The New York herald., 1922-08-29

TIE bonus bill so-called was before the
Senate do not believe It was right
In the Government to withdraw from
the pay or soldier any money for the
support OF his dependents. / think the
government owed that in its entirety.
Al We took a man to go out and
Hght for his country and we asked him
at the same time to leave a wife and
children behind and we appropriated
money for his pay sufficient for his per-
sonal comfort, and that is what the pay
OIL the soldier in time of war is and
that Is all it Is, we should not have
deducted from that pay one single cent
to be sent home to his wife and chill
dren. the Government should have
shouldered all of 1t.
My original proposal two years ago
was that instead of having this indis-
criminate distribution of cash to all the
men who wanted 1t. whether they
needed 1T or not. for that Is what this
bill in its essence means-that we
snould return to all those men who
made allotments the sum total OF the
allotments made and square that ac-
count and thereby finally assume at
that late day the entire financial re-
sponsibility for supporting the wife and
children that the soldier was compelled
to leave.
MT. BurSom-"But was not the de-
duction made with the Government and
without any consultation with the SOL
dier? The money was deducted and
was sent to his dependents pursuant
to the declaration which the soldier had
made when he entered the army, CIV
Ing the names of his dependents"
Payment of AlIotments.
NJ Uo4
an existing law upon the statute books
In reference to the payment of allot-
ments from the soldiers pay to his de-
pendentn family. and also the contribu-
tions of the Federal Government to
meet or match the amount paid by the
soldier
The men who made a sacrifice and
who sent $40, SIS or $50 out of their
pay back to their families at home do
not get any more under this bill than
the man who never sent one cent. That
Is one of my criticisms of this measure,
yet 1t Is called ali adjusted compensation
bill. There is no adjustment about IL.
Men are treated with the grossest in
equality. The more indiscriminate dis
,tribution Of 5000. or $400 as the case
may be does not adjust anything and
1t is confessed that II does not compen-
safe anything. The Senator from Ala
bama (Mr. Underwood). was perfectly
clear about that. 1t cannot be called
compensation.
There is no Senator here who would
walk up to veteran who had gone
through the Argonne and say to him.
Here is what your services are worth
take $780, / never could understand
how the name Of adjusted compensation
could be attached to this bill. 1t is a
desperate effort, of course, TO get rid
OF the term bonus or gratuity, but so
long as these men are all treated exactly
alike no matter what their sacrifices
were there is no other name TO call II
but bonus.''
Mr.. Bursum: DOCS the Senator be-
lieve that It Is fair and just on the part
of this Government to impose upon the
soldier the loss incurred by the deprecia-
tion OF Liberty bonds for tho financing
or the war In which he was engaged
when he was doing the fighting and he
was giving his life and his breast in
defense Of our countryT'
Not Forced to Subscribe.
Mr.. wadsworth: 'Mr. President. 7 do
not think IL can be said that the men
we're compelled to subscribe for Liberty
DonuS. / chtnK IL unfortunate that such
elaborate canvasses were made in the
different regiments and brigades. In
one particular camp / took occasion to
protest against II.
"Yet It is fair to say that while their
subscriptions were generous and perhaps
In some instances too generous, thoy
were subscribing for something of
value, and they we're not alone in hav-
ing to sacrifice Liberty bonds at a price
lower than par. Four million OF people
had to do that IN the year or two fol-
lowing the war.
Thank heaven, Liberty Loan bonds
are now selling at par and any man who
subscribed to these bonds. whether he
be ex-soldier or ex-sailor or mere civ
ilian, will get all his money back with
interest. That scarcely can be counted