The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-08-18
FACTS IN THE CASE

There has been a great deal of COM
nent, naturally, and some confusion
of the facts of the expelling of the
remnant of the army of the so-called
bonus marchers from the District of
Columbia recently. Most of the news
papers of the country presented the
facts clearly and fairly, but some
confusion has resulted from the at
tempts of one or two chain newspa-
per systems to make political capital
out of the incident, and to distort the
facts so as to give the impression
that there was bloodshed and undue
severity in the military operation.
AS matter Of fact the only cas-
ualties resulted from the resisting of
the attempt of the police to remove
the bonus forces from property along
Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington
on which the government was ready
to commence building, and which the
marchers refused to vacate. President
Hoover did not resort to the use of
Federal troops until informed by the
heads of the District government
that the situation was out of the con-
troll of the civil authorities and that
rioting and further loss of life might
result if the situation was not con-
trolled.
After the soldiers took charge not
a single man was injured. Nobody
was shot and nobody was hurt. The
soldiers did not set fire to the shacks
of the -marchers. This was done by
the men who were abandoning the
camp. And firing done afterward was
to complete the work of removing
the half runined shacks which re-
manned.
There never has been and cannot
now be any doubt about the over
whelming sympathy of the American
people of all creeds and parties with
the World War veterans and their
troubles. If it were possible for the
government to now complete the de-
ferred payments to the soldiers with
out running the entire credit of the
nation and promoting further eco
nomic stringency which would affect
all-including the veterans them
selves-there is little doubt that this
would be done and done promptly.
In the World War the losses of the
American Army, while serious and
deplorable, were but fraction of the
losses of the other nations on both
sides of the struggle. And yet this
year the United States is perhaps
paying more annually in veteran re-
lief than all of the other nations
which were in the war, combined.
And Uncle Sam will continue to take
care of those who suffered as result
of the war so long as there is dollar
to be raised for the purpose. The yell
low and pink newspapers and the vel
lower and pinker politicians who try
to give the impression that Uncle
Sam is not grateful and is not doing
his bit, are rendering no service
either to the nation or to the veter-
ans themselves,
The great majority of the veterans
who went to Washington during the
so-called bonus march were patriotic,
law-abiding citizens. Many of them
left following the adjournment of
Congress. The remnant became the
prey of communistic and radical lead
ers whose chief purpose was not to
help the veterans or their cause but
stir up trouble for the people of the
United States. That was the real
source of the trouble in Washington
recently. e, d..
If it would be possible to punish
these radical leaders, none of them
war veterans themselves, and the
demogogic politicians who encouraged
and inspired the Inflated bonus march
in disappearing the facts to the
marching veterans, ninety-eight per
cent of the people of the United
States would throw their hats in the
air and give shout of approval. 1t
is a pity, however, that the innocent
must suffer to further the designs of
those who have as their object either
selfish political aggrandizement or the
creation of revolution in the United
States.