Evening star., 1935-05-11
LONG SEES PARTY
LEANING TOWARD
PATMAN'S BONUS
Cites Jesse Jones' "0ut-
burst" and EcCIeS' State
ment as Showing Trend.
PRESIDENT MAY DRAFT
VETO ON FISHING TRIP
Roosevelt Leaves for Blue Ridge
Accompanied by Leaders
in Congress.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Senator Long, Democrat, Of LouiSi-
ana, said in a statement today that
virtually all the Democratic leaders
want to go ahead and pay the bonus
by passing the Patman bill"
"The outburst Of Jesse Jones and
the admission of Mariner Eccles ia.
voring the bonus is what all the bal
ance of the leaders are doing behind
the scenes" he added.
Meanwhile President Roosevelt left
for a fishing trip in the Blue Ridge
Mountains of Maryland, taking with
him Vice President Garner. Speaker
Byrns, Senator Robinson, the Demo-
cratic leader, and Senator Harrison,
chairman of the Finance Committee.
If he decided to prepare veto
message on the Patman bill-already
passed by the Senate and House-he
would have ample advice from these
congressional leaders.
Jones Surprises White House.
Long referred to speech last night
by Chairman Jones Of the Recon-
struction Finance Corp. indicating a
belief that immediate bonus payment
might be a good thing. Surprise was
expressed at the White House.
Eccles, governor of the Federal Re-
serve Board, testified yesterday before
C,YI. ffnA l1of
the Patman bill in itself would create
no imitation except that derived from
a fear psychology that would cause
rapid velocity of funds"
while I have not talked to all the
leaders," Long added, many Of them
| that I have talked with in confidence
| feel Just as Jesse Jones feels about the
matter.
Jones has some independence about
| him and evidently doesn't want to be
a party to leading the Democrats to
slaughter.
You know he once paid the Demo-
cratic party out of debt.
"All down the line the Democrats
are practically universal for this
bonus to go on through now.
Jones Addresses Bankers.
It was indicated at the Executive
Mansion that the r. F. G. head spoke
on his own responsibility.
Jones. speaking to bankers meet
| ing at Pinehurst, N. c., said he could
mot become excited" about the pros
pect of immediate payment. The
Capital studied with interest the por-
ton Of the speech in which Jones
| said:
"The few billions that the Govern
ment has expended in relief measures,
including the new s4.880,000, 900
public works and relief authorization,
will not be an unbearable burden, nor
even the two billion additional that
it seems likely that Congress may add
in payment Of the adjusted service
certificates to the veterans.
Holds Veto Failure Possible.
"It appears entirely possible that
Congress may override a presidential
veto Of this measure. But after all.
we voluntarily assumed the debt 10
years ago and paying 1t now Is merely
anticipating by 10 years something
that must at all events be paid. True.
if the full amount of the bill is au-
thorized, it will be anticipating pay
ment without reduction of unearned
interest. I am not sure but that it
will be worth this extra cost to get
this issue settled and out of politics
| "Of course, we cannot go on in
definitely authorizing expenditures in
large amounts without levying taxes
to pay them. And like it or not, that
is exactly what Congress should do"
Meanwhile, there was talk in some
Senate circles of reviving the Vinson
bonus bill if an expected veto of the
Patman new currency measure should
be upheld by the senate.
vinson Bill Stin Alive.
Republican leaders predicted fatty
that the Vinson bill, which was re-
| jected in both House and Senate. would
| be sent by Congress to the President
if the Patman bill was killed. They
forecast also that it would be passed
over veto.
Backers of the Vinson bill, which
provides for cash payment of the
bonus, but leaves the method OF
|
throughout the long bonus contro-
versy that it had much better chance
to pass over a veto than the infla-
tionary Patman bill
They made this argument to the
Senate in trying to stop the Patman
drive, but the Senate would not listen.
Administration leaders. who favored
the Patman bill on the theory 1t was
easier to beat, discounted the possi-
bility of further bonus action after q
veto of the Patman bill. They have
maintained throughout that Senators
| would not have another chance at
this session to pass a bonus bill.
Pressure Turned on Roosevelt.
Nevertheless, with overwhelming
sentiment in both houses for cash
payment of the bonus in one form or
another, some veteran Senators were
confident that veto by the President
would not end the bonus battle even
for this session.
While they were looking ahead, vet
erans' leaders had not given up all
hope on the Patman bill. They were
directing terrific pressure at the
White House to persuade President
Roosevelt to sign the bill and at the
same time working desperately for
votes In the Senate to override him
If he wouldn't.
In the Senate yesterday, Senator
Long, referred to President Roosevelt's
war record and drew from Senator
Tydings, Democrat, Of Maryland, an
angry warning that he might face
something more than q vocal" argu-
ment.
Tydings called upon Long to COM
pare his own record. fully aware that
Long did not serve, and when the
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