The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-04-07
Hot Air System Shown in Ses-
sion Over S631,OOo,OOO
Pension Legislation.
MAKE EAGLE SCREAM.
Orators Wave Flag and Ven
crate Constitution, but Never
4 Word on Pensions.
BV HGrtin Green.
Especial STAFF Correspondent Of The
Eveninq WORLDLY


newspaper reader in a hundred thou
sand has the slightest conception OF
how things are done In Congress,
For the benefit Of those who are as
ignorant OF tho procedure in our
national legislative halls ns they are
Of tho inside workings OF a dynamo
I shall try 10 transport an assem-
Llage Of such from their homes and
Offices In New York TO the gallery OF
the House OF Representatives during
typical session.
The typical session was that OF
yesterday. Uncle Joe Cannon Of I'LL
noIs, Chairman OF the Pensions sun
committee OF the House Appropria-
ti0ns Committee. called up next
year'a Pension Appropriation bill for
! general dcbate. Tho desk In trout OF
IInclo Joo was piled high with docu-
ments and books. Tlmo nlloments
for discussion were made TO both
sidna. Previously the venerable blind
chaplain OF the House had prayed
that the members might be given the
light TO SEQ how 10 render unto
Caesar tho things that are Caesars
and unto God tho things that are
Gods.
And 30 thoy opened the way at
noon for general discussion on the
pension bul. This is an important
pieca OF legislation II carries IN ap-
propriatiou of &214.o2O.OOo for vcter-
ans and dependents OF veterans OF
tho Civil War. There are about
$4,000 Civil War pensioners on tho
rolls. although about $4,000 OF thom
will have died in the nScal yenr end
iOg June 80 noxt %
WAR PENSIONS NOW TOTAL
ABOUT $63l,Ooo.0Oo.
But there already has passed
the House . bill providing for the
payment Of S6S,O00lO00 additional
20 pensioners Of the Civil War
and st2,50ooo0 TO pensioners Of
the Spanish American War. With
these tho pension bill Of the
United Statos for the next fiscal
year will amount TO about $780,
$4,000. including expenditures for
war risk insuranees, for national
soldiers homes, for aid 20 soldiers
homes. for the care Of war risk
patients BY the public health ssr-
vice and for the board for VocS-
tional sdueation.
The Government has already paid
out $2t1,797. 900 on account OF the $50
bonus to soldiers discharged after the
war with Germany and II is estimated
that about S17.5OO, 900 In addition will
be diBbursed during the coming fiscal
year in this item The big contem-
plated $4,000. 100000 Compensation
Act does not come under the head
Of pension legislation as yet
Well. here was this bill involving
expenditures OF about $3.50, $50, ,OOO
called up for general debate at noon
with Uncle Joe Cannon having all his
documeutE neatly piled up before him
and everything. The wheels began
to go around. and Tor four hours and
torty-five minutes the cellar-llke at
moEphere Of the House was rippled
and waved by bursts or oratory.
LOTS OF oRAToRY, BUT NOT
ABOUT PENSIONS.
Did they talk about the pension
, bur No, gentle reader. they did not
> They talked about the plan to declare
. peace with Germany by resolution
The resolution TO declare peace with
Germany will not come before the
}, House until next Thursday, but
; the time for debate will probably
be limited while II Is up in regular
3 order, so the forehanded sta tesmsn
: who want to go on record in the mat.
!. ter, dragged 1t In on the pension bill
}. Only one member, Blanton Of
/: TeNaS, made any references what.
= ever 10 the subject which fur
/, nishsd the oStsnsible excuse for
e the session. and his referenes
. was brief.
! Member after member got up an,
/: waved the American flag and squeeze,
p screams out OF the American EaRl
= and twisted the British lions tai
j.; Sometimes one reasonably might hav
g. assumed, from the tenor of IN
;; speeches, that the United States wa
= at war with Great Britain from AprI
Z. 6, 1917. TO Nov IL. 1918.
:; The debate was strictly partisan
y and that was fair enough because IN
e. proposal to declare peace by resolu
- tion is strictly "a party measure IA
vored by the Republicans and oppose
by the Democrats
no But all diseussionS in the House
's and in the Senate are strictly
partisan. no matter what the sub
ss ieet under discussion, and that is
% on oVershadowdna reason why
w Congress is not getting anywhere
In the direction Of rsIisvina the