Evening star., 1921-12-11
Ex-Service Men in Congress
to Get Bill Through or Fight
Other Measures.
COUNTRY FEELS PLEDGE
HAS BEEN GIVEN BY COP.
Supporters Bank on Sales Tax for
| Funds-Cost of Soldier Care,
$4s9, 600, 900 a Year.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

determination regarding the So
called soldiers bonus" but, more ac-
curately, adjusted compensation" fo-
| The former service men, must D.
made at the present session Of Con-
gress. The republican leaders are re
iuctant to discuss the situation-ii
! fact, they decline to be interviewed.
But fiat-"Pass the soldier ,ai
Justed compensation measure or YOU
VIII not pass any measure calling TO.
the appropriation Of funds other thar.
those required under law for the sup
port OF the federal establishments
Is made by the organized --ervice
| men In Congress.
The people Of the country feel tina,
the United States government is In
! honor and conscience bound to make
an adjustment to the men who served
| IN the war. They feel that the re-
! publican party now in power has
given it's pledge that this would be
done. II the republicans do not keep
that pledge the people will give an
| other party an opportunity to keep its
faith with the service men. That is
the reflex that the big percentage of
men in Congress, irrespective of party
ties, are getting from their visits
| back home" and from the cor
respondence of their constituents.
G. o. p. Leaders Worried.
The republican leaders are admit
tedly worried about the situation.
They realize that If an adjusted com
pensation" measure is allowed to
come up on the floor of either house
| Of Congress it wilp pass like wild
| fire. Those who will be seeking re-
election next year, and especially
those who will be making a fight for
the Senate. realize that their posi-
tion with regard to a soldiers ad-.
justed compensation measure will
have a very powerful influence on
| their campaign.
| Those who some time since. when
| the President in special message
| TO the Senate asked them to recon-
| nit the so-called soldiers bonus"
! bill. interpreted this as an assurance
| that the matter would be taken up
| little later were grievously disap-
pointed that he did not propose some
| such legislation in his message at the
opening Of the regular session. House
| leader Monden refuses to discuss
what. If any, place on the House pro-
gram is being reserved for the lad
justed compensation" measure 1t is
known that several very prominent
party leaders have been in conference
at the White House recently on this
subject.
The action of his home state, Ohio.
In passing a soldiers bonus bill for
$25,000.000 by a 3-to-1 vote Is expect
ed to convince the President regard
ing the will of the people toward Ak
ing up their accounts with the serv-
| ice men.
| Fordney Takes Hopeful view.
| Chairman Fordney of the ways and
means committee. who. at the opening
of the special session. introduced
soldier bonus bill as the first one to
be dropped into the hopper, and to
whose committee more than seventy
bonus bills have been referred. will
/ only say, Personally hope to take
up this question soon after the Christ,
mas holidays. I believe the commit
tee will report out some BILL
! The ways and means committee has
before it a, demand for action signed
by all the former service men who
are members of the House. Repre-
sentative Roy G. Fitzgerald of Ohio,
president Of the Veterans Associa-
ton of Congress. representing TWEEN
| ty-six ex-service men of the world
war. twenty-four veterans of the
Spanish American war. and including
Representative Osborne Of California.
a civil war veteran, is emphatic in
declaring that the present session of
Congress must see decisive action
taken.
THE soldiers bonus legislation, as
it is commonly called, must be passed
at this session of Congress. We will
serve notice on the leaders that un-
less this is done no other legislation
that involves expenditure of public
funds. aside from he regular supply
bills, based on substantive law, will
be allowed to pass" He admitted
that he had particular reference to
the recommendations Of Secretary
Mellon Of the Treasury Department
Continued on Page 8, Column So
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