Evening star., 1932-06-30
UNITED VETERANS
FACE DISEASE AND
/. SHORTAGE OF FOOD
Outbreak of DySentery Leads
to Fear of EpidemicS
at Bonus Camps.
COMMANDER WATERS
AND GLASSFORD CLASH
New Chief Orders All Men to Drill
an Hour a Day to Forget
Worries.

Its strife-torn ranks at last united
under the dictatorship" of Walter w.
Waters, the ragged bonus army today
faced fight on disease and lack Of
food.
An outbreak of dysentary and what
police described as ''an alarming short
age OF food combined to aggravate the
situation as the belligerant young Wa
tiers clashed sharply with Brig. Gen.
Pelham D. Glassford over the B. E. F.
commanders authority to order out Of
town men who disagreed with him.
GlaSsford last night advised the ma
tional commander he coul( not force
any one to leave the District.
The defiance of the superintendent
of police became known as the $4,000
veterans, barking back to their World
War days, began drilling in military
formation, carrying sticks instead of
guns Probably the most significant
demonstration the veterans have inSti-
tuted since their occupation of Wash
ington five weeks ago. the daily drill
period Of one hour was the first order
issued by Waters after his reelection
yesterday as national commander. He
said he would rule with absolute
power"
VIII Name 500 IN, P.'s."
To see that every man followed his
instructions and drilled an hour day,
Waters announced he would appoint
500 m. P's" The drill was ordered.
he said, for the purpose of taking our
mind of our own worries"
With nearly score OF dysentary
cases already reported among the veter-
ans, Health Oficer William G. Fowler,
fearful of an epidemic, announced he
had ordered an investigation to de-
termine whether the disease is 'the cpl
demic type" or simple dysentary."
"One case Of epidemic dysentary has
been reported at Walter Reed Hospital
DR.. Fowler said. "It Is likely the others
also are of the epidemic type, but 1
cannot be certain of this until Iaoora-
tory tests are completed"
Epidemic dysentary is communicable
disease and spreads rapidly, especially
in camps of the type Of that at Ana
costa, where the men sleep in the open
with virtually no sanitary facilities, ana
where food Is stored, cooked and eaten
unprotected from flies.
More veterans Arrive.
More veterans continued to swell the
ranks of the bonus marchers today as
B. E.. F. supply officers placed the army
on short rations. In an effort to pre-
serve a united front in the face OF the
acute food shortage, Chief Of Stall owen
w. Lucas declared If the men could
hold out two more days, the situation
would be in hand and the veterans
would be prepared to stay here from
now on" -.
lions Of food are en- route here from
Hoboken, N j., and Des Moines, Iowa.
said the chief OF stat1. we Wonb
starve."
other food was reported en- route by
airplane for the Hells Kitchen. N. Y,
unit, while many Pennsylvania towns
also were said to be shipping food IN
for their delegations. Slim rations OF
beans bread and coffee were issued
today.
Honored Third Time.
Waters was placed at the helm of the
tattered bonus army for the third time
within a month as the thousands OF for
mer doughboys, confronted with food
shortage and internal strife, were at the
point of disintegration.
As the ballots were cast which thrust
him back into the saddle by an over
whelming vote, only enough food was
in the B. E. F. commiSsary to provide
for yesterdays afternoon meal and
breakfast this morning. Nearly 3 tons
Of flour and cracked wheat had been
reQuisitioned from the American Red
Cross, but at best this would give only
bread and breakfast food for few days.
There was virtually no meat, vegetables,
sugar and only small amount of pota-
toes in the larder.
Washington bakers, who generously
have donated unsold bread each day
requested Gen. Glassford to be relieved
Of this service and the wholesale food
merchants have materially reduced their
contributions to the needy veterans.
Cash donations have fallen off to prac-
tically nothing and recruiting agents
sent out by national B. E. F. head
quarters have failed to excite the en-
thusiasm of the people to such an ex-
tent as to result in large contributions
of either food or money.
Two recruiters-the be-medaled Joe
Angelo of Camden, N. j., and Elmer
Jensen of Utah-were arrested and
jailed in Philadelphia for soliciting
funds for food.
Makes Dramatic Appeal.
In dramatic appeal for support
from the 10000 or more veterans en-
camped in AnacoStia, Waters late yes
terday outlined his program Of leader
ship and served notice that those who
refused to follow the rule of the ma
jority and accede to his wishes could
get out of the B. E. F."
Besides ordering a daily drill period,
he advised the men he would abolish
the Executive Legislative Committees
and remove from Office all national off,
Ger. and "hangers-on" at national
headquarters Also he warned that any
camp. regimental or company COM
mander who failed to cooperate with
him would be summarily removed.
The first commander to be removed
was Mike Thomas, leader Of Camp
Marks. at Anacostia, whom Waters re-
placed with George Thompson.
Thomas, who, like Thompson, halls
from Camden, was Waters chief an
tagonist.