Omaha daily bee., 1922-03-20
to
Confer on
Plan
President to Meet With Off.
cials Of Veterans Bureau
and American Legion at
White House Tonight.
Anxious to Aid Veterans


On Board lIardng's Special Train.
March l9,-president Harding does
not plan 10 receive Representative
Mondell and other house leaders TO-
conference on the soldiers bonus
question until Monday. il was
said. Although the house leaders
had planned TO meet with the
president Sunday night. il was
said that they had made 10 engage
ment for such a conference at tha
White House and that the president
did not intend 10 discuss the ques.
ton with them until Monday at the
earliest.
Instead. the president held
White House conference with Dr.
rector Dawes OF the veterans
bureau Brig. Gen. Sawyer. his
personal physician; Brig. Gen.
Dawes and officials OF the Illinois
department OF the American Legion.
10 take up disqualification and yoca-
tional training, two phases of gov
ernment aid for former service men
10 which he wishes to give immedi-
ate attention.
Declines to Comment.
The decision OF the president with
regard 10 the White House confer
ence on the bonus was learned
as his train sped north IRON 81.
Augustine. Fla, where he ter
minated his Florida vacation At
the same time he declined 10 COM
ment on the bonus situation. as he
was said to feel that any advance
statement on the conference h.
might hold with house leaders would
be improper. His position, however,
was said to be the same as that he
recently outlined to Chairman Ford
ney when he said that the measure
should be financed through a sales
tax or postponed.
High administration officials were
said to believe that the president
would restate this position to the
house leaders Monday. and TO feel
that the BILL in its present form.
would not be enacted into law.
In connection with the veterans
conference, .it was explained that
the Illinois officials had been
consulting the plan OF hospital
ization and vocational training OF
former service men as conducted by
the government and they have been
asked to lay before the president and
other government officials, any con-
structive plan of organization they
might have for improving the work.
Anxious to Aid Men.
The government, it was declared.
is anxious to do everything possible
1or the men who were wounded or
disabled in the service and is always
ready to receive any suggestion look
ing to betterment. The proper safe
guarding of the aid for former sery-
ice men. and at the same time the de-
termination to see that all possible
assistance is rendered the men who
are bearing disabilities as result of
their army service is the constant
aim of the government, it was added.
Mr.. Harding was consulted by
Secretary DENLY over the long dis
tance telephone at st. Augustine on
the navy fuel situation, it was as.
serted, and was understood TO have
told Mr.. DENLY to carry out the in
tentions of congress and practice all
the economy in fuel possible. The
navy secretary was said to have felt
that the $6,500000 appropriation for
fuel for the navy for the rest of the
fiscal year was insufficient and it
would hardly be possible to keep the
navy steaming, Mr.. Harding is
understood to have suggested snat
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