Evening star., 1934-05-18
BONUS MARCHERS
IN PARADE MAKE
annual DEMAND
Nondescript "Army," 626
Strong, Treks Silently
Past White House.
INVASION OF CAPITOL
is BALKED BY POLICE
Leaders Demand Permission to
Call on Vice President and
Speaker Rainey.

A nondescript "army" registered by
police as 626, marched silently up
Pennsylvania avenue shortly before
noon today to make its annual de-
mand that the soldiers bonus be paid.
The marchers, representing the Ma
tional Veterans Rank and File, left
Constitution avenue at Third street
shortly before II o'clock. They had
begun to assemble there as early as
$50, but encountered some delay in
getting their formation together.
They were permitted to march past
the White House on Pennsylvania
avenue and again within sight of the
Executive Mansion on the return
route, up Fifteenth street from Con-
stitution avenue and back down Penn
sylvania avenue to the Peace Monu-
ment.
March to Capitol Denied.
There was no threat of disorder
except when Harold Hickerson, spokes-
man for the Committee of Three"
heading the marchers, threatened to
take them to the Capitol and stage
a demonstration for the benefit of
Congress
Inspector Headley, in charge of the
police escort, refused to permit the
parade to leave the parking lot at
Third street and Constitution avenue
until HickerSon agreed to abandon the
plan. Hickerson insisted, however,
that he, James j. Beatty and William
Altman be allowed to call on Vice
President Garner and Speaker Rainey
to present their demands for imme-
diate payment of the bonus, repeal
of the national economy act and en-
Surance law.
Headley referred the committee to
the Capitol Police. reminding them
they had no permit to enter the Cap
itol grounds.
March Around Capitol.
When the head of the column reach
ed Peace Monument. it was halted
there while the leaders conferred with
Chesley w. Jurney, sergeant at arms
of the House, who gave them permis-
sion to continue the march up B
street past the House Office Building,
then north in front of the Library of
Congress, and behind the Senate Of
flee Building, where they turned south
on Constitution avenue and returned
to the starting point.
They were forbidden to enter the
Capitol plaza Almost the entire per-
sonnel of the Capitol police force was
turned out to prevent an invasion of
the plaza.
Led by Two Buglers.
AS the veterans marched up the
Avenue they were led by two buglers,
intermittently playing Army field
music.
The men had asked the Federal
Emergency Relief Administration for
musical instruments for the purpose
of organizing their own band, but re-
lief officials told them no such equip
ment was available.
More than a dozen huge American
flags, carried on improvised f1agpoleS
fashioned at Fort Hunt, where the
men are encamped, were scattered
among the eX-servicemen.
Approximately SO crudely lettered
banners demanded Pay the Bonus
Now" Repeal the Economy Law"
Other placards bore the letters wv.
E. S. L." meaning the Workers Ex-
Servicemen's League, communistlc
organization of war veterans.
State placards represented virtually
every State in the Union, although
the men were not divided into State
groups.
About midway in the order of
march were half dozen automobiles,
bearing veterans unable to make the
long walk around the White House,
via Seventeenth street. They were
painted to demand fullflllment of the
veterans three-point program.
Colored Women March.
Scattered in the ranks, too, were a
half dozen colored women, wives of
colored men taking part. None of
them claimed to be veterans of war
service.
A fleet of a dozen buses waited at
the starting point to return the men
to Fort Hunt Immediately The same
fleet had been on the highway from
early this morning bringing the men |
into the city for their 1884 demon
stration.
Tomorrow the convention of the
National Veterans Rank and File
will get unoer way at Fort Hunt. The
sessions are expected to continue un-
til May "a. when the men have been
told they will have to evacuate the
c. C. c. camp turned over to them
by relief authorities.
At the sessions plans are to be
made for an interview with the White
House and possibly calls upon men,
bers of Congress to present the de-
mands.