Evening star., 1935-01-14

A large majority of the newspapers
of the country which have commented
on the fight assumed to be approach
ing in Congress over the soldiers
bonus are in accord with President
Roosevelt's opposition to immediate
cash payment as outlined in his letter
to group Of veterans. A minority
vigorously champions the demand for
immediate payment.
"Mr. Roosevelt's letter" according
to the Birmingham Age Herald, puts
the reasons why those who are vet
Grams are at odds with their own in
terest when they insist on the i'm
mediate payment of this long-term
obligation" The Buffalo Times argues
that 1.-The best interests of the vet
Grams are the same as those of the
non-veterans. while the statement
that the Presidents objections are
sound is made by the Seattle Daily
Times. the Canton (Ohio) Repository.
the Portsmouth (Ohio) Times, the
the Davenort Qowa) Daily Times.
Denial that the payment of the
bonus would have the effect of Stimu-
lating business is made by the Gary
Post Tribune. and the effect of the
/ Presidents statement on public opin-
| ion is emphasized by the Fort Worth
Star Telegram, the Bergen IN. j.
Evening Record, the st. Cloud (Minn.)
Daily Times, the Chester Pa.) Times,
| tho Nou, Iovoy, To,,rpo .Co,riey the
Cincinnati Times-Star and the Louis
| vile Courier er-Journal.
General endorsement of the Presi-
dents position. is given by long list
of dailies. including the Jackson
| tMiss) Daily News, the Lynchburg
(Va) Advance. the Newport News
| (Va) Daily Press. the Watertown On
W Daily Times, the New York World
Telegram, the Roanoke Times, the
Buffalo Evening News. the Youngs-
town Vindicator, the Providence Bull
letin. the Indianapolis News and the
New York Sun. The Muskegon Chron-
| icle remarks that "the President did
not finch from the task of standing
for the United States Treasury" and
| the Richmond News Leader docs not
i, despair of the success of the PreSi-
dents appeal" The Saginaw Daily
, News thinks that "the amounts OF
money involved in some schemes are
so large that the sort of expansion
for which the veterans action Is
precedent might have extremely grave
| consequences"
1T is generally admitted" accord
ing to the Roanoke World-News,
that much of the steam behind the
movement for prepayment of the
bonus certificates due in 1945 is in
order that a drive may be organized
| for general service pension by the
time the average age of those who
| took part in the World War reached
40. The general pension act, without
requirement as to disability. following
the Civil War was not enacted until
the average age of veterans OF that
war was over CO."
The minority comment not only
advocates immediate payment Of the
bonus, but generally expresses conf
dence that Congress will act favorably.
Says the Burlington Uowa) Hawkeye
Gazette:
Gwen those who have most consist
emily opposed bonus payments here
tofore, on the theory that the Govern
ment could not afford the payment
structure, are showing signs of chang
ing front in view of all the other huge
spending now in progress. Courage
Gus as his stand may be, the President
will have less public sentiment behind
him now"
Practically the same argument Is
made by the Charleston Is. CO. Eve
ming Post, the Oshkosh Northwestern,
the Eureka (Calif) Humboldt Times,
the Yakima (Wash) Morning Herald.
the Manchester IN. H.) Union and
the Goshen (Ind.) News.Times, while