The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-16
PLAN IS UNJUST AND UNSOUND, SAYS EXECUTIVE Executive Can See No
 Justification For
 Measure FIGHT STARTED
 TO FORCE PASSAGE Vote In House Is Set For Saturday After
 Bitter Fight

WASHINGTON, May 1b.-The soldier bonus bill was vetoed by President Coolidge today on the grounds that it was economically unsound and morally unjust.
 Returned unsigned, to the House, where the legislation originated, the measure was immediately taken up by its friends in an effort to override the executive action and the counsel of leaders of both par ties obtained a postponement of q vote until Saturday.
 The President in his veto mes sage, document of more than g. 900 words declared he could see no Justification for enactment of the bill into law and added:
 Cannot Afford If'
 sOur country cannot afford it. The veterans as whole do not want it. Our American principles are opposed to it. There is no moral justification for it"
 Proceeding in his discussion of the bill, Mir. Coolidge declared no bonus was owed able-bodied vete- rans of the World war.
 ''The gratitude of the nation to these veterans cannot be expressed in dol lars and cents," he added. 'The re- spect and honor of their country will rightfully be theirs f0revermore. But patriotism can neither be bought nor sold. 1t is not hire and salary. It is not material but spiritual. It is one of the finest and highest of human virtues. To attempt to pay money for 1t is to offer it an unworthy indignity which cheapens, debases and destroys It. We must either abandon our theory of patriotism or abandon Financial End Stressed
 The economic and financial grounds for a veto were stressed particularly by the President with an inference that should the bill become law hope for tax reduction must be abandoned, The government, he said, had reached financial condition which permitted a reduction in taxation but If this bill becomes law we wipe out at once almost all the progress five hard years have accomplished in reducing the na- tional debt" The bill, he argued. would commit the country for twenty years to an additional average annual appropriation of $114,O00,OO0 and at the end of that time it would be nee essary to sell to the public. two and a half billion dollars in bonds---a ma for operation in finance-which. he said. might be disastrous at that time.
 Ample Insurance Provided
 The chief executive asserted the dis aDled veterans were being given treat ment and that insurance had already been provided for all veterans.
 We have no money to bestow upon class of people that is not taken from the whole people," he said "Our first concern must be the nation as a whole. This 0utweighs in its impor- tanee the consideration of a class and the. latter must yield to the former"
 The veto message was read in the House promptly upon it's being received there and as the reading was concluded shouts of ''vote, vote' rang out. Amid some confusion Representative Long worth, the republican leader, asked unanimous consent that the measure be voted upon for repassage on next Thurs day. This and a similar request to de- lay aSyote until Monday were objected to. l-
 Called An "InsuIt"
 Representative Rankin, democrat, Mississippi, in demanding an immediate vote characterized the message as "an insult" to the World war veterans. Leaders of both parties maneuvered, however, to delay the vote until Satur- day. This decision was reached by a vote of 179 to Ill. advocates claiming their ranks would be strengthened through return of absentees by a vote at later date.
 Representative Longworth and Rep resentatiye 0ldfeld of Arkansas, demo- cratic whip, both predicted the measure would easily be passed in the House
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