Evening star., 1932-10-28
Gardner Post Resolution
On the Bonus Is Scored

TO the EDITOR OF Tne star:
An article appearing in The Sunday
Star entitled Bonus Opposed by Gard
ner Post" relative to the resolution
adopted by the Augustus p Gardner
Post, No. IL. American Legion, of the
District OF Columbia. will not only be
enlightening to hundreds of thousands
country, but to the other millions of
World War veterans who are not
afiiliated with the Legion, but who are
clamoring for and demanding the i'm
mediate full payment Of the bonus,
the aforementioned resolution will no
doubt be ranked as q masterpiece in
stupidity, unfairness and colossal tact
leSsnesS.
Having been connected with the
American Legion, Veterans Of Foreign
Wars and the Disabled American Vet
Grams. probably since their organization
this writer is of the opinion that not
one-half Of one-twentieth Of l per cent
Of veterans have ever known that any
post in any of the above-named organi-
zations Disseminated against enlisted
men being entitled to full membership
upon presentation Of the proper Gre
dentials Of service. I must confess that
l have never even dreamed Of such
discrimination existing.
Coming as 1t does on the heat OF q
presidential campaign, with the bonus
question one Of the main issues, 1t seems
both unfair and stupid for such q body
Of men. who are not supposed to have
any party or political tendencies. to
attempt to rekindle the fire Of diScon-
tent among the masses of veterans
especially among those of them who
have been unemployed for the past two
years. The National Capital had q sam
pie Of that fire several months ago, and
no one would like to see q repetition OF
1t again. What the veterans think they
are entitled to, and what their demands
comprise, is a matter entirely between
the veterans themselves and the admin
istration. Organizations such as the
Gardner Post, comprising as 1t does
mostly honorary" admirals, generals
and colonies, who are not entitled to
bonus certificate, or any benefits
therefrom, should leave matters such as
the full payment of the bonus" en-
tirely up to the interested parties. The
old adage of-"When you see fight,
scram. the peacemaker generally always
gets the worst of it''-seemS to fit this
situation perfectly.
Not being acquainted with high
finances, fiat money" balancing of the
budget, tariffs, or billions of dollars
deficits, those who demand the imme-
diate payment of the bonus are not in
terested in where the money comes
from. They are acquainted with the
fact that they have the money coming
to them and they want 1t now, when
they are living and in dire need; not
in 1945. when a large percentage of
them may be dead, and their little ones
xr-tn hn l1x, oil cn1f ti1O
In our own midst here in Washing
ton are several thousand of these bonus
seekers, out of work for the past year
or two, living in squalor and want. those
with families hoping against hope that
with the coming of Winter some relief
will be forthcoming. But will it?
Three e-fourths Of the city of Washing
ton do not realize the suffering. want
torture and heartaches the other one
fourth Of our population have been
undergoing for the past year. Although
relief agencies have been set in motion
in the past several months they are
practically of no use to a veteran.
Those that have no families are prac-
tically excluded: those that have FAM
lilies entirely dependent on them for a
livelihood seem to be the victims of a
false hallucination that seems rampant
cause you are a veteran you draw some
kind Of compensation from the Govern
ment each month. Far be such from
the truth. Not 10 per cent Of the World
War veterans who are bona fide resi-
dents Of the city for the past four or
five years draw any compensation from
the Government whatsoever
One may ask. under the circum-
stances. how do those veterans live for
any length Of time? There seems to
this writer but two plausible answers
to that question.
The first is, they are living in hope
coupled with their indomita Bile nerve
that carried our Army through the war
We do not know what defeat is The
second is-well, your guess is as good
as mine. But / can assure you that
the Gardner Post is not helping any
JAS ! SKEIIY