Evening star., 1921-07-19
Editorial Digest
The Commander Kills the Bonus.

, When President Harding came out |
against the bonus he had the support OF
| almost the entire press of the country, "x-
cept, Of course, those papers devoted to
! the interests of ex-soldiers. While some
writer's attack the President for keeping !
| up false hopes in the breasts of the SOL |
diers for SO long. the majority consider
his statement courageous" and some
writer's even foolhardy from political
| standpoint. AS to the merits of the !
| bonus itself, the general tendency is to
accept Secretary MELONS, denunciation |
| as final and let it go at that, though a |
number of newspapers take the view
J that it is merely postponement of
| just reward.
The Chicago Tribune independent re-
pub!ican) believes that the Presidents
arguments. while they may be sound.
would be received with better grace by
the veterans If they had been accom- !
panied by a clearer exposition of the
difference between the governments
moral obligation, which cannot be de-
MED. and its economic obligat ton, which !
cannot be ignored" and the 'plea for
economy at the soldiers expense must
, be proved Ito be in good faith to the
/ last dollar by the most drastic econo-
| mics ever practiced by the nation" or
the soldiers will have the backing of
| the entire nation to oust the entire ad-
| ministration at the next election" De-
laying action now, says the Pittsburgh
Sun tdemocrat.c), places the adminis-
tration under binding pledge to effect |
every possible economy that will hasten
| the day when definite, constructive ac-
ton will be possible and practicable"
Patriotic citizens says the Canton
the bonus payment" to former service
| men "if the money can be secured
without impairment of the nations
, finances" but it would be better ito
wait another year" and. adds the
Deseret News (Salt Lake City, in
dependentl this being true. the
young and sturdy men to whom the
bonus is to come will be quite ready
and willing to wait for 1t little
while longer" The Cincinnati Times
| may be in order some time later to
| pass federal or state bonus law. but
\ not both even then. and neither now"
The Spokane Spokesman Review
| independent republican,: Secretary
Mellon is right. The bonus bill would
| not benefit the soldiers in the long
run. for an injury to the national
credit would recoil upon them and
! their relatives" The Wheeling In
| telligencer trepublican) likewise be-
| l1eves that ito pay a bonus now would
do much more harm than good" for
1t would benefit a few and injure all
| the rest. and the Houston Post (demo-
| cratic) thinks that from the stand
point of the veterans interests it
would be far better to defer such
I legislation and the Minneapolis
journal independent republican, be-
lieves that they will be glad to wait
until their time comes.
! While the New York Globe Gnde-
! pendenO accepts this argument it
goes step further: 1T seems over
| lwhelmingly probable that paying the
veterans from one to five billions out
of the national Treasury will do the
soldiers themselves. to say nothing Of
the rest of the country. far more
| harm than good The best aid the
! soldier can get is the restoration of
good times The real point involved
is one of national policy. Ought the
| country to set up the principle of
paying for patriotic service on a dol
lar and cents basis. If any one can
sordid piece of political juggling. cal
culated to do the country infinite
| hafm and the veterans themselves no
good. 1t is time for him to come for
| ward and make himself heard
Nnlie the birmingham News tdemo-
| cratlc) thinks there are thousands of
| outstanding patriotic young men who
| scorn bonus" the veterans who are
pushing that legislation. it believes,
| mold a thoroughly sordid view" en-
ploying arguments ''mercenary in the
extreme The Age-Herald Gnde-
pendent democratic), however, of the
same city. takes quite a different
view. Public sentiment largely sup
| ports the former soldiers" it says, lin
their claim for financial losses sus-
tanned during the war;
The Knoxville Sentinel (independent
| democratic) suggests that it would
| nave been much more pleasant and
| practical a procedure" to have "ad-
vised against the bonus before it
! had gained such headway''
The President acted says the New
New World tdemocratic) with "cour-
| age and candor." and in the opinion
of the Baltimore American (republi-
| CAM he will receive the commenda-
ton of the country" the former serv-
| ice men included. In the opinion of
the Cleveland Plain Dealer Gndepend-
/ ent democratic) he deserves the high
! est commendation for his vigorous
independently he has told the truth
| about an unpleasant situation time
lily, tactfully and with a courage
! which inspires public confidence" and
this, adds the Louisville Courier Jour-
nal (democratic) cannot in the very
nature of things fail to be approved"
| To the Newark News independently
the address reveals "a new Harding,
not the Mr.. Harding of the presi-
Dental campaign. nor yet the Presi-
dent Harding of those wavering days
before the beginning of the special
session., but chief executive Dos
! sessing genuine leadership" or. as
| the Baltimore Sun independent dem
| ocratic) describes him. "a gladiator