The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-02-22
SOLDIER BONUS
OF POLITICAL
EXPEDIENCY
The Soldiers Bonus is
Regarded in White
House Circles as q
Political Expedient
Not a Necessary
By Wallace BuSSford
neciol News COrreSDOndcnO.

washington. ccb. IO.---.N :. ii'iI u
ing seems TO feel that it is pollti-
cally cXpedient. il not necessary. TO
provide bonus for the soldiers. a
week ago he was hot foot for it,
Immediately there appeared on The
bulletin boards in the stock-brok-
ers board rooms in all the cities
brief wires from the Wall Street
section telling how the great mon
cy interests We're getting together
10 prevent it, on the ground that it
would neceSsitate laying an addi-
tional burden OF taxation or the is
suing Of more bonds. Then paid
advertisements appeared in the
Washington papers arguing against
the bonus proposition. Immediately
thereafter the present came 1orth
with a statement that he would
not favor either additional taxes
on q bond issue for the purpose.
whercupon the metropolitan press
expressed the view that this meant
an end TO the bonus. as there was
no other way left to raise the
money.
But ut this juncturc Mr.. Hyrnes
OF South Carolina comes forward
with q proposition that should ap-
peal TO the president and everyone
else. 1t Is simply this: The Re
publican leaders figure that it will
take $3.50 900, 900 per year TO pay
the proposed bonus Chairman
Madden Of the appropriation COM
mi.tce says tn" administration,
through the new budget system, has
saved $35. 900, 900 by cutting ap-
propriationS Ii this is true. the
problem is solved and everyone
should be happy. Now it remains
to be seen il the administration can
locate tina, 1851, 1,0O0,Oo0 with sur
fcient deliniteness TO lay hold OF
it and use il for the bonus. But
right there is whore the difficulty
will begin. OF course there are at
least one hundred Republicans who
! would have thought OF using this
money il they really believed it had
been saved, but il is like trying 10
pay the grocery bin with money
that you found in 4 dream. THESE
great savings are fictitious: they re-
suit from Il Juggling OF figures and
remind one OF the prestidiSitator
who takes rabbit after rabbit from
a hat which never contained one.
The president makes savings of
millions upon millions in the cot
uInns OF the newspapers while
quietly sending up to The appro-
pri;ltions committee requests for
the. passage OF more deficiency bills
Tor twice as many millions as those
saved Another year OF such
economy will force 4 new bond. is
sue.
! Senator Lodge, close friend 10 the
president, went before the MaSSa-
chuse,ts legislature the other night
and made statement which proves
him to be ignorant Of the most im-
|portant operations Of the govern
ment or else guilty OF falsityins
the facts There is no escape from
this. Mr.. Byrnea OF South Carolina
rose in the house and showed this
TO be true and no Republican cial-
len2ed his statements. Lodge said
Since the present congress has
been in they have reduced the ap-
proDria,ionS asked for by the de-
Dartments from $5.33 .0U0,0O0 TO
81 ,42S, ,000, 900" To the average cit
iZen. paying high taxes and think
/ deplOrable, would think the mil
lenium had arrived and that The
Republicans are wizards OF finance.
! That statement would he accepted
from Lodge ON the ground that he
could easily get the correct infor-
nation, and that 4 United States
senator could not afford TO falslfy
the facts. But what are the facts
| Mr.. Byrnes held in his hand the
official estimates OF the budget bu-
rcau totalinS $3,S0l 100000 and
then called attention TO the fact
-, o,
''i'i' 'i-', 0, -. ~
di'i'i oi'' 49,. ,o' ;,
upon ~ ~. 80 o.,
already reached a figure OF $2,90S.
600 600. lie showed that last year
! inc lstl'"pi'"h Soi4e' 80 ~"
priated S3.17l 900. .5l4.0l, being
about $"S. .ooo,opo less 'hah WIS
asked Tor tii,s year. 80 ''i'' 'ii ,edi-
i'S ''ie 'i0.ii-.'1'''i 49,
more money ~ '''i w so'> ''''', -