Evening star., 1935-01-27

recorded time began to fight for some
King or cause.
What they gained or what they lost,
whether their flaming causes were
achieved or failed, these things are
now beside the point. The war is a
memory, and these men face the
realities Of confused world.
One Third Organized.
A cross-section of this typical group
of ex-service men would reveal several
characteristics. First, only about one
third of them would be members of
any service organization. For out Of
the 100000 men modified during
the World War there are nearly
100000 who belong to no veteran
societies. Their voice is not heard
in the dramatized partisanship either
for or against the bonus. A majority
of those holding membership in out
standing service organizations are on
record as demanding the bonus. There
is, though, a substantial minority
within the organization opposed to
the pension racket, toward which the
bonus is the first step. They, too,
have no medium of lobbies and propa-
ganda.
To consider the attitude Of the
ex-service men as a whole it is
better to divorce them from the regi-
mented opinions of their group af-
filiations and view them from the
standpoint of their ways of living.
rrII. ef
numerous, but have powerful po-
litical representation. Those at the
other end of the string-the under
privileged and the dispossesSed-also
have a voice in the halls of Congress
through the men who seek their votes.
In the vast middle class between them
are those who do not hoot nor howl
when the bonus is opposed or recon-
mended. They represent those who
have small property, or hope to have,
who work industriously and save
frugally that they may have meas
ure of support in their old age and
pass on some means of existence to
their children.
Fear for Assets.
They have no delusions concerning
their Governments credit, but they
hope that present necessary expendi-
lures over income are temporary, and
they know that those without food
and shelter must be cared for. But
they are troubled now for the safety
of their property, their savings and
their life insurance in the light OF
continuing drains upon the Treasury.
Ex-service men of this class are
not demonstrative at meetings and
have no organization in legislative
halls; they look upon the bonus with
eyes that see beyond today. They
can look backward and forward
Bonus legislation, viewed from this
standpoint, is startling.
At the time of the World War no
country was more liberal with its
whole Army in pay and maintenance
than was the United States. Any
doughboy will remember his aff1uence
during leaYe in Paris as compared
to that of the poilu and the British
Tommy. Despite the dramatization
of the $20-a-day ship yard worker
and the dollar-a-day soldier, the pri-
Yates pay on an average was not low
During 1918 the average earning
for the individual civilian worker in
all industries was $1,078. The Amer
lean private received $50 a month for
home service and $36 a month for
overseas service. In addition, at least
50 a day was spent upon his food,
clothing and shelter. He received
disqualification, medical and dental
care without charge. The minimum
pay in the Army was about So a day
exclusive of medical care-a total OF
$1,245 a year, or $167 year more
than the individual civilian worker
In addition, the solder was given
the right to buy low-priced war risk
insurance which provided up to
$4,000 payment to dependents.
Soon after the soldiers returned
ambitious politicians saw in 4,300, ,00O
service men vast opportunities for
vote buying. The hue and cry was
raised that these men, because they
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