Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-02
HARDING TO APPROVE
BONUS MEASURE He
Tells LEGION HEAD
Declares He Is With Former
Soldier Heart\and Soul
Cash Feature Likely to Be
Postponed
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Downright, 1929

WASHINGTON, March 1.-Presi-
dent Harding told Commander Han
ford MacNiderNa and delegation from
the American Legion that he is with
them heart and soul.
Smiling and happy, Mr.. MacNider
and his associates walked from the
executive office confident that they
had accomplished something by their
visit to the White House.
"The president authorized us to
say there would be no delay-that he
would sign bonus bill" said John
T. Taylor, chairman of the legisla-
tive committee Of the American Le-
gion. -
"Did the president say how the
money was to be raised he was
asked.
ask him.
''Have you any idea where the
money is coming from?"
President in Sympathy
"No, but there isn't going to be
any delay. The president is in
hearty sympathy with us. He told
us So"
Commander MacNider had written
Mr.. Harding a rather forceful letter
which the president was tempted to
answer at once, but he laid it in his
desk and decided to think some more
on the subject. Those who claim to
know what Mr.. MacNider wrote say
it probably irritated Mr.. Harding.
Anyway, the reply was not delivered
because Commander MacNider him.
self appeared in person.
The interview was q pleasant one
and was devoted almost entirely to
an explanation by Mr.. Harding to
vored a bonus. He has always IA
vored one-he made the pledge when
a candidate in the presidential pri-
maries in 1920. The president told
his callers that he believed congress
favored bonus. too. Everybody is
for the bonus-the only difficulty has
been how to raise the money.
n May Postpone Cash Feature
The revenue phase of the matter
has been carefully excluded from
discussion by the American Legion
men, who felt that congress should
find it's own solution.
The general impression following
Mr.. MacNider's visit is that the
house will report out, and probably
pass, a bill faYoring the bonus but
not specifying when it is to be paid.
This means indefinite postponement
of the cash feature.
1t may be that the senate, where
sales tax is much more popular
than in the house, will affix a sales
tax provision. It may be that the
wheel matter will get tied up in
the senate on the expectation that
the revenue problem had better
await payments from British bonds.
Question to Drag
PROFESSIONALLY Mr.. Harding is
for a bonus, and so is congress, but
the president himself is not com.
mitted to any definite date of pay
ment.
Unless the Legion demands i'm
mediate payment, the chances are
the whole question will drag en- be-
yond the congressional elections
The house passed a bonus bill in
May, 1920, but no funds were pro-
vided to pay it. An identicaI meas
ure is being urged again.
eve simply run down every once
in a while to reiterate our position"
remarked Commander MacNider as
he left the White House. The Amer
lean Legion is waging a fight for
the future-not necessarily against
this congress. Whether funds are
available at once or not, it wishes
to keep the bonus issue squarely
before the government, SO that the
moment any funds do become avail
able through any source, the same
will be promptly applied to pay the
soldiers.