The Pittsburgh Press (February 16, 1946)
Smith: Vet candidates
By Douglas Smith
WASHINGTON – Some members of Congress jump nervously these days at bare mention of the word “veteran.”
It isn’t just those angry letters about demobilization. What is alarming is that so many veterans are talking about running for Congress.
However, history is on the side of the congressmen. According to statistics, they needn’t be so disturbed.
In 1918 politically inclined veterans talked about taking over Congress too, but they didn’t do it. It was years afterward before veterans reached Congress in any number.
Even now, only a third of the House members are veterans. The proportion in the Senate is even smaller. And Harry S. Truman is the first World War I veteran to reach the White House.
Number grows steadily
The election of 1920 brought many new faces to Congress, but only 19 of them were veterans. Eight other members had served in the armed forces while retaining their seats in Congress, however, bringing the total to 27. Only two of these were senators.
Twenty-six more veterans were elected in 1922. The 1924 elections brought the total in Congress to 54, only eight of whom were senators.
The number grew steadily, as did the average age of veterans, but in recent years the question of “Where were you in 1918?” has rarely been invested into a campaign. Many members of the present Congress were too young for the World War I.
Most of the veterans who came to Congress immediately after the last war were in politics before they went to war.
“Other things being equal, a war record is a political advantage to any candidate,” one congressman said. “I don’t see how it could possibly lose any votes, and it is certain to pick up some.”
Many vets to get into legislatures
Another congressman, a World War veteran, said he expects to see many new veterans in the state legislatures this year. “It will be easier for them to get started in politics there, and the best ones in the legislatures will be running for Congress in a few years, like they always have.” He said he doesn’t expect many of them to come to Congress before 1948.
One Southerner expects to “step down” for a veteran after another term or two. “There will be some good young man coming out of the war in my district and he ought to have the job,” he added.
A big difference between now and 1918 is the larger number of new veterans. Any substantial veterans’ bloc might be the controlling factor in closely contested districts, and this may cause the parties to pick veteran candidates in greater numbers.