The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-08
FOES HOPE.
TOBR|NC
VETO
Would Load the Measure With
Amendments Coolidge
Could Not Accept.
By JOHN T. LAMBERT.
Cosmopolitan News Service.

~SSas~ w. SsSSSHS
By JOHN T. LAMBERT.
Cosmopolitan News Service.
The soldiers bonus is in danger
Of being wrecked by its friends
and foes.
Some of it's friends are genu-
inely anxious to write a cash pay
payment provision into it. They
are being joined by it's foes, who
believe cash payment is certain
to run the bill into a veto by
President Coolidge and hope it will
ultimately send the bill to its
death.
Two kinds of Enemies.
The enemies of the bill are in
two classes. They are those who
are eager to play politics with the
bill and load it up with so many
obstacles that the President will
veto it and thus run the risk of los
ing the entire soldier vote of the
country.
The other class include die-hard
enemies of the bill who hope that
a Presidential veto of a cash.pay-
ment bill would be sustained by
either the House or Senate.
The efforts of those two groups
were rejected in the House, but
they are preparing to renew their
shipping warfare when the bonus
bill reaches the Senate floor.
The insurance bonus bill passed
the House by a vote Of S55 to 81.
The members there are on record.
They would hesitate to change, if
they desired. The present bill can
pass a veto overwhelmingly there,
and doubtlessly in the Senate. But
the enemies of the bill are proceed
ing on the theory that the inclu-
sion of the cash-payment section
would give the House members an
excuse to sustain a veto.
Bill Suits Legion.
American Legion officials here
declare the bill is satisfactory. 1T
contains the old adjusted-compensa-
ton basis of compensation, and In
surance was the bulwark of the
old four.fold plan. The legion Off
Gals have attempted to obtain an
expression of the members through
out the country since the present
bill came to the front. They say
the expressions for the bill are weIl-
nigh unanimous.
Another significant fact is that
the membership of the legion has
grown 100000 since National Com
mander John r. Quinn, the Cali
fornia cowboy, began his tour of
the country demanding justice for
the veterans.
1t happens to be the only adjusted
compensation bill the cost of which
can be measured definitely. The
legion's actuarieS say 1t will cost
only about $4,000, 600 year. In
other words, the cost per year will
be less than what the country
spent every three days to run the
war.
Gains i'm Congress.
Notable gains in Congress were
made for the bill in the last elec-
ton. Bonus enemies went down to
defeat at the hands of enraged
constituents who became increas-
ingly angry at a Congress which
paid a billion to the railroads and
hundreds of millions to profiteer-
ing war contractors while refusing
any measure of justice to the men
who fought the war.
The independent Republicans and
Farmer-Labor Congressman who
came into office with sweeping ma
jOrities, taking the places of re-
pudiated reactionaries, are unanim-
Dusty for the bonus. Men like Sen
ator Owen of Oklahoma, who is
not "a candidate for reelection, and
Senator Sterling Of South Dakota,
who has been defeated, have an
nounced their decision to support
It.
Legion officials hope that Presi-
dent Coolidge will sign the bill.
Commander Quinn discussed the
bonus thoroughly with the Presi-
dent during his last visit to the
White House. He told the Presi'
dent that wherever there has been
an expression of actual public SEN
tIment in the past five years, it
has been overwhelmingly in favor
CT the bonus.
He urged the President to waive
Sny personal objections which he
may have and to sign the bill in
the interest of democratic govern
ment, which is based on the reason
able will of the majority.