The New York herald., 1922-02-27
Legion's Paid Up Member
ship Only 344,504, Accord
ing to Latest Report.
ORGANIZATION DWINDLES
Passage of Bill Over Harding's
Veto Now Regarded as
Impossible.
BY LOUIS sEIBOLD.

u
Washington. ID. c.. Feb. 60.
The stage of disillusionment has
been reached in the bonus fight.
Many members of the two houses
Of Congress are beginning to recover
from the panic caused by the threats
Of political reprisals of bonus pro-
ponents.
The facts presented by THE New
YORK HERALD and by courageous
members who have refused to be
stampeded into supporting the bonus
raid have convinced timid statesmen
that they have little il anything te,
fear in the nature of political punish
ment.
The statements of Commander Mac.
Nider and other officials of the Amer
ican Legion regarding the number
and prospective influence of Their
adherents have been proved not only
misleading but in many respects alb
solutely false.
Mcmbcrshfp of Legion.
The figures sent to Senator George
Wharton Pepper by Charles J. Biddle
Of Philadelphia prove It. Mr.. Biddie
who is an ex-service man and a mem
Der of the Legion, checked up these
figures at the headqua rters OF tho
American Legion to insure completa
accuracy. They are:
Legion membership in 1913. 900. 009
Membership, December 81. 1920 10000
Membership, December 81. 1921 95,7e3
Membership. paid up and in
good standing. February 10.
1922 ....... .. 344.5os
The Twenty-third Congress district
of New York Bronx county, has a
population Of 391 .050. or 1856 more
than the entire paid up and in good
standing" membership of the Ameri
can Legion.
In his remarkable telegraphic de.
mand that President Harding compe
Congress to pass bonus bill Com.
mander MacNider declared he W.
speaking for nearly 100000 re
turned service men and women and
100000 to 20,000,OO0 of their i'm
mediate families"
FnIsity of Claim.
The avalanche of protests against
the bonus raid which have been
showering on the desks of Senators
and Representatives for the la u
month proved this statement TO E.
entirely without foundation. Ths
e.aim made by officials of the Amer
icsn Legion that the supporters or
the bonus raid control 2,0OO, ,Oog
votes" is likewise regarded as Z.
fake" by Senators and members,
who are beginning to demand facts
instead of arguments.
Advocates OF the bonus generally
agree that 100000 men would DO
entitled TO cash and other gratuities
which the American Legion demands
from the Government as additional
compensation for services during thu
war.
Convincing proof that only a COM
psratively small percentage OF tina
personnel actually engaged in wa-
undertakings is supporting the claim
for additional compensation is es-
tablished by the figures assembled By
Mr.. Biddle; otherwise the active and
paid up membership OF the Legion.
which is conducting the raid, would
be larger.
Organizations DiminishinE.
That the membership OF the leeioe
has dwindled almost two-thirds With
three years is accepted as conclusiv.
evidence that the bonus fight is nc.
favored by the great majority OF thos,
who Joined II ito cement the ties Of
love and comradeshp born OF service
and 10 consecrate tho efforts of is
members to useful helpfulness aLl
service to their country"
The protests received by Senators
and Representatives have caused
tremendous change in Congressiong,
sentiment. Most OF the members *
the two houses, accepting the chart ~
declaration that the legion had been
organized for useful hclpfulness ara
service" pledged themselves during
the last Congressional campaign o
promote its ambitions.
Many Senator's and Representative
have declared that when they mad
such pledges they believed II wouR ~