Evening star., 1932-07-29

made repeated stands IN defense OF
their homes" Tear gas grenades were
thrown back and forth freely, and ooth
sides suffered casualties.
The Army, directed by Gen. Nc
Arthur, acted firmly but with a gloveo
hand. Before clearing a block 1t gave
the occupants plenty of time TO clear
out their belongings. In only lew IN
stances did individual soldiers seem to
lose their tempers. Under the c1rcum-
stances they acted with pralseworthy
restraint, for bricks came flying at
them thick and fast and the temper OF
the vast crowd of onlookers who
watched the battle from the SldellneS
was decidedly against them. Time and
again they were booed.
Scores Swept by Fumes.
That battle of the brick piles was
Just on the edge of war 1t prevented
the Photographic details of a battle
with very little of the actual bloodshed.
! Noncombatants-Dis citizens on
their way home from work-Suffered
equally with the veterans Gas fumes
| filled the nearby streets. Scores were
within the range of tear gas.
The first block south of the Avenue
was cleared by the Infantry. On they
came over the brick piles with fixed
bayonets. The veterans hardly seemed
to have expected such an advance.
They suspected that this was another
OF the bluffs, such as they have re-
peatedly called in the past few days.
When the Infantry lined up for the
advance they faced what appeared to
be by no means menacing army. The
veterans were in good temper. They
were laughing and joking among them
selves and rather good-naturedly kid
ding" the boys of new generation who
| had taken their places as wearers of
the uniform. From the groups massed
| on the brickpile5 came snatches of song
Hail. Hail, the Gangs All Here" "
MY Bonus Lies Over the Ocean," etc.
| But when the advance started the
! temper changed. Slowly the soldiers
moved forward and slowly the veterans
retreated.
Tear Bombs Thrown Back.
Apparently the troops had been
ordered not to use their bayonets to
hurt anybody unless it was absolutely
necessary. But the retreat was pro-
crossing too slowly. They began throw
| ing gas grenades. Some fled con-
| fusedly. Others picked up the hot mis-
! Sizes anu JIlItW IIGIIl JAIN AoOIliG VI
the Infantry began adjusting their gas
masks On the whole, they probably
suffered from the gas as much as the
veterans A few bricks were thrown.
But on the whole. this block was
! cleared with comparative ease. The
| veterans retreated and n.}Ssed across
the park. A few minutes later most of
the novels were burning. Whether they
were fired by the soldiers or the vet
Grams themselves is uncertain. Each
accused the other.
The job of clearing the next block
was turned over to the Cavalry. There
was a noticeable difference between the
two branches Of the service Perhaps
it was due to the fact that the Cavalry
troopers were older men-at least they
seemed so-and had more sympathy.
But they were under orders and obeyed
them.
There was a lively battle. The vet
erans lined up against row of novels
lining Maine avenue. On came the
horsemen Many stood their ground
until the last minute. when there was
desperate scramble to get between and
over the shackS. The cava;rymen ad-
vanced steadily with drawn sabers, but
seemed to be trying net to injure any,
body. The three blocks occupied by the
veterans were evacuated and the sur
rounding streets cleaned in the face
of recurrent showers of bricks and
groups of veterans made futile stands.
One soldier was struck on the side OF
the head and knocked off his horse. His
face was covered with blood. He evi-
dently was hardly hurt, but climbed
back into the saddle.
Wives Flee for Shelter.
Wives Of the bonus marchers fed for
shelter. some with children in their
arms. A man leading an 8-year-old boy
was caught in the Cavalry charge. The
child WS knocked down, but did not
appear seriously hurt. The father said
he was Webb Hawkinv, l40l North Cap
ital street. and that he was coming
home from work without any warning
of the battle into which he was head
ing.
Tear gas grenadeS were thrown from
time to time. District citlzACS as well
as veterans got bad doses Of it. Mai.
Glassford rode by on his motor cycle,
tears streaming down his face. He mad
passed too close to a grenade. Ihe
strong odor of the gas permeated the
reighborhood for blocks. 1t was a
battle Of tears. not blood-anG the
lachrymal casualties were about equally
distributed.
After clearing the occupied blocks on
the lower avenue, the Cavalry proceeded
to the bivouac of the so-called radical
wing of the veterans at Thirteenth
street and Virginia avenue. These men
have been the most obstreperous OF
! Washington's unwelcome visitors. But
they already had deserted their camp.
| Only few veterans were left, hurriedly
packing their belongings. The Cavalry
officers treated these men with the ut
most courtesy. Only after everything
that anybody wanted had been secured
from the camp did the troops throw IN
tear gas to prevent its immediate re-
occupancy.