The Washington times., 1924-02-29
By JOHN r. QUINN,

INDIANAPOLIS Ind, Feb. 90
Shortly before the war ended Ger
tain business man wrote to {
friend serving in France: 81 hops
the war lasts eight months longer
then IN be on easy street." Th'
lives, hardships, cost involved IL
this selfish wish meant nothing tt
him. 1t was money. versus live!
and money won. Now when thu
veteran asks for adjusted compenSa
| ton 1t is money versus justice. Blu
| this time justice will win. That wa:
the attitude of the fair bushes,
| men then. Now consider what hap
pened when the armistice was sign
ed. Business men went to Wash
ington. Shortly thereafter a 'boarC
was appointed to listen to war con
tract settlements.
And with no ado, no publicity, nc
cry of Treasury looters, q total Of
50, 900 100000 was appropriated tC
settle war obligations, some OF
which were only moral obligations
Billions of dollars were paid fol
material that never was delivered
Now business helped win the war
Therefore much of this settlement
was just and should have beer
adjusted as 1t was. 1t was only
fair that this factor that contrIbu
ted to winning the war should be
adjusted for its losses through
service.
Rail Loss Made Good.
The railroads were taken over
by the Administration with the
stockholders guaranteed pc. cent
When the armistice camc--thougt
the 8 per cent income had beer
religiously paid-the railroads claim
ed loss through Government opera
tons.
So the Government settled FOL
81 500 900 900, with no cry O,
Treasury raiders or selling of pa
triotism! Another factor was com
pensated
The civil service employees, more
than one hundred thousand Of them
were given bonus Of $40 a month
And though the armistice is five
years past, they are still getting it
Another factor in winning the wal
was compensated.
The men who manufactured the
rifles got $40 a day. The men who
used them against the enemy got
81 day. The shipyard workers got
double timeN and overtime and
bonuses and comparative luxury
ANOTHER factor was adequately com
penSated.
Labor Asks for More.
The pay of this fighting man was
based on the marginal laborer al
the rate of 81 a day. AS soon as
the war was well on, prices climbed
and the laboring man asked for
more money.
Wages doubled. trebled, and quad
rupled under the gentle stimulus OF
cost-plus, and the laboring man
waxed moneous.
But though the cost of living
might break the roof Of the index
thermometer, the fighting man still
got his dollar day and his wife
and children could get along as best
they might.
Now we can see that everybody
got their pay adjusted for time and
labor. Their patriotism was never
questioned. Only the fighting man
who sacrificed his time, gave mis-
service and risked his life did not
receive an adjustment. Why was
he disseminated against?
So the fighting man now the
ex-service man and treasury looter
asks his pay be adjusted on time
and labor. His life was his gift
to his country; his service he also
gave twenty-four hours of it in
stead of eight or six. But he
does ask that his pay for his time
be adjusted. He should not be dis
eliminated against.
Patriotism Questioned.
Still these Representatives Of Wall
Street opposition question his pat
riotism in acting for adjusted com
pensation.
Can people question the patriotism
OF Washington who obtained a
bonus of land grants and similar
bonuses for the Revolutionary sol
diers?
Can these selfish interests ques
ton the patriotism Of Scott, Lee
Lincoln, Grant? All these national
heroes took bonuses and land grants
Can the civil war veteran be
questioned as to patriotism because
they took a universal pension?
Can the Spanish American veteran
be questioned?
The precedent for pay adjustment
because of war emergencies is, well
established in American traditions
and now for the first time selfish
Wall Street business men want to
break the precedent by denying
this just obligation. This, while
22,0OO war made millionaires sit
tight and contribute a few dollars
toward anti-bonus propaganda.
In my next article / shall show
how these Wall Street interests de-
liberately set about subsidizing the
ex-service's anti-bonus league as a
tool OF its own to get tax reduc.
tlon-to save Wall Street millions
by selling out the soldier. 1t is
not nice story, but it is time
the truth became known.
HENRY J. HAUSEN SOUGHT