The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1920-03-03
AMERICAN LEGION MEMBERS
WILL FIGHT POLITICIANS
Officers of American Legion CharGe
That Republicans Broke Faith
With the Soldiers

1t begins to look as though the five
million men who served with the
colors during the war and the Repub-
lican leaders in congress were squared
for finish fight on the question of
bonus or compensation. The major
ity leaders have declared against pro-
vision for compensation at this ses-
sion of congress, and nothing but a
party caucus can reverse them before
they clash with the soldiers. Indica-
tions that former service men have
stamped the present congress as
faithless and inefficient, and that they
intend going after the "scalps" of
those responsible for the party policy,
are coming in from various sections
of the country.
The complaint of the former sery-
ice men is that, after year of wait
ing and trusting in the pledges of the
present congress, they now under
stand that the lawmakers are unwill-
ing to grant compensation in any
form at this time. At recent spe-
cial conference of the Republican
leaders 1t was decided that the men
would be told they must wait before
relief or adjustment will be given
them.
Complain of Inaction
In the meaning, the American Le-
gion, representing some million and
a half organized former service men,
through its executive committee, has
called on congress to keep the faith
it pledged the men last summer and
last fall, and has stated its belief that
every man who served honorably
should receive $50 bond for every
month of service as additional COM
pensation to meet the high living cost
caused largely by the big wages and
salaries paid civilians during the war.
In its resolution the executive COM
mittee called especial attention to the
fact that the American Legion in it's
November convention in Minneapolis
left with confidence the discharge
of this obligation to congress-" and
that mo definite action looking to
such compensation has yet been TAX
en- by congress"
Legion officers, in respect to their
resolution, point to the fact that the
congressional leaders gave them to
understand last summer there would
be no soldier compensation legisla-
tion until after the American Legion
convention, so that congress might
have the advantage of knowing what
the majority of the organized service
men wanted. They further refer to
the assurances given them by certain
Republican leaders at the time of the
convention that they could with con-
fidence leave such a matter to con-
gress without specifying any fixed
adjustment. Now, apparently, they
are Convinced that congress has
broken faith with them, and some of
the men are persuaded that certain
willy members of congress have pur-
posely schemed them into a corner
where they can AFFORD to neglect them.
The demand among the yet unor-
ganized men who served in the ranks
is said to be even more insistent than
that of the members OF the several
soldier associations. Proof of the
perssure behind such legislation is
seen in the fact that about 80 bills
have been introduced in the House
looking toward compensation in some
FORM 1t is evident that the Repub-
lican leaders will have a fight on
their hands even among members of
their own party who have introduced
some of these bills in response to
home sentiment.