The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-30
Go. p. BETWEEN DEVIL AND SEA
 ON BONUS BILL
Would Gladly Indulge Hand some Gesture to Gain SoI- dierS' Favor But Fearful
 of Big Business
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Bureau, The AEe-Heraid,
 800 Davidson Building.

ton Tor former soldiers" the repub- licans in Congress, are between scylla and Charybdis, or the devil and the deep blue sea-"
 This is an election year, and the republicans. if indications are at all symptomatic, have reason to fear the result, They are very anxious to in- dulge handsome gesture for the delectation of the 4.o00,OO0 American soldiers. and they would hastily do so but for the fact that their conduct would prove seriously offensive to "blg business" They cannot give the soldiers bonus without increasing appropriations. and they cannot in crease appropriations without elimi- hating their claim to economic ad- ministration. and without adding to the burden" of the very rich men of the United States-many of whom, incidentally, are alleged to have profiteered during the war.
 If the republicans could eat their cake and still have 1t, the path ahead would be smooth indeed. Inasmuch. however, as they cannot play both ends against the middle, they are squirming In a mental and moral em- barrassment which by all theira atti- flee they cannot conceal.
 Mellon Disconcerting Factor
 Ix, ha let of a aAr lU Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury is proving a mosts embarrassing and disconcerting factor Mir. Mellon Is a very rich man. He opposes the bonus for the same reason which prompts other very rich men to oppose it. At the same time, with the possession of much money, he is politically in dependent His judgment is not biased by argument based on expedi- ency.
 Therefore, when Representative Joseph Fordney of Michigan, chair man of the ways and means commit teee, conceived the idea that the re- pubiicans could pay the bonus and at the same time leave the treasury in- tact, he called on the Secretary of the Treasury to assume the role of the "yes" man. But the secretary replied that an attempt to pay the bonus with interest to be collected in the indefinite future on the s1I,000, 000,000 European indebtedness to the United States would be both imprac- tieable and foolish.
 Mir. Mellon argued against the pay ment of any bonus. Proceeding on the theory that Congress, despite his advice, might proceed with bonus Legislation, he presented figures indi- eating that a bonus would cost the government SS50000,0 ,000 the first two years of it's operation.
 Can't Vote New Taxes
 According to MT. Mellon, new taxes must be voted. It is a safe prediction that the republicans, even to satisfy the soldiers, will not vote new taxes this year. For this is an election year. It is difficult to believe that even if they retain control of both houses of Congress, they would be willing to jeopardlze their presidential chances by offending the money power next year, or the year thereafter.
 Democrats who are closely observ- ing the situation admit that q great deal depends" on the attitude or the action of the President. Some months ago the Senate undertook considera- tion of bonus bill over the protest of only those senators who are will ing sometimes to take their political lives in their hands to the end the public good migh 0e conserved. The President appeared in person and, explaining the condition of the treas ury, protested against the bill. Tho republicans immediately dropped it. Secretary Mellon is authority for the to thafa m radical change for the better in treas ury conditions. There is always the chance, as result, that if republican politicians attempt again 10 put over the bonus on the eve of the congress sional campaigns the President will again step in and smash thefr idols.
 Democrats Jubilant
 Democrats are openly smiling over one of the reasons offered by Secre- tary Mellon for opposing the pay ment of a bonus with collections from owing countries of Europe. The sec retary referred to the fact that that money should be used to pay interest on liberty and victory bands. In the main, such bonds have left the hands of the people who bought them ana are in safety deposit vaults of the very rich, who secured them at dis count. Melons scheme would bene- fit these spectators in non-interest bearing government securities, and for that reason 1t has very little ap- peal to democrats in Congress. Sen ator Watson of Georgia, as is re- called, desired to make liberty bonds actual currency, but because such transmution of promissory notes would rebound not at all to the peo- pie who sacrificed in behalf of the country. Congress gave Watson's scheme not even indifferent consid- eration.
 Plight Is Obvious
 And thus the plight of the republi- cans, on the eve of the congressional campaigns, becomes obvious. But they cannot dodge behind any pre- text which might be inspired by their ingenuity. For Senator Simmons of North Carolina will introduce the bonus bill as an amendment to the administration measure, by means of which it is the plan of Mellon to re- fund the European debt.
 And the republicans will have to take position either for or against the bonus. If they stand for the bo- nus they will stand against their Secretary of the Treasury, who in sists that Congress keep it's hands off the European debt and suffer him to proceed even without mental restric- tions.
 And they will offend not only Mel Ion. They will offend "big busi- ness" which is the republican "ace in the hole" in all conflicts between