The daily star-mirror., 1923-02-20
ALTERNATIVE TO
SOLDIERS BONUS
VAN RENSSELAER, SUGGESTS
UNITED EFFORT TO CREATE A
HIGHLY EDUCATED PEOPLE.

Glendale, Gala. P.)-An educa-
tional alternative to the national
bonus is proposed by James t. Van
Rensselaer, of this city, who has been
asked to take the place of Major
General Peter G. Harris as national
chairman of the National Memorial
! University association. Mr.. Van
Rensselaer, states that he will decline
the place unless tentative plan is
sufficiently endorsed to offer a suit
able alternative to the bonus and
( proposes that the nation provide a
complete education for all children Of
the World war service men or women.
The proposal states:
/ The attention has been called of
the National Memorial University as
7 sociation, and of the chamber of com
merce of the United States, that a
most fitting and proper educational
memorial to the memory of the men
who gave their lives to the country
during the World war, was to be
found in the following suggested al
tentative to the bonus:
"That, the federal government
share equality with states, religious
denominations, fraternal and other
organizations, and with individuals,
and, wherever possible, with institu-
tions already functioning during the
next ten or more years, in establish
ing self-supporting universities on
the Oxford-Cambridg system of a
score or more of colleges. These col
leges shall be self-governing, and
students are to be afforded the op-
pOrtunity to work as well as to study,
thus making provision for the higher
education Of all children, qualified,
of all men and women who served
in the army, navy, and marine corps
in the late war.
Each university, subject to mu
tual agreement of all colleges con-
cerned, shall also be self-governing,
and it is understood that the sole
connection of the government with
the matter will be the assumption of
one-half of the liability for a sum
needed to carry out the purposes out
lined, the entire amount to be under
written by the state or other parties
concerned, even the question of the
payment of interest to be left open
for further discussion.
Briefly, the suggestion is to per-
suade 100000 ex-service men and
women representing every section and
every division of the country, and act
ing from the most enlightened self
interest, to join in one great national
effort to create highly educated
American people in two or more gen
erations. For many, men and women,
who unselfishly served the country
during the great war, fully believe
that education is light and light is
from God, and that a movement has
begun which, if it develops according
to promise, will grow into the most |
impassioned enterprise so far under
taken by man."
The National Memorial association |
was formed for the purpose of obtain |
ing the necessary funds and the estab-
lishment of National Memorial univer-
sites as a tribute to the memory of !
the men who gave their lives to the
country during the World war, in |
which special scholarships and privil-
eyes are to be extended to the child
rem of these World war men and wo-
men.
The national committee of the as |
sociatiOn is composed of so members, |
one at large, one from the District |
of Columbia and one from each state |
in the union, and numbers among it's
members some of the leading citi-
zens of the states, including number
OF governors, former governors, mem
bers of congress and financiers.