The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-03-17

subsidy of millions of dollars to
American ship owners.
These veterans who contributed
their limbs and many years of their
lives to the seemingly thankless task
of making the world safe for democ-
racy hobble daily up into the con-
gressional galleries, where they take
note of what is said and done in
| reference to their adjusted compen-
sation appeals.
They are lobbyists" for four mill
ion other former service men. They
have no slush funds to lavish where
such funds usually do themost good.
| They employ no eloquent advocates
to plead their cause. They have
only stumps of legs and arms,
| CHASTITY scars and broken bodies to
speak for them. Eloquent as are
these appeals for Justice, these man
gled soldiers find themselves caught
in a weller of most disgusting poll
tics and made the football of schem-
| ing politicians who are carefully bal
ancing what should be simple and
spontaneous act of decency against
| its possible influence upon their per-
sonal fortunes.
The faces of these boys were a
study as they listened to the presi-
dents demand for a bonus for prof
| iteering and piratical shipowners. 1t
| was possible almost to tell of what
they were thinking.
Some of them recalled that only a
few months ago the president walked
| down to the Capitol and called to-
b0r in IN, Of
J his former cronies and warned them
finances would not permit the grant
ing Of a soldier bonus.
All of them remembered that just
| a few days before the president
again conferred with lawmakers and
told them that if bonus were given
it must be attached to themost odious
form Of taxation that can be devised.
Not one of them could have been
deceived as to the presidents real
| purpose. In forcing congress to
adopt tax scheme that would take
| food from the stomachs of millions of
people and push over other millions
who are crowding the borderline of
poverty, Mr.. Harding was attempting
| in another way what he accomplished
| last year.
But when Mr.. Harding wanted mil
| lions for shipowners he did not slip
in the bak door of the Capitol and
hold secret parley with the senate
oligarchy. Bold and unafraid, he
looked the world straight in the eyes
and told it that it must do thus and
so. He was then the real Harding.
He was the agent of the large bust
| ness combinations that financed his
campaign. He was serving those
who claim him as their own and eX-
elusive president.
| 1t must have struck those crippled
soldiers as most unusual that this
great and rich nation can, when it
| wills. rake up any number of mil
| lions for big monopoles when it so
| readily pleads poverty when any of
its humber citizens are asking con-
sideration.
Being human. they naturally con-
| trasted the service of the shipown-
ers during the war with that of the
soldiers who offered up their lives,
and also the respective rewards that
are being gwen by their government.
When these bows were being Shot
t. rices the shipowners were holding
high rvel at home. They were steal
| ing billions of dollars from their
| government. Four billion dollars
were contributed by bond buyers to
the building of ships. and not a ship
had been completed when the armis-
tice was concluded.
| The Piezs, the Schwabs, the Hur-
| leys and many other were pouring
| money like water into the grasping
| hands of as bloodless- lot of free
| hooters as ever fastened themselves
upon a supine nation.
After the war when the soldiers
cauee home ami were turned into the
streets without Jobs or money, ~,
shipping pirates continued to pl'
their craft. They took every loose
dollar in sight. They robbed Uncle
Sam clean to tn. bones.
| When no more money was to be
had, or it became trifle difficult to
| get it. these vultures conceived the
| idea of taking over the ships that the
peoples money built. They are
about to get them-every bit of
| property represented by that four
billion outlay. And they are getting
all these ships and supplies for a
mere fratcion of what they are
worth The government is turning
over to them for 5000, 100000. YES
| sells that cost Is times that sum to
| build,
| AS reward for this betrayal of
their nation. for this highhanded loot
ing of the pubic treasury, these ship
| crooks are to get additional millions
as a bonus. President Harding has
asked fol- it, and he put back of his
appeal every argument that he could
| advance.
The soldiers, what do they get ?
| Promises. And more promises. A
| great deal of abuse and misrepre-
sentation. Eventually they will get
| some attention. buC not as the gra-
cious act of grateful nation. Their
| bonus will be thrown ct them as n
bone to a dog. 1t willnot come to
them as a good will offering, but
something, to appease their resent
| nent for too-long neglect.
The Harding administration is lust
cos nC its first year. During that
| period it has given bonus of huh-
dreds of millions to the railroads. 1t
has helped innumerable business men
through it's war finance corporation
1t has always turned willing ear to
the appeals of privilege and monop-
| oily.
But when the farmers asked help
they got tract Wheh The workers
asked for the right to labor, they got
abuse. When the soldiers demand
Justice. they get dirty politics and
the sort of charity that goes to a
panhbandler.
Verify, hits administration has lit
orally followed the Biblical iniunc-
| ton that ITO those that hath shall