The New York herald., 1922-03-05

good allowance for hospital care and
comfort, aud pay for loss of time dur
ing such sickness"
Twenty-three former service men
of Maryland signed a strong petition
protesting against the present bonus
bill. which they sent to the MARYLAND
delegation in Congress. The petition
says in part:
I'VE believe that this measure is
fraught with the most dire possibili-
ties 10 the entire financial, CONNER
cial and industrial structure Of the
nation, that it will retard, If not pre-
vent. return to normalcy. that = is
pure class legislation, and in ths end
will afford no permanent material re-
lief to the class supposed to be hene-
flied.
Furthermore. we believe that it IS
against the will of the vast majority
of the people and we doubt If u will
command the support of a majority OF
all those supposed to be benefited
thereby were they afforded an oppor-
tunity Of voicing their opinion thereon.
collectively we believe that it will
result in political disaster to the party
which assumes the responsibility for
it's passage and individually will prove
the political downfall of those mem
bers of each house of Congress who
may support it's adoption"
Credit Men Opposed.
The Baltimore Association of Credit
Men also sent to the members of the
Maryland delegation copies of strong
resolution opposing the passage of any
bonus legislation. The resolution,
passed on February %, said in part:
Resolved. That this association
places itself on record as being un-
qualifiedly in favor of discharging all
the obligations of this country to the
disabled soldiers, so that the Govern
ment may do all in it's power to aid
and assist those who have been
wounded or incapacitated as a result
of service, but that this association
declares that it is opposed to the So
called soldiers bonus, because patriot
ism should not be commercialized or
capitalized, and also because the pres
ent time is inopportune for expendi-
lures which would be required in con
nection Herewith, and which, if made,
would retard the return to normal con-
ditions and increase the present in
dustrial depression and difficulties"
President Defrees of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States an
alyzed the latest bonus project to-day
and said of 1T:
Some features of the certificate
plan now under consideration are even
more Objectionable than the original
bonus bill. 1t Is proposed that the GER
tificates be use, collateral for loans
at banks and such loans rediscounted
at the Federal Reserve banks. Such
a purpose means a return to war con-
ditions, under which the reserve banks
held large amounts of loans secured
by Government obligations.
"One of the problems of readjust-
ment has been to get this paper out
of the reserve banks. Loans of the
character decided on by the House
Ways and Means Committee have no
place in the commercial banking sys-
tenn. They found their entry only in
a war emergency. No loans should go
into the Federal Reserve system ex-
cept such as are speedily ana surely
self-liquidating. Violation of this
principle means inevitable imitation
and other evils which are sure to fol-
low violation of sound banking princi-
Pies"
Scathfng Arraignment.
No more scathing arraignment of
the bonus raid has been presented
than that recently delivered by former
United States Senator Charles S.
Thomas (Dem) of Colorado
Senator Thomas, who retired last
year, was one of the most conspicu-
ously independent men In the upper
house of Congress. He frequently op-
posed his own party and was one of
the most vigorous critics of the League
of Nations. He recorded himself in
opposition to the bonus while in the
Senate and still continues to do so. He
views it as contributory cause TO the
decline of moral standards in public
life, which, he says, should engage the
attention of all thoughtful men.
"No better comment upon these con-
ditions," he says. 'can be found than