Evening star., 1923-10-05

The American Legion announces
that the adjusted compensation OF All
soldiers of the world war will pass
the next House by vote of seven to
one and pass the Senate by four more
than necessary to override a: presi-
dental veto. Whether there VIII be
a veto is only guesswork.
At the last session of Congress the
bill was passed by both branches, but
was vetoed by President Harding on
the ground, as argued by the Secre-
tary of the Treasury. that the bill
should embody a sales tax, or some
other method oforaising the revenue
needed to carry out it's approprfa-
tions. 1t was repassed by the House
over the veto, but failed.to secure the
required two-thirds vote in the Sen :.
ate. -
i X X &.
While the measure has had the ac-
five Endorsement of : the American
Legion, it is not, primarily. a legion
movement, nor is it for the exclusive
benefit of Iegionaires..i 1t, covers all
drafted or volunteer soldiers who
were in the world war. ; whether
across the seas OF. in the. United
States.
The incorporat ton act of the ma
tional orsanization 3or the American
Legion was passed by. Congress: Sep
tember 16, 1919. At the time of the
first national convention. NoEember
IL, 1919. there were already Hfty-nVe
bills for soldiers adjusted eompen-
sation which had been introduced in
Con
legion a resolution was adopted re-
viewing the claim of veterans Tor
consideration, second only 10 tnat OF
caring for the disabled and for the
widows and orphans of. those VINO
had sacrificed their lives" 1t added:
"But the American Legion reels tnat
| 1t cannot ask for legislation in its
selfish interest, and leaves with con.
fdence to Congress the discharge OF
this obligation" .5.-.
X x **
Congress accepted the responsible
ity, but awaited more definite express
sion from the American Legion. as
the outstanding, Representative body
of the veterans. The following Feb
ruary t1s20) the national executive
committee. acting for the entire
legion. adopted airesolution a. naming
$50 a month for each months service
as acceptable adjustment,
The House in caucus, with but two
dissenting votes, referred the matter
| to the ways and means committee.
The chairman Of that committee,
Joseph d. Fordney, then. requested
representatives of the legion to ap-
pear before the committee in confer,
enee. Not until thus requested had
the legion made. any effort to in
fuence Congress- At that conference
Chief Franklin DfOlier
reported the legion's Recommendation
Of measure embodytng -four options
of compensation, substantially as
That bill, ii. r, ,14157,., was intro-
duced in the House by. Chairman
Fordney on behalf of the committee
on ways and means. The committee
on rules made the last six days OF the
second session of the Sixty-sIxth
Congress the time for its debate. The
vote on passage resulted: Yeas, zSs;
nays. 50; not voting, IS.
The bill then went to the senate
and was referred to the finance COM
mittee, of which Senator McCumber
was chairman. That was too near the
close of the session. for hearings on
the bill and it was; held over for the
third session of the Sixty sixth Con-
gress, meeting December 2, 1870. IL
did not reach a. vote in that @short
session. which expired March 4, 1921.
| In the long session following IT. was
famended bythe finance committee by
strfi3ng ,outs the land. settlement
ciAnsSs on. the ground that farming
lConAitionssSdid not. favor additional
facrstge and that there was Iot1ayaH-.