New-York tribune., 1922-08-26
Harding Warns
Again He Will
Veto Bonus Bill
New Tells Senate President
Reaffirned Position i'm
Talk With Hin1 Thursday |;
Floor Opposition Strong
Measure Appears Doomed
Canvass Shows 38 Senators,
Enough to Assure Defeat,
Will Uphold White House


From Ths TYibsncs Washington Bpreaa
WASHINGTON. Aug. 25e--President
Harding has again advised Senators
that he will veto the soldiers bonus
bill.
Senator New, of Indiana, who spoke
against the bill in the Senate to-day,
talked with the President about IL last
night and to-day brought word to Sena-
tors that the Executives mind was
made up TO veto the measure.
At the same time, Republican leaders
canvassed the Senate carefully to find
how many Senators would vste 20 sus-
tain veto. They listed ttirty-eight
as certain to sustain the President, or
FIVE more than necessary TO uphold the
veto, and they have become convinced
that If the President turns down the
measure there is no likelihood Of over
riding his action. They are still cling
ing to the hope, which fs growing
fainter, that they may be able to dis
suade him from veto.
Reeds Maiden Speech.
The most striking phase Of the
bonus debate in the Senate to-day was
vania, the newly appointed member
from that state, who was major in
the World War. He declared he would
vote against the bill and would not
"pass the buck to the President" The
speech was Senator Reeds maiden
effort in the Senate.
II am not unmindful," he said, "of
the wise custom of the Senate which
dictates silence to new member, but
because Of the fact that I served
throughout the war with troops, feel
it is my duty to state my reasons for
the attitude / shall take upon the
bill.
"The passage Of this bill, I believe,
is favored by a majority Of the ex-
service men of this country. They
served their country we'll and at very
meager pay. while the railroad men,
the munitions workers and the ship
yard workers of the country, VII o
should have been drafted instead of
being wheedled, were getting q pay
increase almost every time they asked
it. Almost every day was Christmas
in the shipyards, but it was not in
the army. The contrast was shocking,
and believe that it is because of that
contrast that the service men of the
country are SO easily induced TO favor
this measure.
Nevertheless, am going to vote
against this bill. The plain fact is
that the country cannot afford to grant
this request. People are staggering
under a burden of taxation that has
never been paralleled, and | believe it
is our duty to refrain from adding one
ounce to that burden of taxation on
any excuse whatever.
Bill Can't Pay for Service
ut is idle, think, for Senators to
say that the ex-service men shall be
paid for the danger they have under
gene. The amount the bill would give
them would not commence 20 nay for
that. You cannot ascertain the value
Of what these men underwent You
cannot appraise in dollars and cents
what 1t is worth to stand in the mud
and water of the trenches and hear
the screech of an incoming German
she'll. You cannot appraise these
things, and the bill does not under
take to do it.
II think, too, it is idle to argue that
these men should get bonus in order
to insure their loyalty, because if I
know them, and / think I do, their
loyalty is absolutely assured to the
end
"The men who served in the army
and navy during the World War are
not a separate group. They are not
isolated from the rest of the COM
munity, but they are part of it. This
Is our country as much as it is your
country, and it is our future that would
be mortgaged for this vast issue of
bonds which the country would have to
pay, and the service men who have
given long thought to the matter Of
the pending bill are anxious to see
that mortgage on our future relieved.
they are anxious to see the debt paid
and taxes reduced, and most of them
are more anxious to see that debt paid
and that burden Of taxation reduced
than they are to see this bonus
granted.
II am not willing, in army slang, to
pass the buck to the President. There
tore ! shall vote against this bill now.n
senator New. in speaking against the
bill, declared the soldier could not be
compensated with money. He regret
ted that great mistake was made by
the government in 1917 in not passing
universal CONSUMPTION bill, for the
conscription of the service of every
man citizen of military age. This, how
ever, ne said, did not justify the pres
ent bill.
mo one knows how much it is to
eaI Iof, sald senator New. 1T is
guesswork, and my guess is that it will
call for the expenditure of from
s4,ooo,o0o,ooo to $4,000, 900 900"
he estimated it would cost $40 "for
every man, woman and child in the
United States, from tottering age to
the babe in arms
- Senator Bursum, Republican, of New
Mexico' made q long speech in favor
Oh half cash sbonus. Senator Mevers.
Democrat, of Montana, spoke against
the bill. He called it "a raid on the
treasury by an organized minority
senator Smoot introduced his sales
tax amendment. AT the close of the
DAY Senator McCumber, after some
discussion of when there would he 8
vote, announced that he would give
right of way to the Borah coal h;Ii tnS
morrow and that no effort would he
maze to have vote on the bonus hill
until next week. The Senate rece esssed