Westside Enterprise

As It Appears to Your Congressman
By JOHN R. MURDOCK

Today I received a petition from some of my constituents asking me to support repeal of the recent retirement system for members of Congress, which measure is not yet thirty days old. I did not vote on this measure, either for or against it, and though I am favorable to some sort of retirement annuity provision, even for members of Congress, if I had been writing the law that was recently passed, I should probably have made it different in some details. Even if the recent law should not be repealed, it is my judgment that less than half of the members of Congress would ever receive a penny under it, and in my own case the cost would be greater than I could afford to pay, which would mean that I would not avail myself of it if it continued on the statutes. I am told that the passage of this act has been sadly misunderstood and that the idea has been spread about that each member of Congress under it would receive an annual pension of $4,000 without contribution on his part. This is not a fair and accurate statement. My feeling is, however, that if the people are losing faith in Congress, and heart in this terrific struggle because of this measure, it should be repealed in order to tend to improve an unfortunate situation.

Now that the selective service act has been further amended and it looks as if we may have a seven million man army, many young men now in civilian life will be called to military service. The question is frequently asked me. "How can I get a commission in the Army?", or, "How can I fit into the service immediately where my training experience will best help?" I can only advise, for there's nothing political about the formation of our new Army. It seems the War Department is trying to place men where they will best fit into the service. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to enter the service and attain any rank without first taking the three months of basic training which is given all enlisted men. However, provision has been made for officer training, following this first three months of basic training. in which every man may have a chance to show his ability, and thereby obtain a commission.

It is a sad moment for the Congressman, when parents or relatives write pleading for information concerning their men-folk who are already in the combat zone and have not been heard from. Numerous cases of men from Arizona at Pearl Harbor, on Wake Island. in China, in the Philippines, or elsewhere, who may have been in the military or civilian branches of the service, but who have not been heard from since the out-break of hostilities last December have come before me. It may be that mail is being carried from this country to them; I am told letters should be directed to these people in care of the Postmaster of New York City, who will deliver them if humanly possibly. It is possible to check with governmental department on prisoners of war, which is better than more expensive individual cables, which must go through Bern, Switzerland for men in Japanese hands.