The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-09-26
START RANK AND
FILE FIGHT FOR
BONUS PAYMENTS
Stop President and
the Congress from
Walking Over Us"
BY HARRY RAYMOND

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Sept. IS.
Over a thousand workers jammed
Ukrsinian Hall Friday night and
gaze a tumultous ovation to the del
o3ates who arrived from all over the
country for the Veterans Rank and
File Conference which was officially
cpened at the Bohemian Hall Sun
cay morning.
This mass meeting os welcome was
feld following a parade of all the
delegates down Euclid Ave. to Public
Erua~e, blocking the traffic over e
half hour and crested with applause
and cheers all alcng the line.
At er q warm meal which was
served to the delegates by local
workers and sympa 5hiZers, G. B
Cowan, leader Of the Cleveland con-
tingeut OF the bonus marchers, opened
the nesting end outlined briefly the
purpose of the conference.
the recent bonus march," said CO.
I'VE have Gene here to analyse
wan,-"it's significance, it's lessons,
It's mistakes. We have ccme here
to work out pans to continue the
struggle fer cur back wages along
more militant and effective lines.
We are here to launch mass
struggle based en- a solid united
front that VIII win the bonus"
Emanuel Levin, chairman of the
Workers ExServicemen's League was
introduced as the first speaker. He
pointed out that the republican, de-
mocratic and socialist parties alike
are against the payment of the
bonus.
And here a frail grey woman arose
in the center of the audience.
I'VE gold star mothers are with
your good fight to the end" dec
Jared the little woman out of her
simple mothers heart. my son was
one of you. They took him to
France, but he never came back -
The whole crowd stood and gave
the mother an ovation which lasted
over five minutes.
The little mother is Mrs Lynn Of
Youngstown. Ohio. She hitch-hiked
it here to the conference. Her son
Howard was lieutenant in the All
Service.
Howard was killed ten months
before the armistice was signed"
said Mrs. Lynn with tears in her
eyes. have come here to be a del
egatc and help you boys fight"
she told me.
Mrs. Lynn was elected as a men,
Der of the presidium at the opening
session of the conference Sunday,
Mrs. Peuchel, who came from ST
Paul in place of her husband was
wildly cheered when she called for the
organization of woman'S auxiliary
to fight for the bonus.
There are thousands of wives o
veterans up in the northwest where
l live who are ready to march will
you the next time you go TO Wash
ington," said Mrs. Peuchel.
Brown Squire, a Negro and leader
of the Chicago delegation, greeted
the meeting for the veterans from
Illinois.
We didn't get democracy in 1919
declared Squire. But if we fight
hard enough under this rank and fix
leadership we will get it."
Delegate E. Cotter, member Of the
American Legion from Kalamazoo
Mich, said, We've got to get down
to brass tacks. It's serious thing
when president and congress;
walks over you. We've got to gel
together and stop the walking. The
quicker we stop it the better"
John Pace, leader Of the rank and
file veterans in washington, was
I. given a big ovation when he got ur
VITO speak.
1--WE have found that for the last
Is years we have been organized into
organizations that were used against
us" said Pace. 1.-THE leaders of the
American Legion fought against tht
bonus and the bonus march. 1t was
due to the program presented to vet
Grams by the rank and file commit
tee and the Workers Ex-Seryicemen's
League that the boys put up mill
tant fight down in Washington and
won one demand-the withdrawal oil
the two year restriction clause or
our bonus certificates which made il
possible lOl Sl4,UUu eA-SeTNlCeultH u
get half of the bonus. ....
why did the legion. leaders go or
record for the bonus? Because the
rank and file told them to pass tbs
resolution or never show their face
TO the veterans again.
But resolutions will not win. The
v. F. w. passed resolutions every
year. But the day after the resolu-
tons were passed all was silent or
n lie bonus. We've got to have mass
Lotion to win the bonus.
1--WE want every delegate to get ur
and express himself in this confer.
ence. The rank and file will lead thu
bonus fight--a rank and file COM
posed OF all veterans, workers, farm.
ers, professionals and ruined bust
nessmen who served in the armed
forces. We cannot get the bonu.
fighting one another; we've got tt
fight together
1.-THE march to Washington was
more than a fight for the bonus,
said Sylvester Mckinney, leader Of
the w. E. S. L. from Pittsburgh. SIT
was revolt against the capitalist
starvation program.
Our fight is not limited to one
organization, nor is it limited to any
one section of veterans. Woraers
farmers and professionals must al