Evening star., 1932-07-06
Sound the Retreat!

Yesterday about five thousand oonuS
r,archers paraded through the city 10
the Capitol. where they massed IN oroer-
" manner. without making an effort 10
enter the building or to present petit
tion to either House of Congress. one
of their speakers declared that tney
will remain in washington until tne
bonus is paid" Their leader was al the
time in New York seeking greatly needed
food supplies for the sustenance Oh tne
army"
Congress will adjourn in few days
thus ending all possibility OF legisla-
tion ON the bonus until December, un-
less an extra session is called, wnlch Is
quite unlikely. When the gavels fall
at the two ends of the Capitol for the
dissolution Of the session these men,
yariously estimated in number at from
fifteen to seventeen thousand, Will be
without hope of the relief that they
demand. They will be dependent for
subsistence upon public charity. They
will constitute menace to the health
of the community. 1t is certain that
many of them will suffer greatly Tor
lack Of proper and sufficient food and
that many also will fall i'll.
The iteration by their leaders OF
their determination to stay here until
the bonus is paid does not necessarily
commit them irrevocably to this course.
Thus far they have manifested COM
mendable state of discipline, committing
no serious offenses and responding to
commands and behaving with propriety
toward the people of Washington. Some
of them have taken to peddling souve-
Mrs and trinkets to obtain funds. They
have sold copies Of a journal devoted
to their cause A few have begun to
beg for aims.
There is great sympathy in Washing
ton for the plight of these men, though
little for their cause. But this sym
pathy does not take the form of direct
contribution to their maintenance, save
In a few cases. For it is generally felt
that to give cash or supplies is to en-
courage them in staying, without any
chance of success in their ill-advised
mission. Furthermore, there is urgent
need for the succor of unfortunates Of
the local community who are in as
erievous need as they Of the barest
means of sustaining life. This Is in
deed a case where charity must begin
at home.
The hope is that when Congress ad-
| iourns, which will happen soon, these
thousands from the States who have
come here on fruitless errand Will
realize the hopelessness of their quest
and return to their homes. 1t may be
true that they have little chance to
find succor there But they will not
find it here, and they should not look
for subsistence here. There is no work
for them in Washington, where already
there are thousands out Of employment.
II there were a chance that their
importantly would lead to legislation 1t
/ NOulQ DC pOocAbAO W pNdAAAAS NAA~ P@NN@-
Of these misguided men. without such
a chance their persistence becomes
utter folly and the advice Of their lead
ers to stay indefinitely leads to disaster
for them They have made their ges-
ture. 1t has failed Of effect. They
should now accept the decision and
turn back to the places whence they
came. The thousands now assembled
here constitute a menace TO the peace
and health of more than half million
people. The hundreds who move home
ward in groups may more dependably
and less burdensomely be sustained by
the communities through which they
pass
Surely there is enough reason among
those who command and lead these
men TO point the way to retreat from
a hopeless front" Persistence in re-
naming on the field after the battle is
lost is not magnificent, is not war. II
is suicidal folly.