The Washington times., 1922-03-26

declaration of a leading
member OF Congress a few days
ago.
II was time somebody spoke out
vigorously for the soldier and sail
or lads who saved the world in
ls17-1S. .'r
You men sitting before me-"
continued Hon. Joseph w. Ford.
ney to 4 convention Of fellow
-lumbermen. "cheered them madly
and marched with them to the
depot" ~ they entrained for
France.
And you didn't 60 a damn step
further" he thundered in right
sous indignation to men who hav-
ing told the lads that when you
come back victors anything and
everything that America has will
not be good enough for YOU"
1t was time for somebody to
speak plainly, and have no doubt
the Recording Angel dropped a
tear and blotted out the little
damn" Tor was It a big 'damn"O
which Chairman Fordney uttered.
Or is damn" a swear word? A
distinguished Methodist divine
said It was a proper Bible term
used In a wrong connection. The
Supreme Court nearly a century
ago. In a case whore an attempt
was made to impeach a Judge on
the charge of profanity" held
that tho use of the word damn"
was not profanity. I recall hear
Ing the late Ambassador Page say
d, that in New York nobody regard
ed damn" as a swear word. I'm
fact" he added, nobody here be-
heves you are really and truly in
earnest unless you throw in an
occasional damn as a word of i'm
pressiveness and emphasis. It's
all wrong to put damn in tho
category Of swear words. It has
been made merely a respectable
emphatic word when you wish to
be sure that nobody will doubt
that you are terribly in earnest"
STAND ON ITS MERITS.
Is It not about time tho soldiers
compensation bill was discussed
on its merits?
1t fs now many months since
the men who served in the army
and navy during the world war
petitioned Congress for the COM
pensation carried in the measure
that passed the House last year
and was smothered in the Senate.
Tho right Of petition is safeguard
cd by the Constitution. Every
American citizen has an inherent
right to petition his public serv-
ants. 1t would seem that in view
OF this constitutional priv
hege the men whose valor saved
the world could have a hearing
by Congress without being insult
ed and ridiculed and denounced
for exercising that simple priv
hege.
But from the minute the Off
GERS of the American Legion.
speaking for 30 per cent of the
American soldiers and sailors who
were paid less than $40 a month
during their enlistment, suggest
ed that the United States follow
the example of practically every
other allied nation and give tho
same character of practical rec
ognition generously given the
soldiers who followed Washing
ton and Grant. there has been
q hue and cry that they were
trying to "commercialize patriot.
ISM" that they were seeking
to surrender the glory of sacri-
flee for paltry dollars" that they
were making a raid on the
Treasury" and were "dishonor-
ing the uniform they wore by
Willingness to accept monetary
compensation" and were trying
to run the Government by a
noisy minority clamoring for q
bonus"
VOCIFEROUS PROPAGANDA.
In view Of tho well-organized
and vociferous propaganda to
defeat the measure, is 1t not tims
that sensible American citizens
should become deaf to such
ISLANDERS OF the brave young men
who gave a new glory to Ameri-
can manhood? 1 am not writing
now OF sincere men who openly
oppose any form Of compensa-
ton to tho men who served in
tho war. Their sincerity 10 above
question. I am referring, rather,
to those who are trying to kill
the proposition by indirection.
II am in favor OF every honor
and every recognition Of our
brave soldiers, God bless them,
BUT I cannot consent to this
method" Is the usual method of