Evening star., 1924-01-28
Hits Soldier Bonus.
World War Veteran Regards Proposal
''Hideously Unpatriotic.
o the Editor OF The Star;


The editors of American newspa-
| pers and magazines are probably CIV
ing more space, both editorial and
news, to the proposed congressional
soldiers bonus than to any other SIN
gle subject. They are correct In such
a. policy. Otherwise, how are the
American people to learn that their
veterans of the world war do not ia
vor nor desire such a measures pas
sage? Certainly, in all fairness, the
commendable activities OF the EH-
Service Mems Anti-Bonus League.
Inc, cannot be expected 10 wage
alone a successful war upon such an
unpatriotic measure as is the soldiers
bonus.
Before l left France. where l had
served in the Rainbow Division OF the
American Expeditionary Force since
that division had arrived there in the
fall of 1918. l heard distinct rum.
blings indicative of this soldiers
bonus proposition. Along with mil
lions of others then in the service, |
was from the start strongly opposed
to such, and / have not heard nor
read any worthy arguments in its IA
vor A blanket" soldiers bonus bill
will never be signed by a President
Of the United States, herewith fore
cast.
What / am concerned with in this
connection, however, is what Will
happen to the American Legion II IT'S
headquarters continues 10 nshl iol
such a congressional bill. The legion
pussyfoots by calling 1t an ADJUSTED
compensation bill for the veterans OF
tho world war. This veterans BODY
headquarters prOClalms that lis mem
bership is in favor of 1.-THE bill: Is
not this deliberately untrue? l believe
So at any rate.
/ learn that two sons of Gov John
NJ Parker Of Louisiana have been eA-
! Do He'd from the American Legion be-
cause of their active opposition to the
soldiers bonus bill. Further, thdt
certain New York posts have gone on
record as being against the same Dill.
Quite recently the Augustus J.. GARD
ner Post of the District of ColumDla
Department of the American Legion
passed a resolution opposing the bill.
In sanctioning this information being
diSse minated to the public through
our press the District department
calls attention to the fact that the
said post only represents per cent
of the legionnaireS within that de-
partment. In reply thereto. /. as one
of those who was quite active in the
formation of the legion in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and as one whose
interests in the welfare of the legion
have never been dormant. believe that
SIS per cent of the legiOnnaireS not
only in the District of Columbia. but
throughout the United States, are op-
posposed to the proposed soldiers
bonus bills. And that is the minimum
estimate, too.
! attended the st. Louis caucus of
| the American Legion in 1919. as an
| alternate delegate from the District
| of Columbia and so know from per-
! sonal experience of the strong anti
| tested. Our present efficient assistant
| secretary of the Navy, Theodore.
/ Roosevelt, rightly damned this sub
| ject and called II an attempt to sand
| bag" the Treasury of the govern
i Politics and we'll organized ma
| chimes have so crept into the Ameri-
can Legion that it will soon meet with
! disaster, unless il has house clean
! changes its tactics
! In July. 1921. when the Rainbow
| DIVISION veterans met in annual SIS
! sion in Cleveland. | was honored with
! the office Of first vice president AS a
member Of the resolutions committee
! l sincerely attempted to have the
! convention go on record as being op-
| posed to the soldiers bonus. But I
! failed The reason / was defeated
| was because. to quote the argument
| OF the majority, 1--WE. don't desire to
be publicly classed with those prof
! lteers who are furthering the oppoSi-
1 ton to the bonus" What an argu-
| ment to come from men who had all
| hut just returned from fighting on
! the continent for the continuance, of
! their high ideals, Unless the various
! veterans organizations and their
! memberships denounce their opposi-
| tion publicly to all proposed "blan-
! ket' soldiers bonus bills they shall
| soon find that they are "fn Dutch
| with the American people.
| In 1920 l was challenged by the
! just retired District of Columbia de-
| partmental commander of the Ameri-
can LIE gion TO fight the American Lee
! gion's stand on the bonus from with
| in and not from without. I expect
! to continue to do it both ways. The
! legion may eXpel me, but the legion
can hardly expect to become a con-
| structive body of veterans if ii acts
in such a Prussian manner toward
! all its members who do NOT. sheeplike.
| bleat the utterances as disseminate ed
! from Indianapolis and through the
! American Legion Weekly.
! j. BENTLEY MCLFORD.
George Washington Post