Evening star., 1924-05-17

Continued from First Page)
bonus bill of last session finally went
on the rocks after President Harding
had vetoed il and Il had been repassed
by the House. The bonus advocates
still claimed today that they had
three or four more than enough votes
to make the present measure a law
Veterans Divided.
As the House prepared today tc
take action on the veto of the bonus
bill, veterans organizations taking
an active interest in the subject di-
vided into two camps and threatened
that body IL it should act contrary tc
their wishes.
War on every member of Congress
VINO votes to override the veto would
be declared by the Ex-Service Mems
Anti Bonus League, which announced
1t would organize to carry the fight
into every state where necessary mex,
November.
The American Legions Legislative
committee, through John Thomas
Taylor, its vice chairman. in a letter
to every member of Congress de-
clared the service men and women
look with confidence for you to keep
the faith and override this veto" In
passing the bill, he said, Congress had
determined its attitude upon the in
herent justice of the principle of the
measure"
Knowlton Durham. president of the
Ex-Service Mems Anti-BonuS League
said 'if member of Congress has
conscientiously favored and voted for
the bonus. that is his affair: but il
there are those who believe the bonus
wrong in principle and yet are infiu-
enced by what they consider political
oynadjanrN n fhnir Cpi cS
the presidential veto, we intend tc
show that there are at least two sides
to the question, and we expect to ap-
peal to the voters who agree with
us--and We believe they are the grea,
majority of the voters of this coun-
try-to support and defend those who
uphold the principles enunciated by
the President
Had Full Information.
Mr.. Taylor said that it was known
when Congress passed the bill what
would be the cost and how the cost
must be met. 1T is upon these ques-
tions-cost and principle-that the
President bases his opposition, al
! though he brings no information to
when it voted overwhelmingly in IA
NOE OF IHe tNlSc the
past month"
Declaring arguments that the cost
of the bill will wreck the nations
finances" had been discarded, Mr.. Tay-
lor alluded then to President Cool
idge's declaration in his veto mes
sage that the bill would destroy "our
theory of patriotism
.'The veteran asks no reward for
his patriotism" The letter continued
THAT is his pride. For the hardships
ha 4
have already 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.
I'm this statement Mr.. Coolidge
loses sight of the fact that the ad-
! iusted compensation measure is not
pay for patriotism, but is designed to
rectify the economic handicap which
veterans and their families suffered
! while fighting, and have not yet over
come.
''His loss was not caused alone by
| the less than living wage which the
soldier and his family received. II
was magnified many times by the
| enormous increase in the cost of bare
necessities, which brought debt upon
the soldiers dependents IN order &c
| live.
Cites Civic ReadjuStment.
Wartime pay was readjusted by
all employers Of labor and hundreds
of millions were spent in this. The
government recognized this necessity
and to date has increased salaries OF
it's civilian employees by s294,o0o. 900
The government also recognized the
railroads and increased their wal
compensation by s1,696, 100000. and
the government recognized the wal
contractors, who had already salted