Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-30
PASSAGE Of BONUS
BILL HELD LOOMING
Opponents of Measure Un-
certain About mastering
Votes to Sustain Veto.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Passage by both Houses OF an APP
rropriation of. roughly, three billion
dollars for veterans is more imminent
than the country has supposed. The
sensational size of the sum and the
startling quality of such an action has
caused the public and newspapers as
a rule to assume throughout the SEES
sion that the thing is too incredipie
The fact is the movement is now
at a point where the str ing likennood
is the appropriation viii be enacted.
The most responsible Leaders Oh CON
gress believe 1t will happen. Ihelf De-
lief is the more convincing becGure
thev deplore the act and are gTaVeiy
comprehensive about the effect Of it on
the Treasury. 1t is safe TO say tnaV
only some extraordinary manifeStau2n
of disappearing public opinion would
now prevent the appropriation.
Veto May BE Beaten.
It is commonly assumed that Presi-
dent Hoover would veto an approprla-
ton so large as to almost equal all
the other Government ana speclai APP
preparations for the year combined.
Leaders of Congress, including even
House leaders, are by no means ce.-
tain they could muster cTen II" one
third vote necessary to 81 tam the
Presidents Veto if he should take tina.
action. The almost riOtoUs speed an1
the overwhelming numbers by Wnlch
Congress last Spring p2Ss79 an eX-
IRENE veterans aid bill over the PTesi-
dents veto suggests what might reaolly
happen now
sponsible leaders in Congress have bSen
confident they could stand Of the
drive for the appropriation without let
ting it come to a head. The underlying
force of the drive has been more acCu-
rately appraised, however, by those ia
miliar with the energy and res3urceful-
ness with which the drive has been pro-
NOTED.
Members Fear Showdown"
It was always practically certain that If
the promoters could force the matter OF
vote or other form of public showdown
they would win. The reluctance OF IN
dividual Congressman to oppose prac-
tically anything demanded by any con-
siderable body of veterans is aXlomatlc.
It is known to all politicians, and they
have a saying that no pension Dill OF
other bill in the interest OF veterans
ever fails to get a majority in Con-
eress. A few score veterans and their
families, when organized for aggressive
political action constitute a decisive
margin able to intimidate any average
CONGRESSMAN in fairly close district.
The leaders who hoped to avoid a
"show-down" have been beaten back,
step by step, through the ingenuity ana
force of the groups of veterans who
have been promoting the drive. At one
time leaders of the House resisted the
holding of hearings Today the hear
inrs are beginning. For a time, the
leaders relied for justification OF their
resistance upon the fact that the Amer
lean Legion at its last convention VOID
ed taking action in favor OF the appro-
priation. That defence was lost when
officials of the Legion, undoubtedly un-
der pressure from veterans, last week
Endorsed the movement.
Time Is Big Element.
The House leaders stin think the bill
may be prevented from coming to
vote within so short a time as the
roughly 80 days Of the session remain
ing. A more clear-sighted estimate
would say the element of time 'favors
the appropriation. An enterprise push
ed so resourcefully as this reapS ao-
vantage from the chaos and hurry OF
the closing days of a session.
The more essential facts about the
appropriation begin with the passage
in 1924 of the soldiers bonus bill, de-
signed to give to soldiers the approx
UldtG Ql1EIShSC BElhGSlA kiAEAA P0y oAA~
the pay of civilians during war time.
President Coolidge vetoed the bonus.
Congress passed it over his veto. the
bonus was finally put in the form OF
endowment insurance policies maturing
in 1945. The Government promises 10
pay in 1945 or at earlier death, TO each
soldier a sum averaging little over
$1,000.
The present proposal is that the Gov
eminent shall pay these sums imme-
diately. The aggregate would be about
S34O9 900, 0O0 This would be almost
equal to all the annual expenditures OF
the Government for all purposes. A
variation of the proposal is that the
Government shall pay only the present
value of the policies. This sum would
be about ,000,000,000.
Mellon Sees Dangers.
If any measure passes 1t will be the
larger one Promoters of the measure
claim that the distribution Of $780,
100000 in cash would stimulate buSi-
ness. Secretary Mellon says It might
seem to for little while, but actually
it would be seriously harmful
Most of the talk about the bill lacks
candor The reason Congressman will
vote for it is that veterans want the
money and threaten reprisals at the
polls If they don't get it. Hesitancy to
be frank on Dotn SldeS IeaoS 10 almost
complete silence on the argument
against the bill which has most weight
with responsible leaders in Congress.
These endowment insurance policies are
in a sense the equivalent Of pensions
for the widows and families Of veterans
who die. Congressman know that If
these policies are paid in cash now
the money will be spent. Wives and
families Will be without future protec-
ton. Thereafter out of that condition,
there will follow soon an equally for
mideble demand for pensions amount
ing to the same sum or more.