The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-07-23
National Adjutant of Legion
Tells Why Compensation
Bill Should Pass
OUTLINES GROWTH OF
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
State Commander Vernon Tells
of Work Being Done by
State Department

IF that is what the senate calls
speed, God help us is it should hap
pen to be- so slow that, it would adj
NIT it," declared Lemuel E. Bolles,
national adjutant of the American
legion, before a meeting of ex-service
men and Other interested citizens at
the Civic and Commerce association
rooms FRIDAY evening, when COM
mentinAg upon the passage of the
Sweet bill which has been before
congress for the past Is months and
is now passed by the senate with
amendments which require its return
to the house.
1T is far from being a law yet,
still the senate is going around with
chests swelled out trying to make
the world think that it put the
measure over in record time," he
added
"The adjusted compensation mess
is becoming a real problem. Con-
gress is bowling economy, but as far
as i am able to make out, this pro-
gram of economy is being confined
entirely to ythe ex-service men and
women" he declared.
I'VE object to the idea of a bonus;
we don't want bonus or a gratu-
ity. ALL the legion asks for the ex-
service men and women is a square
deal. The reimb's"sements covered in
the four-fold compensation bill have
been earned, but not yet received.
The bill provides only for a reim-
bursement for the financial loss suf-
fered by those who entered the ser
vice while others at home reaped
huge profits from the war.
1--WE will not recede one inch, if
I have anything to say about it, even
If it takes so years to put the bill
across. believe President Harding
was sincere in his message to the
senate recommending shelving of the
bill at this time, but I do believe he
now sees that he made a gross mis-
take" ;
He scored congress for the speedy
expenditures to Columbia, the rail
roads, the shipping board deficit, the
expenditure for airplanes during the
war. and til paltry allotmnt for hos
pitfalls fo the sick and disabled ex-
service men. He clearly expressed a
desire for government economy, but
demanded that such economy be prac-
ticed all the way around and not
confined to those items dealing with
the ex-service men. AS a possible
and almost sure remedy for the pre-
cent condition of congress, he urged
a regeneration of political life. He
declared that the nation should clear
out the Stacked, congressman and pat
in persons who have the real interests
of the nation at heart, instead of
placing party politics in the fore
ground.
He urged every American citizen
to exercise his or her night of fran
chise. He declared that any person
who stays away from the polls at
election time is worse Stacker than
Bergdoll. He VI ged the legion to
stand for clear politics and demand
that office holders be thoroughly
competent, each to give his town,
county and country the best he has.
Other remarks by Mr.. Bolles were
confined to the condition of the ma
tional organization of the legion and
the much-talked-o relationship be-
tween labor and the legion. He de-
clared that labor and the legion
stand for the same fundamental AM
ericanism, as demanded of every loyal
American, and stated that the rela-
tionship between the organizations
was most friendly.
State Commander A. H. Vernon of
Little Falls, in his last speech before
any legion post as head of the Min
nesota department of the legion, out
lined the work Of the state organ,--
ization. which he said had been done
through the efforts of the various
post officers and the Individual le-
gionaires working hand in hand.
He objected to ever having an or
ganization which might be termed
"button-weartGs" 'only, and urged
that every ex-service man realize that
he must still render the best of SER
vice in peace as well as in war.
The financial condition of the state
department was outlined briefly
Continued on Page 81