack of
o ha funds, we are
none the less do
ing all we can to
make Seattle a
desirable place in
which to live.”
Sears, veteran
‘Northwest police
io“lcer, was
named as the
SEARS five-year chiet of
police by former Mayor Charles L
Smith and his appointment con
firmed by the council. He took
office last May. “I'll give the city
an honest administration,” was the
only comment he made when as
suming office.
AN INDEPENDENT VETER
ANS NEWSPAPER DED)
CATED TO AND PUBLISHED
FOR THE RANK AND FILE
OF THE EXSERVICEMEN
e
Price Five Cents
e et e e
tale marks or evideace on q ‘
quivering flesh . . . Ll
But let Tom Thorne tell his m
story: ex g
- . - .
When I received word that I 'J
to be transferred from the “nut
house,” where | was then conth ‘ b
to American Lake, the superin.
tendent called me in and al
“Tom, we've found no erga
incanity, no disease except the.
Feah war dlskbiig. it Shaneiguee
" . 6..;@';. LTS %
LLake, ITh "W YOU UKy w"
prince. | am convinced you never
should have been brought here.
You aren't insane. You're a
nervous disability."”
So, with high hopes, 1 went to
American Lake,
On my arrival they put me in
Ward 2, the OGPU .of the institu
tion, the worst enemy a veteran
ever had, deadlier than any Ger
man tommy-gun ever invented,
There the SSS (Social Serviee
Siren) called on me for my case
history, which has already been
described,
FACES STAFF
The first morning I was called
in front of a staff of doctors.
There | saw the head nurse, the
SSS, a stenographer and a student
nurse. They all stared at me and
gave me the third degree and ques
tioned me about everything uader
the sun except my war record.
(Turn to Page 8, Please.) Y
He is trying to do just what he
said he would do—give the city a
decent, honest administration. He
has had his troubles, it is true,
and a certain amount of oppositio:.
from various quarters, but he is¢
still chief and he is still carrying
on—and that is what counts.
One shouldn’t expect too much
from Sears in such a short pe
riod—he has only been on the
job about four months. It takes
time to qet oriented, to impar.
tially and critically survey ex
isting conditions. And it takes
even longer to eliminate and
correct certain evils that should
have no place in a police depart.
ment. - SRR
Sears has built up an enviable
record as a 2 law enforcement M'
during the thirty-four years he has
been engaged in the work. .Q"'
tional recognition has been mecord:
—— e e ——
' (Turn to Page 6, Please) 3