Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-19
SEES LEGION DYING
FROM VETO OF BONUS
Continued from page I.

the measure for adjusted compensation
Last summer
Alvin r Owsley. head of the leHion's
commission on Americanl2atlon, ap-
reared early today 10 he the outstand-
lrg candidate for national commander.
supporters of William +. Deegan. New
York state commander and tho first
candidate publicly to announce that
hr was running for the office, appeared
discouraged hy unconfirnfed rImors
that the Missouri delegation and the
predicted mid west coalition" had
split. and that the south. with tho
possible exception OF Alabama, was lin
ing up I'm favor Of Owslcy.
The fight OF the American Legion
for tho enactment OF soldiers bonus
law will be continued I'm the next
Congress.
with hurrah and with only one OF
the more than 1000 voting delegates
shouting mo" the general convention
of the Legion. In session here. adopted
yesterday n resolution expressing tho
| hope that an adjusted compensation
/ bin would he passed without delay.
SO that the Legion may devote all of
its energies to the other constructive
measures OF it's program. productive Of
good TO the nation we served"
| The resolution ms placed before the
convention was not the singing ar
raignment of the Administration which
some ardent advocates of the bonus
| had predicted. President Harding was
not mentioned by name. the only di-
rect reference to him being state
nent that the Chief Executive pro-
posed 10 pension tho veterans Of the
| World War. The reply of the Legion
| 10 this proposal is that Il stands -Four
square" for n bonus and against
any pension legislation.
The argument that any bonus bill
should he vetced unless II carries q
provision TO meet the financial obli.
cations imposed was denounced n.
insincere. and the statement of those
who opposed the bonus that II woul,
mean an additional debt Of s5 600 .O0O. -.
600 was characterized as misleading
With the bonus question out of tn,
way, the convention adopted a resolu
ion calling on Congress To enact {
universal military service law. which
the Committee of Military Affairs sa id
would lin its opinion take the prof
out Of war and enable the President I,
| draft all the national resources. mar
Power, industry and everything else
ia the event of war and without fur
ther legislation Because OF the innde
quate legislation the World War de
Ncloped in the United States, the com
mittee charged. war strength di
vision for millionaires." adding tha
in all future wars the national mott,
must be: Equal service for all an,
special profits for none"
The Committee on Naval Affair
submitted resolution demanding tha
the navy be Immediately increased L
an enlisted strength OF lO5 900 men
The present strength IS IS 900 men
Legionaires were requested in III
same resolution TO vote for no candI
dates for the House or Senate VIII
refuse TO support legislation lookini
To a better and stronger navy" Con
sress was severely criticised for per
mitting the navy TO be stripped las
year This was interpreted as directe
AT the treaty which the Senate rati
! fed some months ago.
The annual parade of the Legio
took place in the afternoon.
Colonel B. G. Forbes, head OF III
Veterans Bureau in Washington. VIII
= had been in New Orleans since III
Legion convention began. left unex
l pectedly for Washington yesterda,
One report is that his departure fol
8 lowed a long distance telephone con
vcrsation with President Harding. Thi
D Is persistent story. but il lacks of
! fetal confirmation, Colonel Forbes wa
5 to have addressed the convention ia
= day.
r Before leaving he wrote a letter (
D Commander MacNider, which will b
( read Ia the convention. The treatmen
) o. Colonel Forbes does not meet wit
the unanimous approval OF the legior
$ naires. In particular, many of IN
2 Southern, and some of the Wester
posts maintain that he has'not re
ceived square deal. He was accuse
of coming 10 New Orleans 10 pla
I politics at the behest of the Admins
tration and with interfering in tn
campaign for the election of the mex
National Commander.