Evening star., 1932-08-12
TWO DEMOCRATS
BLAMED FOR RIOTS
G. 0. P. Committeeman Says
Patman and Rankin Caused
Trouble With B. E. F.

Two Democratic members of the
House-Representatives Patman of
Texas and Rankin of Mississippi
should be blamed for the bonus riots
in the National Capital and not Presi-
idcnt Hoover, according to statement
by Edward F. .Colladay, Republican ma
tional committeeman of the District,
issued by the Republican National Com
mittees press bureau here.
This statement emphasized that Pres
ident Hoover ordered out troops to
handle the situation only after the Dis
trict Commissioners had declared the
Metropolitan Police Department was
unable to cope with the rioters"
Replies to Costello.
Mr. Colladays statement was in re-
ply to one by John F. Costello, the
Democratic national committeeman for
the District, who censured the Presi-
dent for driving out the bonus army
with torches and at the point Of bay
onets 80 their presence would not
prove embarrassing when he accepted
the Republican presidential nomina-
ton"
The Republican committeeman chided
the Democratic committeeman with be-
ing "a most apt pupil in the Demo-
of teaching the very best and latest
methods of concealing facts under a
barrage Of political misrepresentation"
Mr. Colladay argued that there was
no reason why these misguided and
misdirected men" should be allowed to
become a charge upon the city OF
Washington and pointed out that, al
though the mayor of JohnStown, Pa,
invited the bonus marchers to come to
that city, it was only short time until
they were urged to move on toward
their home States.
BIames Representatives.
"If Mr.. Costello is sincere in his de-
sire to place the blame for events in
the Nations Capital" the statement
read, ''he could single out two mem
bers of Congress, who are OF his own
party-Representa Wright Patman
of Texas and Representative John
Rankin of Mississippi
Mr.. Colladay explained that these two
Democratic members of Congress ad-
vocated payment of the bonus when
they knew the Federal Government
could not pay. They invited the bonus
marchers to Washington and are re-
sponsible for what happened" he con-
cluded.
While the bonus marchers may have
committed an error of Judgment, yet
they were here in their Capital on
what they thought was a legitimate er-
rand and they committed no crime.
Nothing else is material" Mr.. Costello,
the Democratic national committee
man, said today in replying to Mr.. Col
laday.
Within Their Rights.
Rushing this group of American
citizens out of Washington in such
concocted manner as if they were
buns was a damnable enterprise, the
responsibility for which cannot be
wiped out by thousand acceptance
speeches or by the outnut of a thou
sand publicity departments" concluded
Mr.. Costello.
In his statement issued at the District
Democratic headquarters In the City
Club today Mr.. Costello said further:
"Mr Colladay shoots wildly and at
the wrong target in his efforts to relieve
President Hoover CT the responsibility in
connection with the outrage against the
bonus-seekers. have maintained only
that the veterans were present in Wash
ington within their rights as Americans
under the Constitution of the United
States.
How many thousands Of groups Of
citizens, wcnder, have come to Wash
ington on futile errands since Mr.. Col
laday has been prominent in his party's
affairs?
Mr.. Colladay falls back on the prop
osition that the President did not call
out the troops until requested to do so
in writing by the District Commission
ers, and everybody who has made even
a pretense of reading the news knows
that this was merely buck-passing
operation.
Presidents Creatures.
1.-THE Commissioners are the Presi-
dents creatures. So is the police force
IN its management. So also are the
secret services of the various depart
ments and the plain or common clothes
men of the Veterans Bureau who were
sent into the gathering of bonus seekers
to spy upon them and perhaps to incite
them to actions of violence.
Mr.. Colladay would have the public
believe that the President ordered out
the soldiers only when necessity de-
and I aver again that the ne
cessity, if it ever actually existed, was
born of the thought that the presence
of the bonus seekers in Washington was |
Of the nature of a menace, political !
menace, as the time approached for Mr.. |
Hoover to make his speech of accept |
ance."