The Winslow mail., 1923-11-23

OF DdSSdSo III lu6 ubAI congress!
The success of this measure hither-
to has been accepted as certain. No
one in Washington has thought that
there was enough doubt about it to
give attention to suggestion that some
thing might arise to keep congress
from giving the bill sanction. Mem
bers of the house in the last congress
struggled with one another to gain
precedence in advocacy of the meas
ure. Of course a new congress is to
come in, but a poll of the members
has seemed to show that the bonus
bill will be as popular with the new
members as it was with the old. New
ertheless something has arisen to
cause a doubt as to the passage OF
the BILL not very grave doubt. it is
true, but still q doubt.
The various veteran organizations
of the country have espoused the
measure, and in fact have given much
time and energy to securing for it the
good will Of congress. The bonus bill
would be a law today if President
lowing it a place on the statute books
without companion legislation which
would furnish the means for raising
the money to pay the bill.
"Anti-Bonus Bunch" Organized
Recently there has been organized
a body of veterans of the World war
known somewhat fippantly to their
antagonistic brethren as "the anti
bonus bunch" This bunch it now
seems has much more strength than
anybody supposed. The veteran or
ganizatiOn opposed to the bonus was
formed in New York city. 1t had one
or two poorly attended first meetings,
but then something seemed to give it
the stimulus of growth and today 1t is
exercising considerable influence in
the ranks of veterans, especially
among those men who heretofore nave
been inarticulate because Of lack of
organization.
It may true that q majority of the
veterans of the World war favor the
bonus. 1t is certain that members OF
congress have thought that a major
ity of the ex-sOldiers favor it. 1t may
be invidious to say so, but it would
seem that, if congress had thought the
majority feeling was the other way,
1t would not have been so overwhelm-
ingly strong itself in advocacy of the
passage Of the measure.
1t has been proposed seriously by
the anti-bonus advocates, men who
nevertheless are in good standing IN
tho American Legion or in other Neter-
an organizations, that a national poll
shall be taken of the discharged sol
diers to find out conclusively just what
the feeling is on the legislation.
Nobody seems to know exactly how
the poll can be put through in way
to have official civil sanction as a com
panion to a regular election. If, how
ever. the measure could be submitted
in some way to the veterans through
the regular election machinery of the
states, a much-vexed question would
be settled for all time.
Only Way Is Through Election.
1t is, of course, possible for the vet
eran organizations to make a canvass
Of the sentiment among the ex-sol-
dierS and to arrive at some conclusion,
but it would be difficult to make the
conclusion conclusive" May men,
no matter how much they apparently
are interested in a subject, will net
take the trouble to engage in CORE
spondence concerning it. 1t is said
that postcard campaign probably
would not bring answers enough to de-
termine the question Therefore, 1t
is said that the only way to settle
the matter as to whether or not the
United States should be called upon
to pay the veterans bonus money, is
to get the sentiment Of the eX-soldiers
by means Of an actual vote on the
question conducted as a companion to
q federal election.
Frankly, the writer of this, who is
an ex-service man, believes that the
bonus bill will pass congress at its
next session by perhaps considerable
majority. 1t is easy enough to I'M
derstand the human side OF the bonus
appeal. They fought for
S33 a month while able-bodied brethren
we're working for $50 day. The
bonus advocates believe that an injus-
tice was done the ex-service soldiers
and they want remedy.
However, there is another side to
the question. A man is supposed to
be willing to serve his country when |
it is in need, without pay and without
promise of pay. The strongest OPP
ponents of the bonus are those who
plead that it is unpatriotic to demand |
the money.
1t is known definitely that many |
who voted for the bonus
bill last year were not at heart in