are under way to build these hospitals. But, again, I want to call to the attention of the committee, as I have to the Congress, that here it will be two years on July 1st since that legislation was passed and it is my understanding nothing has been done or accomplished in the way of providing hospitalization under this particular set-up for these veterans of our armed forces, though they be Filipinos, and it seems to me due to the great delay in the way of providing hospitals for these veterans, particularly in view of the fact that during the testimony before this committee on the hospital set-up as it exists now in the Philippines it was shown that the conditions under which these lads have been hospitalized are brutal, the necessary push, we will say, should be made in order to start building at least one of these hospitals to provide for the adequate care of these men who fought under our flag. Mr. DONOHUE. Have you taken that up with General Gray? Mr. DONOHUE. To ascertain the reason for the delay? Mr. KEARNEY. Well, I am frank to say General Gray has advised me that the plans are now in the making. But, again, it is my thought that with the expiration of 2 years on July 1 we should do something actually to start building. I am not sure whether they even have a site picked. Some of these lads who are here-for instance, Congressman Magsaysay can probably give the committee that information. I do urge that the committee give great consideration to these bills. The thought has been expressed that it might be a start to take the provision of the bill which provides for burial expenses and leave the educational provisions until some future time. But I do believe the time has come now to have a thorough study by this committee and to let these men know definitely that they are not outcasts; that they are and were veterans of the American Army. In my humble opinion, they are entitled to the same provisions of law that our lads are receiving under the GI bill. I would like, in order not to take up too much time here, to be permitted to revise and extend my remarks in the record at this point. Mr. DONOHUE. If there is no objection, that permission is granted. If there are no questions, thank you, Mr. Kearney. We will now hear from Congressman Teague of Texas. STATEMENT OF HON. OLIN E. TEAGUE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS Mr. TEAGUE. Mr. Chairman, I will take very little of the time of the committee. There are men here who can discuss the details of the bill in a much better way than I can. I would like to express my support of general legislation toward doing something for the Filipino veterans. It is my understanding they were ordered into the service by the Commander in Chief of our armed forces; that they were promised by our commanders in that area that they would be given some consideration in this way. It is further my understanding that the President appointed a commission composed of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, the Administrator of the Veterans' Administration, the Ambassador to the Philippines to study this question, and that they recommended legislation along the lines you are considering this morning. I want to express to the committee my general support for that type of legislation. That is all the statement I have, Mr. Chairman. Mr. STAGGERS. You mean along the lines now set out for our own veterans; is that right? Mr. TEAGUE. I believe those veterans are due benefits generally, the same as the benefits our veterans have received over here. Mr. DONOHUE. We will now hear from Colonel Magsaysay. STATEMENT OF HON. RAMÓN MAGSAYSAY, MEMBER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEE Mr. MAGSAYSAY. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, my name is Ramón Magsaysay; I am a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and am chairman of the National Defense Committee. First of all, I wish to thank the committee for the privilege of addressing it on behalf of the Filipino veterans who served under both American and Filipino commanders in the last war. Secondly, I wish to express appreciation of the Filipino people for the benefits already extended to them-that means to the veterans-by the American Congress in progressive stages since the war ended. Our Government is doing its best under trying conditions and circumstances to carry out efficiently the helpful intention of the American Congress as expressed in the laws that they passed, recognizing that time is of the essence in all matters concerning the sick and needy veterans. This bill presented by Congressman Teague and Congressman Kearney for burial benefits is of the utmost importance to our veterans, especially when we take into account that almost 50 percent of the enlisted men of the last war in the Philippines have not received any compensation during the three years that they had fought during the Japanese occupation. In consideration of that, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, because 50 percent of the enlisted men did not receive what they should have in back pay and salaries but instead were even ordered to pay back to the United States Government in this manner, that these people who have been injured severely in the battle of Bataan and Corregidor and elsewhere in 1942 and 1941, when the insurance premiums were continued for 3 years and when they were processed 1 month after the liberation of the country, they were not included as United States soldiers who received back pay. It is an error of judgment or administration, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I believe, because about 4 months after the processing of these veterans an administrative order was issued that "guerrilla service" is a condition precedent for payment of back pay, and when they were being processed in the early part of 1945 the processing teams, consisting mostly of USAFFE's, directed these ignorant soldiers, especially enlisted men, not to include in their processing papers their guerrilla activities, which was subsequently made a condition for back pay. That is the reason why these 50 percent of our enlisted men who fought in the last war did not get their back pay. Mr. DONOHUE. Were those 50 percent all guerrillas? Mr. MAGSAYSAY. Ninety-five percent of the 50 percent were guerrillas. It was It was a brand of dishonor whenever a USAFFE or regular soldier who fought in Bataan or Corregidor did not join the guerrilla movements under the command of American officers. So, we believe this is a very conservative estimate that 90 percent saw service in the guerrilla movement during the Japanese occupation. Most of those people now are sick. Because they have been in the guerrilla organizations, that means they stayed in the hills, and have contracted malaria, especially in the jungles of the Philippines, and most of them at present are living in abject want and misery. That is why I mention here that this burial benefit is so important, because the Philippines being a Christian country, the only Christian country in the East, conduct funeral and burial rituals as is customary with all Christians. The families of these people go into debt in order to carry out the Christian custom of properly burying the dead. They do not care to have to mortgage their small properties, but I have seen in my town people who sold their only carabao, and being forced to mortgage their small properties in order to raise the necessary amount to bury a dead veteran and provide the necessary ceremonies. In these bills, both the bill of Congressman Teague and the bill of Congressman Kearney, the burial benefit, I understand, will be given only to the USAFFE's, and it is silent insofar as recognized guerrillas are concerned. This differs from the bill of Congressman Kearney in the year 1948, and this bill of Congressman Teague now. It says in line 2, page 2: Pursuant to the military order of the President of the United States, dated July 26, 1941 and this military order of the President of July 26, 1941, treats only of the USAFFE's inducted into the Army of the United States; whereas, in the bill of Congressman Kearney, H. R. 4540, on page 2, line 7, it provides: Pursuant to the military order of the President of the United States, dated July 26, 1941, including among such military forces organized guerilla forces and their commanders appointed, designated, or subsequently organized by the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, or other competent authority in the Army of the United States, and who are discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable. I think the hospitalization law which this Congress approved last year recognized guerrillas have been included, in the benefit. I submit to the good judgment of the committee that you include these guerrillas who have been recognized by the Government of the United States, because, in my opinion, they are as deserving as the USAFFE's. There is another wrinkle insofar as the hospitalization benefit affecting our veterans in the country is concerned, and I want to submit this observation to the chairman and gentlemen of the committee, because I know you would not stand for any single injustice, because that is the American way of justice. We have at present in our country veterans who have been crippled, but who are not entitled to hospitalization. Their bodies broken, without legs, or invalidated due to combat operations or tortures received from the Japanese military police. There are not very many. I would say they would not exceed 1,800. But they are not entitled to hospitalization because they have been left out in the recognition, due to human errors or some technicalities. Some of them have been hospitalized at the expense of charity. I have brought with me some pictures of those who are in the hospital at present, who are pitiful, who cannot walk due to bullets from Japanese soldiers, without legs. They have been left out, and in the recognition are not entitled to benefits of hospitalization. I brought one guerrilla to the hospital last year. He was tortured by the Japanese military forces for 2 months. He was operated on, and it was found that one of his kidneys had been smashed by constant blows from a piece of lumber 2 inches by 3 inches wide, and, aside from horrible scars, all of his teeth had been knocked out, because he was caught by the Japanese carrying intelligence reports from American headquarters to a United States submarine. He was asked to lead the Japanese soldiers to the headquarters of the American soldiers in the mountains of Zambales. Because of his stubbornness and refusal to reveal the American soldiers' hide-out, he was tortured. He was able to escape because of the American plane bombing the building where they were held prisoners. Mr. Chairman, I am submitting here for the consideration of this august body a proposal for amendment of the hospitalization law which might give justice to these few individuals who have been left out. Mr. DONOHUE. Without objection, it will be received for the record. (The matter above referred to is as follows:) EXPLANATORY NOTE The purpose of this proposed amendment is to broaden the scope of the assistance rendered by the United States Government to the Republic of the Philippines in providing medical care and treatment for certain veterans by including within the purview of the law for the next 3 years, those persons who were engaged in the resistance movement but who for some reason or other failed to establish their rights in accordance with the provisions of section 2 of the act. In every screening process involving hundreds of thousands of persons there is always the possibility that a few may not receive the benefits provided for them because of some technicalities or unintentional error. Many of these persons are presently suffering from physical disabilities or sickness incurred in combat or on account of torture by the enemy or of some activity in connection with the resistance movement. A considerable number are rendered incapacitated for earning their living. It is estimated that the total number to be benefited by this amendment will not exceed 2,000, many of whom are in emergency need of immediate hospitalization. Many of these persons are now depending on charity for their livelihood and medical care. The Philippine Government, while realizing that it is its primary concern to provide medical care and treatment for these persons, is not at present in a position to undertake the project because of financial difficulties. The desire to include these unfortunate persons among the beneficiaries of Public Law 865, Eightieth Congress, is motivated mainly by humanitarian considerations. It is not the plan to maintain or support these persons indefinitely but simply to provide them with the much needed medical care and attention and to rehabilitate them. The good will that will be created by the approval of this proposed amendment cannot be overestimated. A BILL To amend Public Law 865, Eightieth Congress (chapter 785, second session) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 2 of Public Law 865, Eightieth Congress (chapter 785, second session) is hereby amended to read as follows: "For the purposes of section 1 of this Act, the term 'veterans' means persons who served in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines while such forces were in the service of the armed forces of the United States pursuant to the military order of the President of the United States, dated July 26, 1941, including among such military forces organized guerrilla forces under commanders appointed, designated, or subsequently recognized by the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, or other competent authority in the Army of the United States, and who were discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable: Provided, That all persons who may show evidence that they were engaged in the resistance movement and who are in emergency need of hospitalization for disabilities or sickness incurred in combat, or on account of torture by the enemy, or of any activity in connection with the resistance movement, but who have not established their rights in accordance with the preceding sentence, shall be entitled to the benefits provided for in section 1 of this Act." Mr. MAGSAYSAY. Congressman Kearney brought out here something about the construction of a hospital building for the veterans of the Philippines, and, Mr. Chairman, I volunteer to give an explanation. This plan of the building has come, and no less than three times it came back from the United States Veterans' Administration to the Philippines for some amending and rectification of the plans, and the final plan has been given the Philippines. Before I came to the United States, which was about the middle of March, the President of the Philippines had designated, outside the city of Manila but close to the University of the Philippines, 150 acres for this hospital building. I was talking with the President about this before I left, and he was going to submit, which he has now submitted the construction to public bidding. Colonel Johnson, who comes from the United States Veterans' Administration, will supervise the construction of the building. It is very unfortunate that there have been some delays, especially in the registration of those veterans with service-connected disabilities, due to difficulties in transportation and communications, but this year the Congress of the Philippines have appropriated sufficient money in order to organize teams to go to the different islands and inform the veterans of their rights and help them in the preparation of their claims in order to be entitled to hospitalization. There have been many veterans who submitted claims but about 60 percent of the claims were returned due to errors. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I wish to thank you again for allowing me to testify here and express to you the gratitude of the President of the Philippines and the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines for your efforts in helping the veterans of my country. This manifestation of interest on your part is another link in the long chain of friendship which binds the American and Filipino people together for almost half a century. The patience which you have been showing in the study of this veterans question is an evidence of the cordial relationship which exists between the two peoples, and I am sure, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, that this friendship will develop in luster through the years. I thank you. Mr. DONOHUE. Are there any questions? Mr. BATES. Did I understand you to say there are four hospitals that have been authorized to be built? Mr. MAGSAYSAY. Only one hospital has been authorized. Mr. MAGSAYSAY. $9,000,000. 66429-503 |