The daily times., 1921-07-08
ACTION TO COME LATER
The Only Question is When
Can Such Legislation be
Passed Consistent With the
Condition of the Nations
Finance, Harding Really
Favors 1t.
(By David Lawrence)

\COpyllSAt 10A4 ny Ddliy Times
Washington, July 7.-Soldier bonus
legislation is dead at least so far as
this session Of Congress is concern
ed. The Executive branch of the gov
ernment has warned Congress that
such a measure at this time would
strain the nations finances and add
to the difficulties of the country's
business situation.
President Harding is more or less
committed to a soldier bonus. He
is on record to leaders of the Amer
lean Legion advising them mot to
worry about the bonus" But he could
not give it his approval at this time
Secretary Mellon of the Treasury De-
partment who has just written the
Senate a letter arguing against the
passage Of bonus bill had the full
support of Mr.. Harding before he
with Congress. Mr.
Harding was unable to run counter
to the advice given him by the Treas.
ury Department and for the present
at least the legislation will be de-
ferred
Even without Secretary Mellon S
letter there was no assurance that the
soldier bonus bill would pass both
houses. The plan was to rush it
through the Senate of course and it
may yet go through that body for
n
er House leaders would have let it
through at this time. Mr.. Melons
letter makes it easier however for
administration forces in congress to
answer the demands Of constituents
for action on the bonus. They can
make Mr.. Mellon responsible and
argue that as a finaucie- AMI busi-
ness man he ought to know what
will and will not hurt the business
situation.
But the interesting fact is that the
soldier bonus question is by no means
disposed of either by Mr.. Mellon S
letter or the attitude which Congress
may assume. The movement has
grown rapidly and while conservative
minds inside the American Legion
have doubted the wisdom of a
, bonus, the rank and file have been
, enthusiastically in favor of it and
the Harding administration knows
that sooner or later, either just be-
fore the congressional elections OF
1922 or the presidential election of
1924 soldier bonus bill must be
passed to prevent the soldier bloc
from voting in body against the
Republicans next time.
Nine out of ten political prophets
hereabouts admit soldier bonus legis-
lation is inevitable. The only question
,, is when it can be passed consistent
: with the condition of the nations fin
ances. The trouble about the present
proposal is, that it makes no provi-
sion for the raising of the money
( ferent ways by which the service men
are to be rewarded-they can have
money, homesteads, insurance or vo-
eationa1 training-and there is nc
, way of telling whether the total cost
7, to the government would be billion
and a half dollars or four billion dol
lars It might be either figure. There
are in Congress at least fifteen diner
ent bills proposing how the money
shall be raised. These suggestions &c
all the way from plans to recover
money received by the so-called wal
Eprofiteers'' to the use of the b1ll1or
! dollars Of interest owed by foreign
govrnments to the United States OF
the war debt. Nobody knows exactl!
how money already spent by so-ca1let
"war profiteers" can be recovered
and that suggestion hadn't much sup
port except in the radical group IL
: Congress. AS for the interest on tn
foreign debt, there is no sign o
money from that source and tn