The New York herald., 1922-05-02
Continued from First Page.

rect. The President indicated in his
letter TO Chairman Fordney or Febru-
airy 16 that he would sign bonus bill
If il were financed with a sales tax
Every Senator and party leader with
whom he has talked since that time
knows that he is still ready to do so.
The Republican leaders of the House
of Representatives Messrs. Fordney,
Mondell, Longworth, Madden and Fees
did not even do him the courtesy Of
submitting the suggestion to the
House. Their refusal to do so was
dictated solely by the overwhelming
opposition of members affiliated with
the agricultural bloc TO such a form of
taxation for the bonus or any other
purpose.
Sentiment in the Senate is quite as
pronounced against the sales tax as it
was in the lower house, although it
looms out of the fog of confusion in
which the promoters of the bonus raid
continue to grope for substitute. Up
to date the sales tax has figured only
remotely in the discussions of the
bonus in the Finance Committee.
The Republican members Of that
body are helplessly divided over two
proposals. Surface indications to-day
pointed to an even more complicated
snarl over the plans now under con-
sideration. Senator Frelinghuysen
who has indicated his approval of the
nof5 IN i,,errarca oart;6cata ,,Io,, no g
served notice on Senator McCumber
that he would not support the other
scheme before the committee, namely
to direct the Secretary of the Treas
ury to issue insurance certificates with
a negotiable value to comply with the
mandate of the American Legion that
any bonus bill must guarantee money
down on the spot.
The Finance Committee will be con.
fronted with this situation when il
meets tomorrow to make another
trial at producing bill that will sat
isfy the American Legion and other
bonus claimants, even If it does not
satisfy anybody else. Mr.. McCumber
thinks the committee will succeed. Ir
this opinion he is supported by -four
associates-La Toilette, Watson, Cur
tis and Sutherland.
He is not supported in it by Sena.
tors Calder. Frelinghuysen. Dilling-
ham and Smoot. The attitude of Sen
ator Mclean of Connecticut. the tentf
Republican member of the committee
is uncertain, although the impression
prevails that he will finally side will
the opposition
Mr.. McCumber. whose political need:
are very disturbing In his home State
of North Dakota. is sure the bill
passed by the House will be reported
by his committee with notifications
also that such a bill will be forthcom
ing within a week If so it will be be-
cause the other members OF the com
mittee want to unload the responsible.
ity of the bonus raid on the Senate
or at least get it off their own hands.
The tardiness of the American
Legion in indicating its readiness t
trade votes for Senators for cash bonu.
votes is proving most disturbing to tn,
bonus Senators. The legion is not dis
playing any great amount of enthusi
ism for Mr. McCumber's scheme t.
issue certificates with loan value o
% per cent. the first year instead o
so per cent. as provided in the Hous,
bill.
There is little question that tn,
bonus claimants will finally agree t,
25 per cent, or 10. or in the end, or
the theory that any amount of cash il
better than none. If by any improb
able chance the legion should disap
prove of the scheme to reduce further
the amount of cash to be immediatel,
paid there is no telling just wha