Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-06-13
PAID PATRIOTISM.

Editor Every Evening" heartily
ecncur with Mr.. John II. Nields in his
address. June 4. 1922. at Old Drawers
Church, IN his contention that four
million able bodied ex-service men
should not bs pcnsioned four years
after tho war In over. But ! cannot
agree with Mr.. Nields that adjusting
their service pay IL In any way
pension"
IA far IA I can see. Mr.. Neilds has
prevented the meaning of the ruling
the word pension into covering and
lrlng applicable 10 the just benefits
asked for under the McCumber bill.
now before tho Senate. The ruling.
which I am taking verbatim from MIR.
Nields' speech. II as follows: "Regu-
lar allowances paid to an Individual
by government In consideration OK
services rendered. or in recognition
of merit, civf or military, arc called
pen siona," etc. The bill In no way
calls FOR regular allowances" TO be
paid any ex-scrvice man for an In
definite period. The man who receivos
$50 or les~ gets II In lump sum-
The soldier who is entitled to more
than that amount will receive n paid
up insurance policy, or the aid to help
him buy a home or farm. or the pri-
yilege az betterins himself by obtain
Ing n better education. In any case
hts pension" from the government
will not exceed n certain amount. The
amount 70 be determined by the length
~ his service and whether he was In
service abroad or on this side.
Mr.. Nields complains that the
next generation and it's SUCCESSORS
will hav, 10 bear the burdens and the
debts Of the present IL the proposed
bill Is passed. hackneyed phrase
q certain interests opposing THIS
~minentiy Jus; bill Is: Why should
the next generation ray our war
debts II the late World War were
"a result OF the cupiaity OF the Ameri-
can people or on account or our
foollxhncss, there would be Some
Justice IN that particular question
Needless 20 say. II wasn't Ky enter
ms into the nghting at the time we
did. We have kept the next generation
from more frightrulness, misery, and
debt than We can imagine. That is
statement that cannot be satnsaid.
Mr.. Nields questions the statement
that tho eN-service men We're under
paid by any proper standard. He
goes on 20 say that IAN eNorbitant OF
extortionate civilian wage should moi
~ the standard" We will take facts
into consideration that should settle
that argument very quickly The base
pay OF an enlisted man I'm either the
army or the navy WAS $50 per month
out az this mun,ficent sum the gov
rrnment subtracted SIS. TO which i
added another SIS, which was sem
home 20 the soldiers dependents. ou'
az the remainder OF his pay the sol
dier paid about $3.50 monthly for IN
surnnee and had left $3.50 10 blow
IN" rs he SAW 1T. providing. OF course
that he had not subscribed Ia an!
liberty bonds. bought no tobacco OF
toilet articles. Let me state RICH
here that by far the majority OF th'
service men bought liberty bonds from
the government on the installmen
plan Undoubtedly there are peopl'
who we're dependents OF service men
who lived on the $40 monthly aliot
nert scnt them by the government
hut I have Vet 20 see anyone that dc
10 there any need 20 dwell on thi
phase % the subject any further?
The author Of paid Patriotism
next objects 10 any Immediate con
siaarntion Of the bonus" "Withou
available FUNDS or a proper regard 10
the nations credit, there IS an ;nsuper
aisle objection. Of course, 10 an
present adjustment" Did Canada G
Australia have actual cash in thsi
treasliries when they paid their boy
their hack pay IN 1919? They had I
raise u and they raised 81 ali az on
time instead az spreading il over fort
o. ATTY wears. Did Il wreck either {
them? Here's the way II wTecke
Canada Il ruined that country
t~aly tha; one out OF three OF Canada
government bonds Is under par. 81
Il 10 actually one and one-eisht
I,oint below par. OF the other tw
fha; were quoted in the fnancii
Journals on June Z, 1922. one WI
exactly par and the other was frae
tion above par. To my mind the
compare very favorably with our ow
dear liberty bonds which 80 man
.,-ssr7-ics men had 20 sell iranediatei
after their discharge IN order TO bu
a decent civilian outfit. oh yes; II
wilmington Trust Co. also quote
Ia. Canadian currency as being witt
"a thr.e-fourths Of per cent OF pc
on IN. date above mentioned. TT
bon aa" certainly ruined Canada but
they dor't se-rm 70 know IL; nor doc
anyone oise. judging from the cal
with which the bonds of the Provint
~ Ontario were recently marketed
this country. And they were so
under .bs guarantee " a countr-
ruined by giving q much larger bonn
a. individuals than the United Stat
Is Vuanx 70 give. ruined by four yea
VI war with q much larger perennial
W hef population In her armies tha