The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-03-03
Especial to the Bridgeport Tfmes.) Temp orary State Headquarters,
 World War Veterans.

Especial to the Bridgeport Tmes.)
 Temp orary State Headquarters,
 World War Veterans.
 Tel. Noble 1897. 346 Connecticut Ave.
 Bridgeport, Conn.,, MT. Seward B. Price, sec'y. Bridge . port, Chamber of Commerce
 Bridgeport, Conn.
 My Dear MT. Price:
 It was with regret I learned that the Bridgeport Chamber of Com officials in Washington, urging the defeat of the soldiers bonus bill. now before Congress.
 was certain that the men who comprise the Chamber of Commerce of this city, could not and would not, whether out of justice or sympathy, dare to vote otherwise than in favor of the bonus for the former service men.
 My reasons for so believing were the facts, that Bridgeport during the war, was the center point for the manufacture of war material, and therefore a paradise for the money many groups. Many millions of dol lars were made by the manufactur- CTS .and business men of this city. Many manufacture who patriot 1ca1ly were working on war contracts defrauded our government, patriot ically of course" And the working men of Bridgeport also were earning a fair living, some earning salaries of from SIP to $2O a day.
 And the boys for the sake of hu- manity and democracy, and $50 per m onth with black coffee, beans and hardtack, thrown in for luck. gave up those good opportunities, left their comfortable, happy homes to take up the art of war, cross the At lantic ocean, risking a watery grave, suffering the bangs of hunger and what not so that the profits made by the Bridgeport patriotic manufac- turers and business men might be safe v
 Now these "fghtersfor democracy' are back in their own, "the land Of the free and the home of the brave,'' pennyless, homeless and job less. Here in the land of plenty, in the richest country of the world. Simply because of the greed Of minority of the people - such as compose your Chamber of Commerce men who have everything Gods earth to be thankful for, these men who proclaimed as heroes in 1917 crime and beggary. landing in the tails = because you "dare'' to stand and "begrudge" these champions of the United States, champions ca defenders of America your coun- try and mine. little bit that might pull them through this period of unemployment forced upon them 1 through fault of their own. The position your national organi- | zation has taken that patriotism could not. and ought not to be paid | for Is a mighty queer one, for who | dare say that the ex-service mtS of | America demand a bonus for Such reasons? When the boys enlisted or | were drafted they never thought of a bonus-knew not what 1t meant l nor did they ask for same upon their | discharge from the service. They | wanted their jobs back and hoped | per week as was the average salary i at the time of the signing of the | armistice. But they soon found themselves stranded without a friend in their town 1and." And as I stated before, forced to take to the road of crime in order to exist.
 It is useless for me to try to con- vince you and the other members justice that the boys demand, by letter" Nevertheless, I feel certain that that, if theif tn is spark of man sympathy" in the bodies of your members, I could bear upon them to reconsider their former action and vote favorable upon the question of the soldiers bonus.
 It is my duty as a national repre- sentative of the World War Veterans, an ex-service mems organization men, to challenge you or any other member of the Chamber of Com merce of-Bridgeport to meet me in public debate on the question of: me Ol IIe ILA-SSTN1C6 mems Demand"
 s Cordially yours, John M. Levitt,
 Eastern Division Chairman. This is an open letter to both the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars requesting their attend 'ance at the mass meting to be held by the World War Veterans Sunday.
 February 2s, 1922,
 Bridgeport, Conn. My Dear Comrade:- Sunday. March 5. 1922. has been RzzN Hzx k WV FT