Imperial Valley press., 1932-10-20
BONUS is
AN ISSUE
NO MORE
Roosevelt Asserts Last
April Speech Outlined
His Views.
FAVORS REDUCTIONS
Democratic Candidate To
Deliver Campaign Talks
In Middlewest.
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
United Press Staff Correspondent

Chibcu NIcSS obdil correspondent
ABOARD ROOSEVELT sPE-
CIAL, Oct. 20.-(U.P)-The soldiers
bonus apparently has been elimin-
ated as campaign issue by the
Pittsburgh address of Franklin D.
Roosevelt who moved today into
Ohio and Indiana to continue his
assault on Republican policies.
The governor last night reaffirm-
ed his belief expressed last April to
the effect that there should be no
bonus payment until there is a sur
plus in the treasury.
Roosevelt's friends held that the
bonus issue was removed from the
campaign since both major candi-
dates, while differing in detail of
their utterances, are opposed to
present payment. They professed
| not to take seriously rumors that
the Republicans would continue to
attack Roosevelt on the bonus by
insisting that he be more "speci-
fic" as to his views.
Gov. Roosevelt condemned the
bonut statement made by Calvin
Coolidge in New York when the
former president charged Roose-
velt's silence was prolonging the
depression.
Roosevelt, anxious to assure the
country that he is as solicitous for
the credit of the nation as any
man, not only pledged himself to
25 per cent reduction in govern
ment expenditures, to opposition to
any increased expenditures except
to relieve human suffering, but
he pounded with his heaviest ar
tillery at the fiscal record of the
Hoover administration bringing
jeers at the mention of Mr.. Hoover
and Pittsburgh's most famous citi-
izen, former Secretary of the Trea-
sury Mellon.
Accuses Hoover
Roosevelt believed that in his
Forbes field speech, he had struck
one of the most effective blows of
his campaign. He was applauded
twice while making his bonus state
ment. He analyzed the administra-.
tion's handling of the refisit and
accused President Hoover of not be-
ing frank with the country as to
the real condition of the treasury,
which he said faces another stag
gering deficit despite the claim
that the administration balanced
the budget.
He said Melons estimates of re-
ceipts and expenditures after 1929
constituted gamble on an eco
nomic miracle"
Il don't know what to call this
kind of representation of that kind
of fact" the governor said, "but
the name certainly is not candor'
"As a part of this phase of the
problem note that Former Presi-
dent Coolidge is reported as hav-
ing said in a speech in New York
City:
"'An early and timely word from
the Democratic candidate for pre-
sident that he would reject the
proposal to increase the national
debt by $2,3O0,000 900 to pay bo-
nus would have been great en-
couragement to business, reduced
unemployment and guaranteed the
integrity of national credit. While
he remained silent economic recov-
cry was measurably impeded.'
Quotes Statement
THAT charge is baseless and abb
surd, for the reason that last April
my views on the subject were wide
ly published and have been sub
sequently frequently quoted, said:
"'I do not see how, as mat
ter of political practical business
sense, a government running be-
hind $2,000,000,000 annually can
consider the anticipation of bonus
payment until 1t has a balanced
budget, not only on paper, but
with a surplus of cash in the trea-
sury.'
mo one, for political purposes
or otherwise, has the right in the
absence of explicit statement from
me to assume that my views have
changed They have not SO much
for the efforts of Republican lea
ders to preach an unwarranted gos-
pei of fear. and panic to the AM
erican electorate"
The bonus pronouncement war
followed by the proposal TO tax
beer in order to avoid any increase
in the present scale of taxes.
"As soon as the Democratic plat
form pledge is enacted into legis-
lation modifying the Volstead act,
a source of new revenue amounting
to several hundred millions OF doll
lars a year will be made available
toward the balancing Of the bud
get" he said.
"I refer specifically to a federal
tax on beer, which would be raised
through the sale Of beer In those
states and those states only which
by state law allow the sale OF beer
"At the same time | reiterate the
simple language Of the Democratic
platform which opposes the return
of the saloon