Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-22
A Call to Patriotism.

President Hoover IN Detroit calleo on
the American Legion to go to the front
In the battle which must be waged IN
this country to keep down the ex-
penditures of the Federal Government
and maintain the stability OF the Gov
eminent. without direct mention OF
the soldiers bonus or the agitation
which has been under way to bring
about the immediate payment OF the
bonus in full, the Chief Executive
nevertheless in his call upon the
patriotism of the Legionnaires MADE
an attack upon the bonus movement
and its leaders. This attack is likely to
block a demand for some $4,000, 100000
more for the veterans at this time.
demand which IL granted would put a
serious drain, indeed, upon the resources
Of the Government
The call to the peace time struggle
issued by the President Of the United
states to the men who helped smash
the Hindenburg line in 1918 was ORA
matte. The Presidents decision to go
to Detroit to address the American
Legion was made at the eleventh hour.
His address to the Legionnaires may
well have put a halt to the progress
of the movement for q Legion demand
that the bonus be paid in full at
time when such a payment would ada
greatly to the burdens which the Gov
eminent and the American taxpayers
are already bearing. Judging from the
immediate response which the Legion
naires gave the President and his call
for enlistment in the war to bring
prosperity back to the United States,
the turning point in the fight in the
Legion convention over the proposed
bonus payments has been reached and
successfully passed.
The Chief Executives address was 1t
once one Of the most forceful and re-
strained which he has delivered since
he entered the White House. 1t was
brief and to the point, and although the
President did not call the bonus by
name, It was most effective. The Presi-
dent went into the convention at Q
time when the atmosphere was sur
charged with excitement. He took the
patriotism Of the veterans at . full
hundred per cent value. His purpose.
he said, was not to plead" with them
or any other group of American citi-
ssns. A call upon the patriotism by the
President Of the United States, how
ever, is a different thing.
The President did not mince words
"a explaining to the American Legion
the need for governmental economy.
while the address was rightly inter-
preted as an effort to head OF a formal
demand by the Legion for further pay
nnents on the soldiers bonus, 1t must
also be considered as an effort to con-
vince the Legionnaires, who are repre-
sentatives of the whole Nation, that
no drives must be made In the coming
Congress for the expenditures Of large
sums of money by the Government for
new projects, no matter how meritorious
they may appear to be.
Under the leadership Of the Presi-
dent, the administration Is undertake
Ing 9 great governmental economy
movement. The executive branch OF
the Government cannot do 1t all. The
Congress holds the purse strings OF the
. Nation. It can tighten or loosen them.
II ever there was q time for the clos
est scrutiny Of all governmental APP
propriations by the National Legisla-
f, talre 1t Is today. Yet there have al
ready been pleas from many members
Of Congress that the President cali
them in special session. not to reduce
governmental expenditures, but to in
crease them by hundreds Of millions
/ of dollars In the name OF relief for
unemployment. The President has met
4 these demands with the assertion that
relief for the unemployed must come
from the individual, the community
and the State, not from the Federal
Treasury. The American Legion has
volunteered its services to aid in the
relief Of the unemployed. services which
the President has been quick to accept.