Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-22
BELGRANO FIGHTS
GREENBACK BONUS
Legion Head Tells st. Louis
ConcIave Payment on
Merits Is Sure.

By the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, September 21.-Na-
tional Comdr. Frank N. Belgrano, jr,
of the American Legion, tonight
threw the weight of his office against
payment of the bonus through inf1a-
ton of the currency.
In a report prepared for preSenta-
ton at the annual convention Monday,
the commander charged that a Ma
tion-wide campaign of propaganda"
directed, by group in the House OF
Representatives, had a most telling
effect in the defeat" of the Legion
supported Vinson bill, which did not
specify a method of financing the
bonus.
The Patman bill, which provided for
currency expansion to pay the ad-
justed compensation certificates, passed
Congress met President Roosevelts
veto, and could not muster sufficient
overriding votes in the Senate.
Imitation Held Reason.
1T is my considered opinion, Comdr.
Beigrano said in his report, that
had the issue of payment OF the ad-
justed service certificates been pre-
scented to and considered by Congress
on it's own merits, any bill would
have had a fair chance Of passage.
eBut when loaded down with pro-
vision for expansion or imitation OF the
currency. a question more contro-
versial than that of the payment OF
the certificates, it was doomed from
the very beginning.
Introduction of the VinSon bill
brought sharp and biting criticism ana
denunciation from group IN the
House of Representatives who spon-
sored a bill calling for the payment
of the certificates through system OF
expansion or imitation OF the cur
rency.
"A Nation wide campaign Of prop
aganda was Immediately entered into
by this group, attacking the Legion
and directing personal assault upon
the national commander and the
National Legislative Committee.
Thinks Its Effects Telling.
Through the long period when the
attacks continued through every
channel of propaganda and publicity.
I am not concerned and did not con-
Germ myself about the personal ma
lignment but I am vitality concerned
about its effect on the pending legis-
lation and am convinced that the
campaign had a most telling effect
ir, Ioo nf
Comdr Belgrano said that the Le-
gion may look forward with conf
dence" to the enactment by Congress
of the Legion's plan of conscripting
capital, industry, labor and all the
national resources on the same plane
with manpower if called upon to serve
in another war"
He recalled that the Mcswain bill.
which would put the plan into effect,
passed the House with only Is dissent
ing votes, but the Senate adjourned
before 1t was able to take action on
the bill.
The balance Of the commanders
report of his stewardship concerned
itself with internal Legion affairs.
Nonsense RelgnS Tonight.
The Legionnaires doffed their pur-
pie and gold overseas caps to st. Louis
tonight, gave them a flgurative flip
in the air, and opened the highly
informal social aspects of their seven
tenth annual convention, which gets
around to serious business early Mon
day morning.
Highways and special trains, even
the broad Mississippi River, brought
thousands of former World War bud
dies back to the bunting draped
streets where the Legion was born
is years ago.
Sidewalks resounded under the stac-
cato rap of thousands of smart new
maple walking sticks as the veterans,
most of them rapidly approaching
middle age, gave st. Louis an old
fashioned Saturday night.
100000 Are Expected.
Registration booths recorded about
10000 visitors by shutdown and Off
Gals said there were many thousands
more who had not got around to the
business of registering. There was
no doubt about it.. Oficials estimated
100000 would be here by Monday.
The Legion will become serious
tomorrow with dignified committee
meetings, reunions and the annual
sermon Of the national chaplain. Mon
day the convention will be called to
order. But tonight there was street
dancing, scramble to find accomo-
dations already arranged for, and
generally a high old time
Hamburger stands, freak shows
and souvenir booths sprang up like
mushrooms around the Municipal
Plaza. Empty store buildings were
swept out and orchestras set up in
corners for the dancing Legionnaires
or lay delegates who came along just
for the fun. OF course, there was a
STREETS Of Paris" cabaret.