Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1920-03-23
HAD BETTER
GET ON THE JOB QUICKLY

a business reclaimed from the junk
heap can afford to smile at the tar.
nished brightness of war h0nors. The
hero STUFF couldn't last long and IL
was inevitable that the acclamation OF
the crowd should die away TO whis-
per and then to silence: II Is better so.
Being hero has its disadvantages to
the fellow who has the ability to make
good and doesn't want TO be distracted
by continual references to a chapter
In his life that has been closed In an
honorable fashiOn-but closed, never
theless. The keener wits and broader
vision which war service gives even TO
the humblest Is advantage enough to
carry over the economic fight and
marks the war veteran with hOnors
that have the Jingle Of good coin and
the possession of seat In the councils
Of the elders. He will compel atten-
tion when he speaks.
Only year ago the people were
Fastening to pay honors to returned
soldiers; fair women smiled sweetly on
them politicians told how they were
going to do something for them. IA
lot OF the heroes are now In hospitals,
In jails, on the bum, In congress or
making more or less honest living
like other folks Aside from those
who are blind or manned or otherwise
helpless, they are receiving neither
honors nor promised assistance only
gratuitous advertising when their
French OF German wives come over
with the war babies" Congress feels
that il cannot give them assistance
without wrecking the country finan-
cially (they forget that the Meuse-Ar-
gonne campaign shortened the war by
year at least), besides they have all
they can do to take care OF needy Eu-
ropeans. Right here In New Mexico
we had legislature that appropriated
the munificent sum OF $4,000 which,
II Is an even bet, will 60 only to de-
serving politicians. How can congress
afford to provide farms for soldiers
when IL has to build 80 many federal
buildings in so many hick towns?
We do not realize II 80 much here in
Deming. hut the fact remains that in
the larger centers of population there
are literally thousands of ex-service
men walking the streets as homeless
tramps-men who had braved German
machine guns with beating hearts that
democracy might not perish from the
earth" What mockery! These men
have been displaced in industry and
they lack the ability, training or OPP
portunity to reestablish themselves.
In that lies national dishonor.
II is perfectly true that cash bonus
ttttl halNa NJ
Is only graft and political intrigue in
the bonus proposal. But what went
with the plans to place returned sol
diers on farms? A politician In the
New Mexico legislature says that they
won't 20 to the farms and that they
have been absorbed again into the in
dustries. Neither statement Is true.
He might better have said that the
war Is over and that the dead past
might bury its dead for all he or his
ilk cared-that's exactly what he
meant. What n short-sighted, pinch
penny theory. The time will come
when the ex-service men with be so
well organized that they will demand
and get money, but the opportunities
that should have been created to make
money through industry will have
passed. The civil war pension disgrace
will be re-established and many men
who could have been helped will have
been uperized-charges on the COM
munity instead. OF producers OF wealth
for the community.
What Canada has done gives the lie
10 the politicians who claim that ere
atlng opportunities for discharged sol
dlers endangers the finances OF the
county or that the ex-service men will
not farm More than 1900 Canadian
ex-soldiers are farming and more
than 1000 a month are taking up farm
ing under the liberal patronage OF the
government.
The great need Is for farmers-pro-
ducers OF food. They 20 onto waste
land and make IL productive they add
TO the national wealth and the assist
ance they have received turns out to
be most profitable investment Of pub
lie funds. Thousands Of letters were
received by the secretary OF agricul-
ture from ex-seryice men deslriag to
farm. They were promised that con-
gress would do something" But con-
gress promptly forgot all about Il.
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