The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-03
REP PUBLICANS IN CONGRESS FORGET
 SERVICE MEN
Have Failed to Pass Any of the Bills That Would
 Give Help.

Washington, D. C., Oct. 3-Despite the growing irritation on the part of the soldiers and sailors, the Republi- can majority in the House of Rep resentattVes continues its failure to agree upon any prcv vision, for the World War warriors Democratic charges of an entire lack of construc- tive ability are privately admitted by many Republican leaders.
 Having failed after numerous at tempts to reach anything resembling an agreement on the MondeII-Smoot- Lane soldiers land bill, the RepubIi- can House leaders decided to "pass the buck by awaiting the convention Of the American Legion, to be held at Minneapolis in November, trusting 10 get some ideas from the soldiers themselves. But the soldiers de- clined to regard this as evidence of Congressional appreciation of their services.
 Something in the way Of 2 stop-gap had to be provided, so Representative King Swope, newly elected Kentucky neInb Der and war veteran, was se- lected to make the pIay.' He in troduced bill providing for six months pay for every soldier and sailor, and, although the bill has not been considered by the House, it is being heralded as evidence of Repub- lican interest in the warriors
 Curiously enough, almost identical ly the same bill was introduced the first day of the special session by Representative Scott Ferris of Okla homa, but that has been lost sight of because a, Democrat was the propon-
 
 the Lane bill with amendments, but introduced his bonus bill with the idea that opposition to the soldiers land plan might stif1e action.
 LnnumerabIe bonus bills have been introduced but none has seen the light of day, and few are likely to. The American Legion at it's initial meet ing at St. Louis practically recorded itself against the bonus plans. The sentiment was that with many of the men a bonus Of few hundred dol lars would be spent like water and assist the soldiers future not at all.
 Meanwhile one post of the American Legion has taken q novel position in regard to the bonus system, in effect, that the soldiers fought for the lib erty of themselves and posterity an : were paid for it; hence no bonuses were needed.
 Democratic leaders have served mo- tice on the Republicans of the I~0use that they intend demanding action on the soldiers measures because of the seeming inability of the majority to do anything. They will insist that if the Republicans cannot evolve a, bill that not only will please the veteran but also a majority of the majority party, it is time some of the Demo- cratic measures should be reported by tE2 committee in charge and given to the House for action.
 The soldiers land bill appears to be dead The Republican leaders view ed this as a promising measure for Kidnapping during the last session, and appropriated it, body and soul, as soon as the special session was call ed. Republican caucuses have dem onstrated that the party floor leader, Mir. Nonden, whose name adorns the bill, cannot rally a half dozen of his flock to unreserved support of it. Moreover, some Of those who under stand the ideas of Secretary of the Interior Lane as embodied in the or 1ginaI bill, insist that Representative Mondeu has shown himself unable to explain it's real provisions when ques- toned on the floor of the House.