The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-17
Cox Would Aid Every Veteran
To O7gn Home; Justice i'm Claims
Candidate Realizes Needs Of
Service Men and Believes
Nation Owes Assistance.
BY JOSEPH L. HEFFERMAN.

That Gov. James NJ. Cox, OF Ohio
Democratic nominee for president, IA
vors such substantial aid as will en-
able every former service man to es-
tablish himself In a real American
home Is the substance OF a detailed
interSiew given TO the Stars and
Stripes. To make every man who wore
Uncle Sans o. ID. q freeholder in the
land OF the nation, sums up the con
clusion reached by the Buckeye gov
ernor after a profound study OF what
he terms "one OF the most meritor-
ious demands for fair play which con
front the government of the United
States"
Favors Home Owning.
1T has long been part of my philo-
iophy," explained Gov. Cox, that
very citizen should own his own
iome. When a man becomes q home
jwner there ends forever any ques-
ton OF his loyalty, his interest In good
government, his sincere participation
in the affairs Of his country. The
men who entered the army, the navy
and the marine corps proved their
devotion in an hour OF need. Now,
therefore, II is no gratuity for the
country to aid them In becoming
home owning citizens to whom the
future Of the nation may well be in
trusted.
"What Is more, the democratic plat
form adopted by the San Francisco
convention harmonizes with my per-
sonal views. Il
His Personal View.
THAT platform I regard as a prom
isory note and shall see that II is
paid. every dollar and evry cent. And
what Is more. whether or not the
democrat platform so stipulated, i
feel personally that could engage
In no more worthy enterprise. that
/ could do no greater service to my
country II elected president than to
aid every service man-and woman
to become the proud owner OF a home.
I feel that the democratic party can
well 90 before the voters Of this great
country pledged to home aid for
every man and woman who responded
In the dark hour when war clouds
hung low over the land. I believe
firmly in American homes for Ameri-
can fighters"
As to the means to the end Gov.
Cox does not agree unreservedly with
anyone who suggests that Uncle Sam
10 so nearly bankrupt that he cannot
lend 4 hand to the great body Of SER
vico men and women. He declares his
faith not only In the future, but in the
present, Of America. He maintains
that with the great resources of
America-the credit of the nation
practical methods OF effecting home
aid can be found without upsetting
the government In any OF It's depart
ments.
x-Servios Bureaus.
Aside from direct home-aid for all
former service men and women, Gov.
Gov manifested particular interest in
the future OF the bureau of war risk
ana tho vocational training board.
1T seems to be inevitable" he ex-
planned. that the war risk and the vo-
cational board will be consolidated.
Great good can be effected both in con-
unuation OF government insurance and
In the upbuilding OF vocational training
The former, OF course. was organized
under great emergency and was created
over night. In itself 1t was an extraor-
NHidty achievement. NOW we nave nau
time to observe Its operation, to study
the result, and II appears to me only
just that an effort should be made to
determine the practicability Of making
lower rates. ! am heartily in favor of
taking such steps Immediately.
In regard to vocational training, I
cannot cxpresh myself strongly enough
In favor Of doing everything possible
and doing It expeoitiously--to help edu-
cate to new usefulness and new helpful
ness those who were injured In defend
Ing their country.
AT least 90 per cent. OF the former
service men were In favor OF cash
or are you, like many big business men,
opposed to III" Gov. Cox was asked.
II should not say that was the re-
ply.
For some time Gov. Cox sat in
thought. Then he continues:
who was II that said Statesman
ship consists OF getting the best pos
sible results at given timer SO it
is now with read1usted compensation, or
cash bonus, as some style II. When
the men returned from overseas there
was unquestionnbly dire need of
funds, The federal government granted
n bonus OF $780, but that $50 would
hardly buy suit OF civies to replace
the war-torn o. ID.
In the meantime. too. prices of other
necessities had scared to the sky, while
with the coming of the armistice there
was n general shifting of our industrial
outlook, At that time there was no
question Of the need of the men. just
demobilized. Almost anyone would adj
nit It, Yet the months passed and
nothing was done by our republican
congress to bring the thought OF ad-
justed compensation into reality.
with passing months the argument
OF immediate need grew less forceful,
for the men Of the army had re estab-
lished themsclvs without their adjusted
compensation, True, they were put to
greater difficulties-they had to strug-
gle TO overcome the extraordinary cir
cumstances which had arisen while they
were In the service OF their country.
Finally, by an eleventh hour spurt, the
bill for sodiov relief was passed by the
house. Then II was laid on the door,
step of the senate, while throughout the
country ran n propaganda against II.
Now the question arises, have the peo-
pie of the country been turned away
from the compensation idea, have the
tabllshed themselves despite the lack OF
government aid? Nr. in other words,
what are the best possible results that
could he had at this particular time? II
is because of these new circumstances.
keeping in mind at all times that the
Nation does, beyond gainsay, owe an
obligation TO the men and women who
served, that l am so profoundly infer
ested In government aid for homes"
That Gov. Cox is interested deeply in
problems OF the former service man Is
manifest both from his familiarity with
those problems and the pride with which
he recalls his own war record" He,
too, was in intimate association with
the men Of Ohio from the moment they
entered the service and his neighbors