Evening star., 1932-06-06
Army Strangely Mute
Orderly Bonus Mdrclers Seem to Be ImpeLed by
Supreme Escape Gesture, Struggling Against
Grip of Cruel, Mysterious Forces.

bonus army. He hasn't worked for two
years. He and his two children have
been supported by his wife, who works
as d charwoman in office buildings.
They have just got by without starving
For II years this man drove truck
for one employer. The employer was a
good, square man. The veterans job
was waiting for him when he came
back from the war Two years ago the
firm went broke. The employer is now
in an insane asylum. II might as well
be here as sponging of my poor wife, "
the man says sadly. "She won't be able
to stand it very long" My brother has
helped us keep the rent paid, but he's
got family of his own and is likely to
be out OF Job any day"
He Had a Good Racket"
A fellow from Miami! Il had a good
racket with the American Legion there, -
he says Il was in the Fife and Drum
Corps and we won prizes all over.
didn't need job. But when the Legion
down there went against the bonus. I
threw it all over. I couldn't stand see
ing so many fellows go hungry" Ap-
parently there was not much prelim-
mary organization in the Florida cities.
In both Miami and Jacksonville the
veterans lust got started"
Practically the same story could be
repeated a hundred times. There is
one common element. The men have
been out of work for a long time. They
have been lust getting by somehow" "
Few can tell connected story Of how
they have been getting by In most
survived going without. Somehow or
e<t y,,ct hnu--fhic i'm =
pulse struck them to come to Washing
ton. It seemed to be on the lips of
many men, gathered In American
Legion or v. F. w. club rooms. sinful
taneously. They read the stories in the
newspapers The next thing they knew
they were on the way to Washington.
After talking with many men from
all parts Of the country-not the lead
ers, but the rank and file-we are as
far as ever from any logical localiza-
ton of the widespread intangible. sub
conscious forces that have showed this
growing host of dusty. weary. melan-
choly men on the District of Columbia.
Perhaps q psycho-analyst might ex-
plain it.
They are in a struggle which IS toe
severe for them They have come to
the point where they recognize tn:
futility of fighting adverse fate any
longer They are fxating on a symbol
the symbol of the security and plenty
of happier days. This symbol happens
to be Uncle Sam and the war period
with its military relief from response
bility. 1t Is becoming analogous to the
infancy period of the psychotic. This
bonus march might well be described
as a flight from reality-a flight from
hunger, from the cries Of the starving
children, from the humiliation of &C.
cepting money from worn. querulous
women. from the harsh rebuffs of pro-
spective employers. 1t is very like the
peace of infancy there in the warm
June sunshine of the Anacostia field.
Perhaps this may explain the orderli-
ness-the way in which these very di-
verse elements of the American popula-
tion have fallen into military
organization without leaders in author
ity. Orderliness is part Of the symbol
of security to whose protection they
have fed from the mysterious, heartless
forces that are crushing them in the
outside world.