The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1920-05-27

but we feel sure it beats warmly.
We do not think America is against
justice for the man who fought.
There is third group of tacticians
who wage another kind of warfare
and say that neither the nation nor
the service man desires compensa-
ton, but only "a group of self-seeking
politicians" Here we must trot out
facts. We must point out that COM
pensation was q dead issue in Con-
gress, in spite of the fact that some
seventy-six bills had been introduced
until The American Legion heard the
voice of the service men and demand
ed action.
1t is not fair to drag this question
of demand into the argument at this
stage. The Legion did not make the
demand until it saw-not only its
leaders but the vast majority of its
members-that a demand was nee
essary. Now that is it made, it is
merely necessary to convince the
country of the justice and reasonable
ness of what we ask.
There are those who like to con-
cede that compensation is due and
even that it should be demanded, but
pull up short of admitting that all
service men should receive the bene-
fits by saying: "Give it to the man
who needs it, by all means; but not
to everyone"
There are two fair objections to
this procedure, the first being that it
would be impossible to ascertain who
does and does not need compensation.
A vast machinery would have to be
set up if there were to be courts of
inquiry into the justice of the claims
of actual need of every service man.
Unless such courts were established,
it would be necessary for the service
man to come forward and declare
himself in need and to beg his Gov
eminent to help him.
This brings us to the second obiec-
ton, that this thing is not matter
of charity. 1t is just and fair COM
pensation as fair as the compensation
paid to the workman who is injured
because of faulty factory safety de-
vices or to the citizen hurt in a rail
road wreck. 1t is not dole, to be
sought like food in soup-line. Why
put the burden on the service man to
go, hat in hand, and plead his need
of assistance? We have seen enough
of government bureaus passing on the
service mans need of help. We have
had enough "hardboiled" boards like
the one that handled vocational train.
ing, that looked on applicants as men
dicants-a "poor-spirited lot" as they
were called.
1t is commended that every man has
not received a setback because OF
war service. Very we'll Let the mar
who no worse off financially, or who
is even better off, forego asking fol
compensation. After all, he must ap,
ply for it to get it. Only one and &
half million men out of the four mil.
lion have applied for the $50 bonus.
1t is said, in effect, that the service
man has been asked if he will take
something if it is handed to him anC
that, of course, he has said he will
1t is declared that we must distin
guish between "need" and ''receptiv
ity." Again we will admit there ma!
be men who have not suffered finan
cial loss and who will not need com
pensation. Here is the chance TO
these men to prove themselves patri
OTIS. Let them refuse to avail them
selves of the opportunity to take com
pensation.
But some men will not need com
pensation and will, nevertheless, tax,
it, says the opponents. This canno
be avoided. Even if there were court
of inquiry such men probably would
be able to satisfy the judges that the.
needed help. We might go so far a.
to suggest here that these opponent
who want compensation given onl!
to those who need it, might do wei
to ascertain, so far as they can, how
many actually are in need. Perhaps
they would be surprised to find how
many service men there are, suffering
uncomplainingly, who are staggering
under the financial burden their wal
service imposed
It is said that War Risk Insurance
will take care of the needs of all for
mer service men. 1t cannot but be
admitted that this insurance, as
changed. by the Government, is {
beneficent aid. 1t is an investment
that every service man should lool
into. But it is simply good invest.
ment
What the former service man needs
is not a good investment that will
bring him an endowment ten or TWEEN.
ty years from now, but present com
pensatiin that will enable him to get
on his feet-to make such investments
as this War Risk Insurance, among
other things.
It has been contended that persons
VIII favor compensation resort to the
sentimental, pointing to the service
man and telling what he suffered,
and ranting about the nations debt
of gratitude. 1t is true that graft
tude ever will be a matter of senti-
ment. You cannot reduce it to dol
lare and cents. But. this general
charge of sentimentality deserves
denial.
We have tried to leave out the hor-
rors of war in these discussions. We
have said that the man who denies
the soldier sacrificed anything to
fight for his country is a cold-blooded
opponent and will be convinced only
by cold-bloded arguments. We have
tried to stick to these arguments, to
the simple, unadorned facts that the
service man did suffer economically