The New York herald., 1922-08-25
Alabama Senator Asserts
Patriotic Duty Isn't
Measured in Coin. !
wADswoRTH IN DEBATE
Demurs to McCumber Insin-
uation for Payment to In
sure Protection.
Special Dispatch to THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c., Aug. "a.

Special Dispatch to THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c., Aug. "a.
Three speeches were made on the
bonus bill to-day. Senators Under
wood Dem.. Ala) and Wadsworth
(Rep., N. Y.) spoke in opposition to
it, and Senator Hefiin (Dem.. Ala.) in
favor of it.
Senator Underwood devoted the first
part of his address to comparison of
the wages of the soldiers with those
of mechanics who served at home in
civil occupations. He declared that
very few of the men who rendered
military service were equipped in the
highly specialized form Of service de-
manded of the mechanics.
"A vast number of these young men
who served in the army" said Senator
Underwood, "were not trained and had
no profession. Many of them were
farm boys. If you compare the wage
received in the army after all of their
expenses had been paid and allow
ances made for their families with the
wage men got on the farm during the
war l do not think there would be
much difference between the two
classes of men as far as actual COM
pensation is concerned. OF course
there were men in the ranks who made
great sacrifices to be there. Nobody
can contend that men of this class
will have their compensation adjusted
by our paying them an additional $625
Properly Termed by Public.
so, in fact, Mr. President, although
this bill is called an adjusted compen-
sation BILL. 1t Is not. 1t does not ad-
Just compensation If we consider the
individual case. I think the bill ha
been properly named by the public. 1t
is bonus bill. 1t is a proposal to give
the soldiers who served during the great
war compensation additional to that
which the Government agreed to pay
them, amounting in some instances, to
as low as few dollars.
Far be X from me to say. IL the
+ stlNiCtS cl lntSt men can De InedSuItu
in dollars the maximum of s625 pro-
posed is too much to give them. If
you are going to measure mems services.
to their country when they offer their
lives as sacrifices in mere dollars, then.
to my mind. to offer them on that stand
ard of measure Is an absurd proposition.
j know / would not be willing to be
shot at for the army pay and an al
lowance of s625.
~.
ing age I would have had the courage
to serve my country in the ranks. But
/ would not have served 1t for dollars.
/ would have served because felt that
my highest duty in life was to defend
my country against the enemy's assault.
to defend the homes of my family and
my people, to protect the great institu-
tions of Government which have de-
scended to us from generations from our
fathers. That is why would have been
willing to serve my country, and / be-
lieve that Is the reason why every man
who followed the Stars and Stripes in
the great war. and not for the pay he
received.
Finds No Supporting Reason.
80. to my mind. can find no reason
why I should vote for this bill to ad-
Jhst a SoiAi'i pay nave NOltu lOI
many pension bills for many wars dur
ing my service In Congress for the bene-
ft of men who by reason of their In
firmities of age, their poverty, their in
ability to take care of themselves, would
have been charges on the public IL the
Government had not been willing to pro-
vide a suitable compensation for its old
soldiers.
But. Mr.. President. there is one class
OF pension bills for which I have al
ways refused to vote. This IS known
as the service pension for the benefit
of men who have been fortunate on the
battlefelds OF life and have acquired
completeness. But am always ready to
vote to care for those who have fallen
by the wayside without any fault of
their own. Then is the time, in my
judgment, when n great Government
should remember Its soldiers
But is there any obligation on the
Government to pay to the men who are
capable of maintaining themselves? A
pension for injuries. a pension because
of need is a different thing from saying
that because a man served his country
he must be paid In dollars. Dollars. in
my Judgment. is the last medium with
which we can pay the men who served
their country on the battlefields OF
France. Patriotic service should be the
greatest ideal of life in any country.
II can draw no distinction between
the so-called compensation bill and the
service pension BILL am willing to go
the limit to provide for those men who
need their country's help. but why should
vote to take money out of the Treasury
and give It as a largess TO men who do
not need It. who returned homo without
injury to body or character or standards.
who have gone back in the civil fields
OF life and are forging ahead as young
Americans should in making their places
In the life Of the nation?
Service ana Money.
why should give them the pitiful
sum OF $500 and say. Take this in pay
ment for the great sacrifices you offered
TO your Government. You do not take