Evening star., 1932-09-21
Sympathy for Bonus Army
Linked With Issues Involved

The report Of Attorney General
Mitchell on the eviction Of the bonus
army from Washington and the action
OF the American Legion convention in
favor OF immediate payment of cash
bonus brings the whole question Of
veterans legislation to the fore. The
merits of the march on Washington,
the attitude of the local and national
authorities toward these marcherS and
the use of the Regular Army to drive
them out of the Capital are coupled
with the question Of the rights Of the
veterans to a cash bonus and the eco
nomic results likely to follow should
such an expenditure be placed upon the
Federal Treasury The major criticism
o. the Attorney Generals report is
based upon its characterization of the
personnel OF the bonus army. while the
demand of the American Legion for the
bonus is met with a sentiment strongly
urfavorable to such a payment at this
time
Discussing the riots in Washington,
the Cincinnati Times-Star (Repub-
llcan) says: 1T was only a question
o. time until such a situation resolved
itself into an elemental issue of law
and order on one side and anarchy and
revolution on the other" The Hart
ford Times independent Democratic), &,
while holding that the selecting Of
Legion week for the issuance Of the
statement was quite certain to add to
the Presidents troubles" believes that
the course taken by Mr.. Hoover in
dealing with the bonus army seemed
to be wholly dignified and correct, re-
Quiring no apology The Times adds
that patience was shown toward an
10
American enterprise" The Lincoln
State Journal independent Republic
an feels that the men who got up
the movement, while their intentions
might have been the best. should have
realized that such march was an in
vltatlon for the adventurer. the agi-
tator and the criminal, and that it
was an attack en- good government" p"
The Port Huron Times Herald (inde-
pendent, emphasizing the controversy
over the part played by the Commu-
nists, concludes: Their success in
creating trouble will long provide
grounds for the unfortunate suspicion
in the minds of many people that the
whole business was not on the square. -
Enumerating blunders that it sees in
"ex-service mems experience to date,
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram cnde-
pendent Democratic) declares: The
poorest blunder of the collection was
the one which grew into a copy of the
Coxey Army debacle. that became
known as the Bonus Expeditionary
Force. The climax of blundering ar
rived with the 'martyrdom' of the
'marchers' encamped about Washing
ton. which came to pass with the order
to the Army and Marine Corps to
bring tanks. bayonets, gas and Cavalry
into action against a collection OF
wholly inoffensive though probably
misguided individuals" As to bonus
legislation, that paper holds that
there never has been a spirit of pa
triotiSm contained within any provision
for undeserved pensions" The San
Francisco Chronicle independent Re-
publican) AYERS that 1.-The Attorney
Generals statement has the merit OF
bringing out from the President clear
declaration that the list of bad char
acters should not be taken to reflect
law-abiding men who went to Wash
ington'
1T is unfortunate" thinks the Ok
lahoma City Times independently. that
fear, necessity or political strategy led
the administration to use the Regular
Army in forcing the bonus marchers
out of Washington" That paper adds.
however, that mo amount of sympathy
for men elected by force from their
humble novels should blind the Ma
tion's leaders to the real danger OF the
bonus payment at this time" The
Rock Island Argus independently con-
cludes: Public opinion does not seem
to support the veterans in any demand
for the immediate payment OF the bonus.
The debate at present seems to be CEN
tering more upon the personnel OF the
bonus army and the manner Of its ex-
pulsion than upon the bonus itself"
The Sioux Falls Argus-Leader Gnde-
pendent Republican, sees conviction
that the Government acted wisely in
the bonus incident" and contends that
"it is extremely unfortunate that politi-
cal expediency has been allowed to
cause distortion in so critical case
x X x
That the action of the Government
was dictated by common sense is the
belief of the Boston Transcript Gnde-
pendent Republican, and the Goshen
News-Times (Republican). while the Salt
Lake Deseret-News independently offers
the Judgment: Mistakes may have
been made in the method of their ex-
pulsion, as it was also terrible mistake
for them to march down on Washing
ton with the hope that great army
would overawe Congress with its pres
ence. But political friend and political
foe of the President must acknowledge
that, in this extremely delicate situ-
alton. he did what he conscientiously
felt was the only thing that could be
done under the circumstances" Similar
approval is given by the Oshkosh Daily
Northwestern (Republican and the
Minneapolis Journal independent Re-
publican).
Asserting that the camps were a
menace to the health and safety of
Washington, the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin independent Republican, says:
The Judgment of unprejudiced Ameri-
can opinion win be that the President