Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-09-21
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 81. !

a DNOC.TES of soldier bonus embit-
tered over the opposition to the stag
-Eering outlay needed TO pay the adjusted
compensation" have no right to charge
their government with parsimony in deal
ing with the men who wore the uniform.
The able-bodied survivors OF the war may
never receive the bonus for which many Of
them have clamored but no nation could be
more generous in its care OF the disabled
survivors than the United States
One-ffth of tho total amount of money
appropriated by Congress for the current
year exclusive OF the public debt, will be
expended through the United States Vet
Grams Bureau, 1t is now revealed. Close to
81 ooo.o0o.o00 annually is needed TO pro-
vide compensation. disqualification and
framing OF the tens OF thousands OF mon
VINO returned homo MANNED or otherwise
disabled. Since the war ended moro thnn
100000 has been appropriated for
these purposes and for generation or moro
The government will find It necessary to
tax all the people to provide for the care
and treatment OF its heroic soldiers and
sailors.
These facts might well be taken into
consideration by the men who had the good
fortune to come ont OF the war unscathed
.hor their services The country also ia CRATE
!Nl ana should be grateful as long as sac
rnce and devotion TO duty are recognized
hut this gratitude is not to he expressed IN
dollars and cents. and reward for valor is
not 10 be ;netcd out in bonuses
IL is TO be doubted If any man woman
% or child now living will be upon the earth
when America has finally paid the bill for
cost OF Its TWO years at war. A war debt
OF more than $4,000, 100000 must DO paid
ana While 1t is being. paid hundreds OF mil
t'ons OF dollars nNn(Aally must be raised TO
pension the men Who will have failed to
recover from the Injuries received on the
7nring line
european governments owe the United
States more than $l0,O00.0OO and
while there are assurances from limo
x" Nme ina this debt Will be dis
,r charged only the undiluted optimist
really believes that America viii re
cover any substantial part OF the money
"hich II loaned with lavish hand To it's
war associates. That money was borrowed
however, from the American people and
= tho government which borrowed il will re-
pay its creditors. in time, whether Europr
makes good It's obligation or not
There is disappointment in many quar-
--.'ers mat the government has failed TO pay
- 10 every soldier and sailor IA bonus. hut
happily this disappointment does not apply
: 20 all the men who We're in The service dur
-,ltg the war There are literally thousands
oil veterans who never have believed in
me bonus, and many of them We declared
pat they would not accep, such gra,ui,y.
III 81 were granted
but those who have been disappointed in
we course OF events up 10 This time have
no right 10 impute niggardlincss 10 their
government in its dealing with vetcrun
problems The vast appropriations made
inr the disabled speak for themselves ana
me spirit IN which that money is appro-
priated is one OF the fine things than .,ard
out in the post war period Tht. ,ro,o,.
moreover, comes from the earninrs or no
people at large, and 10 one yet has heard
any complaint on the part OF ,aspayer
against paying his share OF the cost Of car
ing Tor the men who have become tho nom
cred wards Of the nation