The Washington times., 1932-09-13
VERBAL T|LTS
FLASH At
BANQUET
War Correspondents Speech
ArouSes War Secretary to
Making Singing Reply

FOhlIAND, Ore., sept. IL
Q.N,S. "A sensational verbal
attack on Floyd Gibbons, ia.
nous war correspondent, by
Secretary of War Patrick j
Hurley at the national com.
mander's banquet served today
to split the ranks of the Ameri-
can Legion into two hotly de.
batting camps on the issue of
censuring President Hoover for
using Federal troops against
the bonus marchers in Wash
ington.
Gibbons, invited to the banquet
as a distinguished guest. brought
up the subject of praising the
veterans for their discipline and
spirit while in the CAPITAL. He
praised the wartime commanders
for teaching them obedience and
discipline in the war"
Hurley followed and hotly de,
Tended President Hoover'S action
in using troops against the vet
erans. He angrily denied one ~
mark by Gibbons-that soldiers
had burned down the homes Of
the veterans. T.u-ley said:
"On my sacred word Of
honor, no soldier burned n
home in Washington. The vet
Grams set the fires themselves.
Anyone who states the contrary
does not state the facts"
The two speeches were de.
plored by National Commander
Henry L. Stevens, jr., who said
both Gibbons and Hurley had
spoke out of order"
Among the cash bonus advo,
Gates and their foes, the COM
mentS ran the gamut Of the
imagination. Few incidents in
Legion history have stirred up so
many angry debates.
The bonus advocates charged
Hurley was afraid to defend the
President before the rank and
file of the legion, and had used
the commanders banquet to
make his speech to an audience
Of brass hats"
Stevens Regrets Talks
The bonus foes declared Glib
bons had been agitating the issue
in the legion and that Hurley
has put him in his place"
The Cabinet officer appeared
before the legion yesterday to a
mixed chorus of applause and
booS. He won some more ap-
plause during a brief speech ex-
tolling the national defense, but
when he finished, there were
more boos amid heavier applause.
Throughout his talk there, he
made no reference to the PreSi-
dent or the bonus riots.
Stevens, the host, said:
"I'm sorry both of them
Gibbons as well as Secretary
Hurley-made such speeches.
regard the commanders ban
uuet as set aside for fun and
good fellowship. 1t was no
place for controversies"
Gibbons began his talk by de-
claring he had great admiration
for men who commanded men be-
cause he had served in the World
War only as a correspondent.
Commanders Lauded
He added:
"I congratulate you cOmman-
derS. 1 envy you. What a
spirit of AmericaniSm you put
into them. What a respect for
the flag when danger beset our
country. You officers taught
them discipline and respect for
our institutions.
THAT was proven in Wash
ingtOn. When Congress turned
those veterans down in their
plea for adjusted service COM
pensatiOn, they stood in the
rain and sang "The Star
Spangled Banner" That spirit
was taught them by men right
in this room.
"When, with all forms of
prOvOcatiOn used against them,
when forces in the same uni
forms they wore in France
came against them, when their
homes were burned down, they
did not resist. My admiration
goes out to the commanders
who instilled those principles
of law and order in them and
to the men who carried those
principles into effect"
Arising moment later, Hur-
ley said he had not intended to
refer to a certain subject, but
added:
81 will reply to the state
mentS made by my distin-
guished friend. Floyd Gibbons.
Il will not let that challenge
pass. When men are riOting,
when two lives have been
taken, when police and civil
authorities of a city and dis
trict are OverpOwered by those
rioters, and any man then
tells you that this is law and
order, he is not stating the
facts"
Tn Hall H.,