The Washington herald., 1922-07-05
FIFTEEN STATES
NOW CIVEBONUS
TO WAR VETERANS
Eight Await Referendum
On Legislation Already
Passed.
NO ACTION IN 26
Appropriations $751; ,7S9, 900,
Covered Mainly by
Bond Issues.

to their veterans of the world war
or have arranged to do so. Eight
States are awaiting a referendum on
legislation already passed. and
twenty-six. including the District of
Columbia. have made no provision
for a bonus.
OF the nfteen first mentioned
twelve have paid or are paying a
bonus, while the other three are
merely awaiting funds. According
to Departmental figures here. the
appropriations known to have been
passed to date by twenty three
States total sssl,7ss.ooo. covered
mainly by bond issues.
The forms of bonus in the differ
ent States range all the way from
giving aid to sick and wounded vet
Grams and offering educational aid
to cash bonuses. These, in turn.
range from soc to 81 a day of serv-
Ice. with maximum payments of
from 500 to 5000 each.
5.o1s,s32 Served.
Official records show that 5,ol6,-
s32 men and women In the United
States took part in the war. OF
these 4,350;467 were in the army,
5S6.302 in the navy and s0,063 were
in the Marine Corps. The total num-
Der of deaths from all causes in the
war throughout the three services
is placed at 129.s7s.
Approximately S240. 100000 an
nually is being paid to veterans and
haf. nj
while Spanish war veterans and
their dependents are receiving an
nually from the Bureau Of Pensions
S6.0o0,00o. In the case of the latter
only those who have reached the
age of sixty-two or who are dis
abled receive compensation, while
all the civil war veterans are re-
ceiving pensions.
In connection with discussions
current now in connection with the
fight in Congress over the proposed
bonus some interesting statistics
have been compiled by the Depart
ment of the Interiors Land Service
showing previous peace-time pro-
visions made by the Federal govern
ment for its wartime defenders.
Land Grants in I77s.
Back in 1876 the Continental Con-
gress passed a resolution promising
public lands to officers and soldiers
who should engage in the service or
their Representatives IL slain by the
enemy. This was the origin of
bounties of land from the United
States for war services.
The amounts promised also
provide interesting comparisons.
Colonels were granted 500 acres,
majors 400, captains 800. lieutenants
zoo and noncommissioned officers
and enlisted men 100 each This was
later amended to give major gem
erals LOO acres and brigadiers $50
acres. In many instances the orig
inal colonists, having public lands
of their own, supplemented this leg
islation by grants to their own
militiamen.
In compliance with these legisla-
tive promises the Continental Con-
gress, by an act approved June /.
1886, set apart for the location of
bounties for the officers and men
serving in the Revolutionary War
a tract of land containing about
1000 square miles. or 100000 acres.
embracing in whole or part twelve
counties in Northern Ohio, and
known as the United States Mill
tary District.
Promised Land Bounties.
In 1911 and 1912 Congress prom
ised land bounIIes for service dur
ing the war with Great Britain
5000, 900 acres being appropriated in
Illinois. Missouri and Louisiana ter
ritories. The object of the grants
in these then remote sections was
to induce settlement and cultivation
of the land For services in the
war of 1912 there were issued 2s.1S6
warrants embracing about 4,S53,600
acres, the greater number being for
$50 acres each. though there were
many double bounties of 320 acres
each
The war with Mexico was pro-
claimed May 13. 1S46. and February
IL, 1S47, an act was passed giving
bounties fornmilitary service to all
who participated. This took the
form of a certificate or warrant for
$50 acres of land and could be To-
Gated at any district land office for
any lands open to private entry.
In subsequent acts safeguards
were thrown out to protect the ex-
soldiers. the most comprehensive act
being that of 1855, which covered
almost all the wars the United
States had participated in and made
it possible for any officer and man
who had served to secure 160 acres
by removing many restrictions of
previous acts. Under this act serv-
ice of only fourteen days or engage
ment in a single battle brought a
bonus.
The total number of warrants is
sued under all the acts was over
half a million, embracing 61,02S,430
acres. This is more than twice the
area of Ohio or Pennsylvania. and
a million more acres than all of the
New England States, with New Jer-
sey, MARYLAND and Delaware thrown