Evening star., 1922-06-11
May Push Soldiers Bonus
Ahead Of Tariff BILL


pending
May Push Soldiers Bonus
| Ahead Of Tariff BILL
| With the soldiers bonus bill formally
before the Senate. the next question is
to get 1t up for consideration and ac-
tion. The chairman of the committee
on finance. having charge Of both the
tariff and the bonus bills. can at any
time move to d!splace the tariff bill.
! which now has the right Of way. and
consider the bonus bill. and has inti-
mated he may soon do so.
| There is said to he no doubt that the
bonus bill will pass by a large majority.
What is to happen to It. after the con-
| ferees compose the differences between
! the two houses and send it to the Presi-
dent for signature is conjeCtural. for as
stated in The Star last week rnmors are
! persistent that President Harding will
veto it In the general form now con-
tempated for it.
! The Senate and the House are con-
/ vinced that 1t will be fatal in all the
| circumstances. If Congress does not send
some legislation on the subject to the
White House. The effect of a presi-
Dental veto. If one is to come. must
| rest In the laps of the political fates.
! The legislators say they will have done
! their duty. and will stand on that
/ Senator Underwood. the democratic
! leader. who is regarded as politically
wise in his day and generation. said In
!
on the bill postponed until after the
! elections. so to get. if that be pos
sible. some indication of the temper of
the country at large on the bonus. He
pointed out that it would not help the
! soldiers any more to pass the bill this
month than In next December because
| the resultant effect of the bill will not
/ be accomplished until next year.
| Predicts Veterans Themselves
| VIII Ultimately Fay Bonus.
! Senator Underwood. voicing his
, recognition Of the fact that the bill will
! pass. and saying that he spoke in OPP
position for only few democrats and
! only few republicans. predicted Ill re-
suits from the legislation to be enacted.
Il realize he said. that the American
people are behind the soldiers. The
soldiers are the heroes of this genera
ton. and they are entitled to be the
, heroes of this generation but 1t is now
proposed by senator's to bring before the
country a bill that is going to put a
charge of from four billion to seven bill
lion dollars on the American taxpayers,
and If I read the bill Alright. 1t Is so
framed as to pass on that charge from
the present to the future. So the
young men who are going to receive this
bonus. or will receive a certificate for
a bonus after the bill shall have been
passed, in all probability, If they make
good in life. will be the men who must
ultimately pay this great debt and in
the future carry the great burden
which it is proposed to put on American
people
Senator McCumber, in reporting the
bill to the Senate, made the briefest
Introduction to a proposed legfsla-
tive measure on record.
IN the soldiers compensation bill"
he said, I'VE have nothing but an
that we voted for appropriations to
carry on the war"
Debate Soon to Open
on Oil Leases.
The oil lease controversy is now
fairly before the Senate. in the pres
entation of a truckload of reports
and data from the Interior Depart
ment. going back over a number of
years. President Harding, in plain
language, took full responsibility for
the action of the Navy and Interior
departments in the oil leases and in
tends to stand by the departments.
Senator La Toilette and a number
of democrats are going through the
reports, and the debate on the sub
ject will soon open.
President Harding, it is known, in
vites the fullest discussion, welcomes
the closest scrutiny, and is con-
vinced that when all the facts are
laid before the country, the admins
tration's course will be approved.