Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-05-26
BY SAMUEL w. BELL.

0lEdUlC bl14o, 10 A1OI q 0CfCAOP-
ment Of the New Deal, 1t Is certainly
being directed in greater force than
ever before. No Congress in history
has faced the barrage Of telegram,
letter and radio appeals comparable to
that which has sprayed the Seventy
fourth Congress since it convened in
January.
In addition the present Congress
has had to deal with new technique
in the Observation-Disclosures ma
neuver, which resulted so disastrouSly
for the veterans in 1882. Although
the veterans organizations, old in the
ways of putting their interests fore
most on Capitol Hill, have led IN the
wire and mail bag campaigning, their
recent assault for payment of the
bonus made no use of the march and
mass-meeting method.
That has been left for the farmers
who came to give thanks for the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration;
the milk producers who recently gave
a smoker" for members of Congress,
and the business and industrial groups
who TAXED to the Capitol in behalf
Of two-year extension Of N. r. A.
To say that Congressman find them
selves in a quandary in meeting this
newer method is putting it mildly.
And for that reason, If for no other,
members of the House Of Representa-
tives and the Senate have not been
particularly upset by the deluge of
kilograms and the tons of letters
dumped into their Offices since the
bonus controversy was resumed sew
eral months ago with passage of the
Patman bill again by House of
Representatives.
House Follows Custom.
1t Is customary for the House to
pass bill for immediate payment of
the veterans adjusted compensation
certificates. 1t just as surely follows
that the Senate either defeats the
bonus bill or Sustains a presidential
veto of it. The measure which takes
this course Is the Patman bill provid-
ing for the payment of the bonus by
the issuance Of Treasury notes or
greenbacks.
There always are several versions
of the bonus, and veterans organiza-
tons are apt to choose one or the
other to support. This was the case
in the Seventy-fourth Congress, but
| it was the Patman bill which was
passed by both Houses and went to
the White House. In the end the
veterans organizations all combined
in favor Of it.
Thus the pressure attack, scatter
ing at the outset and aimed at passage
| Of the Patman bill or the Vinson bill,
supported originally by the American
Legion and designed to raise the
money by bond issue or taxation, at
the discretion Of the Treasury, did
not reach the proportions of the later
fire.
Nevertheless, not day passed from
the date the bonus became an issue
in the House of Representatives, be-
ginning with hearings in the Ways
and Means Committee until the Pres
ident vetoed the measure, that the
mail Of members of Congress did not
carry demands or pleas for the legis-
lation In some form or other.
When the House considered the
Patman and Vinson bills to make a
selection, the Veterans Of Foreign
Wars campaigned in full force for
the Patman measure through drum
fire directed from State departments
and local posts. The American Le-
gion followed the same procedure,
but sought passage of the VinSon bill
The same procedure was repeated
when the bill went to the Senate
where the two-way fight was renewed
and was complicated by compromise
proposal sponsored by Senator Pat
Harrison. Democrat, of Mississippi
chairman Of the Senate Finance Com
mittee Senators, however, were not
swept with kilograms and letters fol
the Harrison compromise. 1t had
few friends and died early.
Legion Switches.
Once the Senate passed the Patmar
bill, Frank Belgrano, commander Of
the American Legion, seeking to carry
out the mandate of the Legion con.
vention at Miami, Fla. sent out wore
to turn the Legion strength to thu
Patman bill. Then came the radio
address Of Rev. Charles E. Coughlin
in behalf Of the Patman bill Sunday
May 10, followed by the appeal of Rep.
resentative Wright Patman, Democrat
Of Texas, Monday.
BY the most conservative estimate
more than $4,000 kilograms reached
the Capital, with the wire services do
ing the heaviest business in and out Of
Senate and House Office Buildings il
their history. The appeal of Father
Coughlin was to override the Presi.
dents veto, which had become a Ger.
tainty as the result of White House
announcement.
Earlier the Veterans of Foreign
Wars made drive on the White
House in kilograms inspired by James
E. Van Zandt, commander in chief o.
the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The
more than $500 posts of the organiza.
ton contrived to direct messages tt
the President urging him to sign tht
bill. 1t is estimated by the organiza.
J ton that $4,000 kilograms and letter.
reached the White House as the result
Of this appeal to the public as we'll a.
the veterans. In any event wire serv.
ice messengers wore path to the dool
} Of the White House executive Office.
for more than a week.
Once the veto was delivered, all at.
tention centered on the Senate, anc
the concentrated drive, again quick
ened by Father Coughlin's radio ad.
dress Wednesday, began all over again
How members of the Senate and theil
limited secretarial stats met the on.
slaught was a matter of individual
judgment.
Senator Frederick Steiwer, Repub.
lican, of Oregon, veteran himself anc
strong supporter of bonus payment
and other legislation affecting ex.
service men, has an Office equipped
with elaborate files to take care Of
each and every bona f1de message
Since the veterans fight to provide fol-
so per cent loan on the adjusted
compensation certificates in 1881, Sen.
ator Steiwer can reach every veteran
in Oregon and other groups in the
State interested in bonus payment fol
the money it would turn loose in com.
munities.