The Washington herald., 1922-06-20
DEFEATED, BONUS
BACKERS TO FORCE
SHOWDOWN TODAY
Absentees Recalled, and
La Toilette or Walsh
Will Make Motion.
CAUCUS VOTE, 800
Republicans Agree to Obey
Harding-Subsidy May
Fight for Precedence.
CAUCUS VOTE, 800

Backers of the soldier bonus
measure. having lost their fight
with the tariff for the legislative
right-of-way in the Senate, will at
tempt to force a final showdown
today.
As soon as ii was learned that
the Republican caucus yesterday
by vote Of 80 to .. had refused to
sidetrack the tariff. Democratic
leaders sent kilograms to eleven
absentees urging them to return
here today for a showdown. A
spirited parliamentary combat is
presaged. but political observers
predict an administration victory
by a narrow margin.
Opponents of the bonus predicted
yesterday that not only would the
final efforts of the bonus "die
hards" to sidetrack the tariff be
futile. but that the ship subsidy
would battle with the bonus for
precedence before the session is
over.
Will Force showdown.
This possibility has received
added strength in view Of the ex-
pected postpcnement of the House
acton on the subsidy bill until the
present storm over sea-going bars
has subsided. There appears little
doubt that since President Harding
wants the subsidy bill passed this
session and doesn't wish the bonus
bill passed, at least in its present.
form, the two measures may lock
horns at a later date. If they do.
there will be a spirited political
fight.
Calling attention to the repeated
promises of Republican leaders to
pass the bonus and the never-end-
ing delays. Senator Walsh. Massa-
chusetts. Democrat. declared yes
terday the time had come to stop
"bunking" the former service men.
He said he was ready to make a
motion to take up the bonus today,
but 1t was generally understood
that Senator La Toilette would Of
fer the motion. Democratic Sena-
tors said they preferred to have the
motion come from the Republican
side.
Victory for President.
Approximately twenty-seven of
the thirty-six Democratic Senators
favor the bonus and it is believed
they will welcome the opportunity
to support the motion to take It up.
Bonus advocates are also counting
on the aid of perhaps twelve or
hfteen Republican insurgents.
The President won. a decisive vic
tory In his first open. break with
his Republican Senate, when under
guidance of Senator Lodge, the Re-
publican caucus followed out the
suggestions of the executive yester-
Day and voted to postpone action
on the bonus- bill until after the
tariff measure had been disposed Of
Not only signifying that the bo-
nus measure can hardly become a.
law before September, IL then. the
vote revealed the power Of Presi-
dent Harding over Congress is un-
shaken. 1t took on an added i'm
portant aspect in view of the pend
ing ship subsidy measure-arainst
which there has been determined
opposition and which Mr.. Harding
has said is possibly the most neces-
sary piece of legislation now before
Congress. -
Action Later Pledged.
The break between certain Re-
publicans in the Senate and the
President bore all the indications
of a decisive act when Senator
Lodge returned last wednesday
with the message that Mr. Harding
wanted the bonus postponed. Senator
Coneinusd ON Pa0s Tasa.