The Washington herald., 1921-07-26
EGIoN OFFICIAL
fOSEE HARDING
ON BONUS DELAY
ampaign Started to Win
Support of Admin
ADMINISTRATION.

IN a vigorous effort to win over
he Harding administration to sup
Iort the soldiers adjusted compen-
ktipn bill. Gilbert Bettman, Of Gin
knHAti. chairman of the national
egfaativs committee Of the legion,
Filf today go to the White House
ID Zee the President and lay be-
oreshim the reasons which he says
touspel the American Legion and
fornerO service men generally to
kres for action at this time
Yesterday Mr.. Bettman conferred
n dis same subject with two mem
berE of.-.the Cabinet. the Secretary
Be Commerce. Mr.. Hoover, and the
kecfetary Of the Treasury, Mr.. Mel
|onE
Authorfzed to SPEAK.
Mr.. Bettman. who Is the author
zed spokesman for the American
Legion an all questions of national
| legislation. said:
4 came to Washington, after con-
ferSnce with other high legion offi-
siaks. to see President Harding; the
secfetary Of the Treasury. Mr.. Mel
|onI and the Secretary OF Commerce.
Mr. Hoover; because after having
kyoh over both branches of Con-
Eress on the question OF adjusted
eonpensatIon for the veterans OIL
|het world war. the American Le-
Eioh found, much to its surprise
bnd disappointment, that the ad-
itself was taking an
position on the ques-
bon.
'For instance, the Secretary OF
thei Treasury in his recent letter
o Senator Frelinghuysen. said:
Al know of no one thing that
wotId, So greatly strengthen the
mztket for Liberty bonds as the
J assurance that Congress had once
and for, all given up consideration
of , soldiers bonus
stand Of Harding.
Again. the President referred to
the bill. in his speech to the Sem
atei a.:
'iThis menacing effort to expend
billions in gratuities.'
Statements such as these from
the Secretary of the Treasury and
the President have led the great
body Of former service men. ac-
cortiing 10 reports coming into le-
gion headquarters, to believe that
the recent recommitment of the ad-
justed cptnpensation bill in the Sem
ate. in .spite OF statements by nu-
to the contrary,
was in reality an attempt to get
the bill out of he way for good.
Being altogether unprepared to
accept such a denouement. the Amer
lean Legion having decided to con-
tinue its fight for the bill and hav-
ing found Congress still favorable,
is naturally turning toward the ad-
in an effort to bring
the President and his advisors over
to the former service mems side
Of the question
Concerned Over Delay.
I'VE ere not only concerned with
tho msse to obstruct the bill from
SOURCES We expected to find friend
ly, tbutswe are concerned alike over
the delay which We fear the SEN
senate fecommitment OF the bill will
mean.
TO those who admit the justice
and validity Of the former service
meh's claim for an adjustment Of
nlS1 Wartime CODlpCi6dAAOus won
to bring home the fact that IL the
is to do anything for these
veterans, IL should do so now. This
applies to what we
cali the productive features of the
adjusted compensation bill. those
which can be most easily financed
and which will yield the greatest
return.
Home Aid Features.
BY this we mean the land set
Element, home aid and vocational
training features Of the bilE There
are tive obvious reasons why, IL
anything along the line OF land set
element. home aid and vocational
is to be done, 1t should
be done. without delay. The first
is that. the 100000 former service
men are getting older and many
Of them will soon pass that stage
IF life"~here they will either want
10 eoniptete their education or start
out life anew on a land settlement
projectsE
'srhsesecond is that there are over
4. .0bO, ,0eos men in the country out
Of sworf; among whom are between
and 100000 former service
men. It is hardly necessary to ar
que that this situation presents a
striking opportunity to the coun-
try not only to do something for this
grsat body of former service men
OUT of employment now when they
MOTT need 1t. but also to aid ma
ter3ally in helping tide over the
present period of unemployment and