Evening star., 1932-06-05
|BEW|LDERED MEN
| FORM BONUS ARMY
Only Vague Idea of Why They
Came Held by Most of
Them.
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scores Of Army camps Is years ago. are
asserting themselves in this helpless
huddle.
Fall Into Formation.
The veterans are falling almost auto
maticaly into some sort of military
formation. 1t once was held up to
them as the sine qua non Of safety in
the tremendous physical bewilderment
Of battle. They are turning to it in
this still greater mental beWilderment.
Then Uncle Sam was the dependa BILE,
unfailing source of FOOD, clothing
shelter. ammunition and reinforce
ments. The old mental habit is re-
asserting itself. They seem unable to
understand that now. in this more diff
cult war with intangibles, Uncle Sam
may himself be as helpless as them
selves. They want prosperity restored.
The bonus is only part OF it, They
can't understand why the National
Government, which used to be so all
powerful, can't work miracles now as
then
So the Army Of Bewilderment-per
maps only the first regiments OF 1t is
dlgglng IN under the shadow OF the Cap
ltol dome. Its leaders assert vehemently
that 1t will hold those trenches down
back Of the Navy Yard until something
hoppens. Some say they will quit when
the bonus is paid. Some say they will
quit when prosperity is restored
economies. 1t appears from conversa-
lions With the men. Is a somewhat more
complicated subject than military tao
tics.
CO. hxtt al.
said one husky fellow The more Of
US get sick, the more it's going to cost
the Government, because it has to send
the SICK men to the hospital"
Cost Rests on District
We're going to stay until We get the
bonus " declared another. SO the Gov
eminent would save money by paying it
rght away and getting US out Of here"
II Was explained to the men that, at
present at least, it wasn't Costing Uncle
Sam" cent II Vas the hard-preased
citizens OF the District OF Columbia who
must provide the necessities Of life for
this large INDECENT addition to its pop
ulation.
Well. just the same. the Government
ought 10 pay us" was the only answer
Didn't We fight for it?"
They are patriotic, and proud Of 1t.
The flag waves conSpicuollsly over the
shed they are erecting on the field
Ihey are not going to stand for any
REDS. The standing orders are that
red, once he Is discovered in their
ranke, is to be tried by a Kangaroo
court. laShed at whipping post and
driven ont of camp
Red, unfortunately. appears to be
word which covers good deal OF
territory with these veterans it means
about anything the individual using 1t
doesn't like A group who were dis
cusslng what dire penalties they would
lnfilct on anybody with red" tendencies
caught i'll the ranks. were asked To de-
fine just what they had in mind
Red Definitions Differ.
"A Red" said one, lis a guy that
would run up some other flag over the
American flag"
"A Red" said another. doesn't want
folks to have the right to work"
III tell you what a Red is" broke
IN third Hes fellow that grouches
about things and tries to get two or
three fellows sore at the way the leaders
are doing things"
Still another believed that a "Red"
was member of the Communist In
tern2tional or any OF its affiliated or
eanlZatlonS and took the rather liberal
position that mans political philoso-
pny made no difference SO long as he
ntted into the organization and worked
loyalty to Secure the bonus.
The majority Of the men back of the
Navy Yard are from Camden, N. j.
Their leader thin, Wiry. excitable
lttle man who wears on his shirt
Distinguished Service Cross and Vic
ISF. - TaA
III the TANK Corps during the war and
was cited for exceptional bravery out
side the call OF duty Apparently this
Camden contingent just gathered au-
tomatlcally and Set out. There were
Two meetings OF unemployed veterans
ana then they all seemed to lust get
together one morning.
Kicked Out Some Buns
Il just said fall in" SAYS Angelo
and We started. On the way we had
to Kick oat some buns. l walked most
OF the way here. and I'm trying to get
some order into the outfit We want
the bonus, and We want conditions re-
stored the way they used to be"
Many OF the Camden war veterans
are III desperate straits, Joe Angelo
said The week before starting he
helped bury hungry veteran alive, he
says. lhey put him in coffin and
covered 1t with four feet Of earth. but
left funnel over his face protruding
TO the surface, SO he could get air.
Then they advertised the stunt and
folks paid to look through the funnel
at man in his grave. Joe and the
fellow who was buried drew straws to
determine which should be the victim.
Joe won and stayed on the outside.
Things are pretty bad" he says,
when you have to bury fellows alive to
get money"
As great a contrast imaginable from
the energetic. nervous Joe Angelo is
George Altman of Washington State.
who has succeeded to the position of
commander in chief Of this motley
army. He came over from the barracks
OF the Oregon marchers yesterday
morning to acquaint the New Jersey
men with the disciplinary policies which
have been adopted. He is a bronzed,