The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-06-18

1ilgS enrOuCe When Chey are ready TO
leave for their home towns.
Glassfords device to GUST the veter-
ans by talk of farm lands" got the
laugh from the men.
In Fighting Mood
The vets are in areal fighting mood,
the only ones actively opposing the
program of the w E. S. L. being
the fascist leadership and the police.
A truckload of food for the w. E.
S. L. from New York was turned
over to the general commissary.
WASHINGTON, June ia dir
ect reputation of the reactionary
policies Of the official leaders of the
Veterans Bonus March, a large con-
tingent of 5000 ex-servicemen today
occupied the steps of the Capitol
and sent for their camp kitchens.
They announced they would remain
there pending the discussion Of the
Bonus Bill in the senate. That the
bill will be defeated seems a fore
gone conclusion.
Veterans attempted to lead a
donkey with large placard on each
side labelled Hoover" up the steps
Of the Capitol but we're baked by
the police.
This was the second blow struck
at the olice-controlled leadership
Of the Bonus March. Yesterday 800
worker ex-servicemen, the entire IL
linois delegation, elected their own
commander and committees.
Leaders Disturbed.
Plainly disturbed by the growing
rank-and-file activity on the part of
the veterans, Waters, commander-in-
chief of the Banus Army who has
been working hand in hand with the
police and politicians in an effort
to blunt the fighting edge of the
bonus march, called for fascist meas
ures.
On the eve of the expected Sen
ate defeat of the bill, Waters pre-
pared a proclamation urging that
the bonus "expeditionary force" be
organized on an organized basis "to
act as a unit of red-blooded citizens
in time of need"
Previously Water issued orders that
any veteran caught begging on the
streets would be expelled from the
sticky mud-holes of the Anacostia
flats. Meanwhile, the refusal of the
Marine Corps medical details to take
care of the sick and exhausted vet
Grams left them a prey to disease and
death.
Betrays Police Threats.
Internal strife between George Al
man, former Capt w. G. Stott, po-
lice conmissary officer, revealed the
role of the Washington police in ter
rorizing the veterans.
Seventy-five of the hungry men
had been kicked out of half wrecked
buildings on Pennsylvania Ave, pre-
sumably on orders of the Fire De-
partment which resorted to the
usual subterfuge of condemning them
as unsafe" In heated, unguarded
momen, Altman let it be known that
the "police had threatened the vet
Grams with tear-gas bombs"
Propose Farm" Scheme.
Glassford, police superintendent,
recently proposed that the ex-ser-
vicemen be lured cut of Washington
by military bands playing Home
Sweet Home" today came forward
with the suggestion that the veter-
ans be set up as farmers in LEW of |
the bonus just how ludicrous this |
proposal is can be seen in the light |
of the thousands of ruined farm
ers who are being kicked off their |
farms, victims of the Hoover hunger |
regime.
Illinois Men Call for Action.
Sharp interest was aroused among
the veterans by the action of the |
Illinois delegation which had set up
it's own leadership.
A vigorous leaflet of the Illinois |
delegation, consisting of 300 men, de-
clared:
Rank and File Veterans of the Bonus
March-Attention!
The fight for the immediate cash
payment of the bonus, regardless
of veteran organization affiliation,
political opinion, race creed, is the
principle which brought us all here
TO Washington.
In order to better carry on our
work in camp, the Illinois State
Delegation, numbering more than
800 men, chose their own comman-
der and their own committees.
After we did this yesterday, our
newly elected commander was
placed under arrest, cross-exam-
ined, intiridated, finger printed
and questioned about his political
opinion.
They re-examined his discharge
papers and found that his record
in the service was excellent and
hat his conduct in the camp was
very good, and in spite of being
elected over five other candidates
ard even after declining TO run for
office, we all demanded that he be
eur commander. He was taken by
the NJ. r., placed under arrest and
to d that we had no right to elect
our own commander.
I'LL. ELL. NraA...-..-. |