The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-29
B|G BUSINESS IN STRONG FIGHT ON
 SOLDIERS BONUS
Greatest Movement in Years Has Been Launched to Bring About Defeat
 of the Bill
By HARDEN COLFAx Special Correspondent of The AEe-Herald Copyright 1929, by The Age-Herald)

Special Correspondent of The AEe-Herald
 Copyright. 1929, by The Age-Herald)
 Washington, January 2S.-1mmi- hence of soldier bonus legislation has stirred the great financial and trade associations of the country with head quarters here to feverish activity in an effort to defeat it. By letter and by wire tens of thousands of appeals for help in nation wide campaign against the bonus are going out daily from this city and New York The chief business interests of the coun- try are launching the greatest move ment of recent Years to bring pres sure on Congress to vote down the bill.
 At least 20 of the 100 or more na- tional business organizations have taken a definite stand opposing the bonus and are actively aiding in the fight against it. Chief of these, per haps in point of membership and strength Is the National Association of Manufacturers whose 5000 mem bers in more than 40 states employ about 100000 workers. That or ganlzation has sent out thousands of letters and telegrams in the past few days.
 Bankers Seek Defeat
 The Chamber of Commerce of the United States having twice. voted in the annual convention against the bonus, has just launched referendum putting 1t squarely up to its thou sands of members to state again their attitude. The American Bankers as- sociation voted against 1t at Los An geles and is working vigorously for the measure's defeat Within the past few days the executive commit tee of that organization, meeting in this city. has reaffirmed the asso- ciation's stand in the following reso- luton:
 Resolved That economy in govern ment demands the elimination of all expenditures which would either increase our national debt or the burden of taxation. We are therefore opposed to the soldier bonus bill which would require com pensation without regard to disabili- ty. For our soldiers who are disabled as result of the war we urge the fullest compensation and care on the part of the government"
 Others in Fight
 Other organizations of business In. terests leading in the fight against the bonus are the National Industrial council, whose membership consists of 300 local associations of employ CTS; the National Credit Mems asso- the National Wholesale Gro cers association; National Association of Brass Manufacturers; National As sociation of Finishers of Cotton Fab rics; National Wholesale Lumber Dealers association: National Paper Rnx "a rt ;a ternational Milk Dealers association; Eastern Millinery associations: Cocoa and Chocolate Manufacturers associ- ation; American Fruit and Vegetable Shippers association; Automotive association, and the Ma tonal Automobile Chamber oc Com merce.
 More than 100000 copies of Secre- tary Melons letter of last Tuesday to Chairman Fordney of the ways and means committee, have been sent out through the mails by some of these and other organiza tions as an argument against the enactment of bonus legislation at this time
 In the case of the National Asso- citation of Manufacturers, the Mellon letter was accompanied, by direction of John b. Edgerton, the associa- eioh . pieSiueHt, Dy letter rom the association, reading in part as fol- lows:
 Plea of Manufacturers
 We enclose herewith for your i'm mediate examination and considera- ton a communication from the Sec retary of the Treasury to the chair man of the ways and means com mittee of the House on the soldier bonus.
 "A brief examination of this let ter must impress you with the fact that the proposal to provide a cash soldiers bonus is the overshadowing economic issue of this Congress. f your members (meaning members of local manufacturing associations) are impressed with this overpowering array of facts, demonstrating the folly of existing proposals .. they ought to individually commu- nicate with their representatives of the House and Senate.
 We venture to suggest that you endeavor to give the widest circu- lation in your community to the facts presented in this remarkable state ment from the secretary. It ought to convince every member of the community, including the ex-service men, of the injury which must be wrought upon nm Tn terms or leS- sened opportunities for employment. and higher prices if the taxes re- pealed must be restored and still further taxes added to meet the de- mands of the cash soldiers bonus.
 First fruits of the campaign have arrived in Washington in the form of hundreds of telegrams and letters to representatives and senators urg- ing them to oppose the bill. This is favorite method of campaigning against a measure and the receipt of such letters Is discounted to large extent by veteran members. But in the present campaign the bust- ness interests of the country arc planning to make soldier bonus, if possible, the topic of tens of thou sands of community discussions ail over the United States which they figure will result in such an over whelming expression of public opin- lon that Congress will be compelled to guide it's course accordingly.
 der the direction of Dr. J. A. Mason, will endeavor to solve some of the mysteries of the interrelations Of the