New-York tribune., 1921-06-14

at'en to entry of public lands and
on All reclamation projects now in
eA'seehee or hereafter established.
whether such reclamation .s made bv
'rr,gation, drainage or otherwise,
me veteran at his option may
seleet any one of these i've plans"
Objects to Term "Bonus"
The subcommittee. objectiag TO the
eNnressinn soldiers bonus blt' SAYS:
;, inns proposed legislation is ge.er.
ally referred 10 as the soldiers bonus
oiif: No name could be. applied that
would be more irrelevant 1t STAMPS
upon Just and unquestioned national
moral obligation the designation graf
olty The purpose of this bill in no
sense seeks TO express a national graft
.ude by money gift to our soldiers.
IL IS not so intended by it's supporters,
ana the veterans of the World War
would not so accept It. 1t is Just what
its title reads. bill to provide ad
lhsted compensation for the veterans
OF the World War.
ne purpose OF this bill is to give to
the soldier who offered his life with
mis- services conn pensation that will
more nearly approach that of the la
borer who remained at home, secure
from danger, and whose compensation
increased from 200 to 500 per cent. and
measured by the amount of labor ac-
tualiy performed, far beyond those
Unfolding the justice of the pro-
posed legislation, the subcommittee
adds:
leaving out OF the equation every
vestige of sentiment, every element of
gratitude. and applying only the rigid
rule of mathematical calculation, we
cernot deny that by allowing the man
who fought for his country, who placed
his life in pawn for his country, the in
crease in his compensation provided
for in this bill, we are still giving him
for his services, with all their risks and
hardships. compensation much below
that which the common laborer in the
United States received during his ab-
sence. 1t seems to US that justice, no
less than gratitude, demands this ad
justment. Great as it seems to be
when crystallized into dollars and
cents, we are compelled to admit that
il is much less than is actually due the
soldier selected for military duty as
compared with that which was received
by his countryman who performed civil
duties only"
Count on Allied Debt Interest
Interest on the Allied debt TO this
country will more than care for the an
nual payments to the veterans, the sub
committee believes. 1t says in this con-
nection:
"The general assumption that the
enactment of this bill into law will i'm
mediately load upon the backs of an al
ready excessively taxburdened public
an immense additional liability is un-
warranted.
at will be seen that no payment of
i'm mportance will be required until after
July, 1922, giving ample opportunity to
adjust the estimated Treasury deficits
and by reasonable economy to meet the
added liability incurred by this legis-
lation without any increase in taxation.
THE payments to he made after July
l, 1922. will be so divided as to add
comparatively small sum to our ma
tional expenses for each year.
"The committee begs to remind the
Senate that undoubtedly there Will be
funded into longtime bonds the debts
due this country for money advanced
our associates in the World War. The
Allies having now agreed with Germany
upon the amount of reparations to be
paid by Germany to them, will be in
position to use the funds received in
reparations to meet the interest on
their obligations to the United States"
Under what the subcommittee be-
lieves will be the real operation of the
legislation" the total cost would be
about $780, 100000 scattered over
period of twenty years, and the great
est amount due in any one year prior
to 1913 will not exceed $200,00O,0OO.
No limit of time is imposed for an
application for benefits Plans to meet
the cost by taxation legislation ar@ not
included in the bill