The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-03-25
Barometer of Public OBinion
ohc Hundred Per Cent AmcriClnlsnl-NHh
nL-LlIIuL

10 th' average patriotic citizen because or tho
Eront Issue that has been made over the ox-
serVr" meme bonus, or az supporters Of tho
bouu5 hlI have DampuillEod it. adjusted COM
pehsauon IN" Kick in the slogan Of "Ouo
Hundred Per cent Amcricanisn" has bcrn ao
duut"d 10y tho agitation for the bonus bin until
u iH now necessary 90 ada with Discount for
tohh' 10 gct the true moaning OF the motive
behind the slogan.
Tho plea FOR tho bonus iq based upon tho
argument that approximately 5000, 900 young
Americans were compelled by the government
20 leave their peaceful vacations and wcrc kept
~ UNIFORM for two years or over at a wage Of
$50 per month, and because this wa9 much loss
than they could hayc earned had they not been
compelled TO fight for their country the gov
ernment now owes them tho difference between
"nat they could have earned and what was
70 strengthcn their argument tho supporters
or the Btnus bill point to the adjusted COM
pensalhn' paid TO the railroads and shipping
pohtR 10 make up their war losses and Keep
our merchant marine afoat, and to the sct-
ll&ncnt made with manufacturers FOR Cancelled
The greatest weakness IN their argument
Is that the supporters Of tho bonus bill propose
TO pay every eX-soldicr on the same basis
thereby assuming that tho earning capacity OF
every eN-soldier prior to his being seized by the
government for the army or navy was ON a
parity. II they wish to be consistent In carry
ing out the adjusted comrcnsation' why not
nay bonus TO oX-scrvicc men based upon the
difference between their war pay and what
they earned prior 10 tho war. This incousist-
ency alone brands the so-callod adjusted COM
treasury which II justified neither by argument
nor existing Conditious II the facts were known
a
men In the service actually made moro money
than In civil life, and on the adjusted COM
pensaton' basis would now owe the govern
mcnt.
The supporters Of the bonus bill would have
congress and the public believe that the bonus
is necessary TO take care Of cX-scrviCe men out
OF employment Yet with only very small
percentage OF cx-seryce men actually oct of
employment why pay blanket honus to every
ex-seryice man when It Is actually needed only
by few?
The practical and sentimental sides Of the
bonus question both offer strong arguments
against the payment Of this dole or gift.
Viewed from the practical standpoint a cash
payment to eX-seryice men would further Grip
pending bonus bin the ex.aeryIce man would
become the victim OF loan sharks, who would
discount the bonus certificates at great profit
TO themselves. It is believed that legitimate
bankers would have to refuse to make loans on
the bonus certificates banks cannot tie up
their assets in unmarketabe frozen loans The
greatest good 10 all, and OK service men will not
want TO DC accused OF desiring TO prosper WhHe
everyone else Is not prospecting, will result from
n re establishment Of strong credits and re-
Nival OF business. And authorities on finapcial
questions practically agree that the payment of
a cash bonus Will prolong the existing depros-
sion In business. return TO normalcy IN busl-
ness will provide everyone with jobs while the
payment OF bonus will give temporary Joy
rido TO only small part OF the country's Lop-
uation and postpone the return TO prosperity.
To the cx-service man tho strongest argu-
mcnts against the cash bonus are from the
sentimental viewpoint supporters Of the bonus
bin Will state that sentiment is irrelevant and
unemployed. But the figures show that only a
very small percentage OF ex-service men are
out of work and probably the majority Of these
are unemployed because they are uucmLloyable.
The supporters OF the bonus bill apparently
forget that had the young men Of the country
might today be serving Prussian autocracy.
There is apparently no thankfulness that we
Germany. but rather the ex-sorvice man shall
ho shown in the light Of tho professional sol
dcr who did his duty thanklcssly and unwill-
ingy and now Is demanding extra pay because
helped 10 win the war The spirit OF patriot
ism bred by the war Is now TO be submerged by
wild scramble for the spoils as represented by
the nations credit backed by its treasury.
The campaign for the bonus has assumed the
proportions OF organized political blackmhl
as proven by the notice served by the head OF
the American Legion upon President Harding
sage of tho bonus bill. The cx-service man
must surely hang his head in shame II he re-
tains any pride or patriotism for the part no
was able 10 do, and should have been glad to
do in the war. The present agitation viii no
doubt develop into a condition comparable to
that existing following the Civil war when the
grand army of the republic degcnerated into a
selfish political body Intent only upon securing
larger and larger gifts from the public treasury.
The American Legion was organized with the
announced purpose OF staying out OF politics
was to perform, II Is now putting itself In the
same plane iu which il places the railroads.
words Of rohbing the treasury, Hence the quail
tcauou placed ON itS slogan by virtue OF lts
demand for the bonus. lone Hundred Per
Cent Amcricanlsm-Wtth Discount for Cash"
The American Legion can best fulfill It's pur-
pose by carrying out It's originally intended pro-
gram; by agitdtug measures for proper care
M disabled eX-soldiors and Of the families of
former service men who lost their lives In the
war; by working out a sound program for pro-
vidng for unemployed cN-serylce meni by ad-
horing strictly to the principles Of one Hundred
Per Cent Amcricanism, which do not Include
frequent raids on the nations treasury for the
benefit of ahlc-hodcd men who had the priyi-
lego OF fighting for their country The legion
should not attempt to reduce patriotism 20
cash basis ON the theory that mans patriot
ism for his country should be paid for on the
samc scale the prOfitecr's goods.
Senator Pepper, the now senator from Penn
syyania, has voiced suggestion which could
well be taken TO heart by oN-servce men and
used as a cure for the bonus germ:
THE thing service men gained from their
training Is a thing altogether priceless. II
they win capitalize the energy, the spirit OF
discipline and that courage in the face ot
obstacles which was the glory OF the Amer
team army they will not need a public coli
lection taken up for their benefit and will
not consent To accept IL IL 81 IL taken. Mo-
body would advocate a bonus payable to a
man on commencement day 20 compensate
him for the money he might have earned
II he had not been getting his training"
Ponca city, March 20. EN-SERNICE MAN.