The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-12-12

1t to the White House with its ap-
proval.
Members of veterans organizations
interested in the subject have said
from the first that the passage OF a
bonus bill at some time was newt
able. 1t is more than possible thai
proof soon will come that they were
right. 1t is even said that Mr.. Mef
Ions tax reduction plan will not avail
against the bonus.
How much influence there has been
in the veterans word to the country
that the ease of the bonus bill Is one
of Main Street against Wall Street II
Is hard to tell, but naturally this kind
of a statement of the matter must
have had some effect. 1t is true thar
great associations of business men In
the United States have declared pub
licly against the bonus. saying that IL
would raise taxes and hurt prosper
ity.
Not Seeking Pay" for Services.
1t has been said in a thousand places
that the soldier is seeking pay" for
his service. Here is what representa-
tives of the veterans organizations
who are charged with the work OF
forwarding the cause of the legisla-
ton say to this charge; 1t is an ex-
act quotation from an official state
ment:
THE charge has been made that
former service men are seeking pay
for their services. Can any charge
be further from the truth? Can 1t be
supposed for a moment that If such
were the case, such a modest ADJUST
ment of about Il dollar a day would
be asked for what service men went
through?
"The soldier asks no reward for his
service in uniform. That Is his pride.
For the hardships, dangers and suf.
ferings he endured already have been
paid for in his knowledge for all time
that in the hour of his country's need
he was called and not found wanting.
"But ne is forced to share he ex-
penses of the war, now and In the
future, and pay his proportion of the
debt incurred and of the profits
earned in his absence by others.
He was forced to pay for the high
cost of living, imposed on the entire
country through the prosperity of the
civil population. He was forced to
pay his share of the $20-a-day wages
paid to civil workers. He was forced
to pay his share of the bonuses paid
to the railroads and the war contract.
ors. He will be forced to pay in the
future for the huge war debt incurred
In part through these large payments
to others in which he did not share,
but for which he is jointly respons-
ible."
illustrated by a Story.
This is the way the service men
have put the matter to the country
and its legislators. 1t is an old story
now, but all of the things which are
said in the quotation given are per-
haps better expressed in a little hu.
man nature story of the front in
France, for it is human nature that
is at the bottom OF the demand for
bonus.
Two soldiers met in France. One
was from one division and n from
another, but they were from the same
home town in the United States.
Bill" said jim, have you heard
from homer"
eyes. Jim, I have heard from home.
Bob Jones managed to keep out of
the army"
eyes, BILL" said Jim, Bob Jones
kept out of the army and he has my
job and my girl"
This little interchange between two
~prlyates of the A. e. F. in perhaps q
somewhat sharper form was included
in a vaudeville performance given for
the men at the front. The army cen.
sors cut the dialogue out because II
was believed to be bad for the morale
of the men, but nevertheless in that
interchange is to be found the human
reason for the demand for the bonus.
Recently it seemed that the bonus
bill might not be endorsed by the sen.
ate and 1t seemed virtually certain
that even If it went through the up.
per house the senators would not vote
to override the Presidents veto. To.
day things look different. President
Coolidge may sign the bill, but If he
does not it seems probable that con.
| gress will pass it over his f%orbidding
word.