Evening journal., 1922-03-21
BONUS FRIENDS .
GROW FEWER
President Rejects, Gillett
Refuses to Give Right of
Way
WILL TRY TO
JAM BILL THROUGH

W WAShl4NGIONt J.. u March lls /
The bonus raid on the public |
treasury and business OF tn coun- |
| try was blocked yesterday by the /
| TWO most powerful blocs that It has |
II encountered during It's desperate /
and tempestuous career. says Louis I
Seibold in a special dispatch TO the /
New York Herald.
In the order OF their relative i'm I
portance the certificate loan form OF
raid ran into presidential bloc at
the White House. Later II encou7- !
tered the speakership bloc in TIE
House.
The result was that tn discredit- !
ed bonus bill was kicking around
the lower House OF Congress with
fewer friends than at any time in its
turbulent history. Rejected by the
President out OF hand and denied
the right OF way through the lower
House by the Speaker. its ultimate
| defeat appears to be a foregone con-
clusion.
III Hemmed in by the various blocs
which have supported and opposed
Il for various reasons, solely polit-
ical. the only prophecy that can be
safely made is that the certificate
loan plan will be damned" through
the House during the present week,
deposited on the none too hospitable
doorstep OF the Senate. with a still
cooler welcome awaiting It al the
white House.
In ordinary circumstances any leg
islative measure subjected 10 the un-
friendly treatment accorded the
a bonus bill yesterday would have
Il been side-tracked by its sponsors.
The survival OF II bears eloquent
81 testimony to the desperation OF the
81 bonus Representatives still quaking
81 with fear at the threats OF a noisy
81 minority OF ex-service men who are
a demanding the redemption Of indi-
81 vidual pledges. which are In direct
& conflict with the declaration IN the
n national Republican platform.
Coerced by the threats OF the pro-
81 fesonsl propagandists. Republican
n leaders Of the lower house are striv-
81 ing 10 find a way or expediting the
:s bonus raid as soon as possible. A
day devoted almost entirely 20 con-
ferences among the Republican lead
ers failed 20 produce one. The con
ferences will be continued today 10
decide whether a further attempt
shall be made to put the bonus bill
through under a suspension OF the
rules or a new set OF rules brought
a. in on wednesday or Thursday to
* make IL possible.
ri In the meantime the whole bonus
M scheme appears 70 be losing friends
|<| much more rapidly than IL ever
tt made them. The severe blow di-
M rected against it by the President
e. shattered the hopes OF supporters.
81 who tenaciously clung 20 the idea
that the President could be made to
81 change his mind.
W The Presidents attitude toward
t< the group OF leaders OF his party
who spent two hours with him at
Fl the Wl-ite House yesterday was ad-
mitted by some OF them TO be a
body blow" The effect of Il was
~ instantaneous. II discouraged mem
bers who had been led TO believe by
their leaders that the President
&: could be induced to apply the
<s principles OF compromise" TO save
2 Republican members OF the House
W from great embarrassment and also
W probable defeat in the coming cleo
tions
The opponents OF the measure
who constitute perhaps one-fourth
OF the membership were naturally
encouraged by the report the Re
publican leaders brought back to
& The Capitol from the white House.
They predicted that, in the face OF
"a almost certain rejection BY the Sen
4 HHaIHf fHHr n
81 President. number OF members
E who have been undecided In their
& attitude will oppose the bill
& Another phase OF the situation
e hat disturbed the Republican moor
,eader and Chairman Fordney OF the
Is WAYS and Means Committee was th'
IA unexpected opposition OF many OF
81 their party associates 10 the plar
q for making the bonus bill caucus
FL measure.
So strong did this adverse senti
ment become that the caucus idei
81 was abandoned at the conference
yesterday afternoon, an importan
factor in controlling the decision be
ng the threat OF a majority OF TN
Democratic members to oppose tn
bonus bill n il were treated as
partisan project.
<< For the first time since the bonu
e ght began officials Of the American
legion an7 those OF the Veterans o
Foreign Wars displayed uneasiness
They were unprepared for the an
< nouncement made by the Republi
can leaders OF the House that Presl
E3 dent Harding had bluntly informe
.& hem he did not favor the certificat