Show t f t I r Rewarding the Soldiers s' s 1 HOULD the thc soldier bonus plan as now framed by the thc house SHOULD i. i v Republicans prevail This question will probably b be a answered nn 1 n the lower branch of congress within the next twenty four or eight forty 9 hours It will wilt next come before the big political con- con b. b and finally before the senate In the meantime public interest nt rest is certain to be keen een and public opinion may sway action or one w way y or another L r G Gri Generally speaking the American public is prepared prepared t to S 'S soy Y fany any reasonable honor or extend any reasonable ai aid to the soldiers k sailors and marines who took part in the the great gre t war The question f th therefore is whether the proposed bonus plan is reas reasonable pable whether hether Ii it itiS itis is fair to to the soldiers and equally fair to Americans generally if If l flit W lacks tacks in either essential it should fail 7 y There is an implied obligation on th th the part pf of f every very person vho accepts citizenship in this country to defend th the nation in in time of peril Our nation faced a perilous ri ous situation it in iri 1917 andI and I jt i a a. a duty then of a all ci citizens citizens' ieri to r rally l jo to the the aid i of t the e. e country I Invoking l g of the draft was a means 10 to an tn end providing for forI I J pe guaranteeing fa fairness and assuring that all w would uld have a apar at t par art in the great cause Patriotism was not at a a premium it was r taken aken for for granted and t the e trust was was was' not in vain t i I Our boys donned khaki and entered the training g camps because lecause be- be I e-I cause cause they believed in the United States because they recognized our ur n national p peril ril They complied with t the e law not ju just t bec because usel it w was the l law w but because they recognized the justness and the I n need ed of the law No bonus is needed to repay such patriotism as w was i then ithen n evidenced For r that reason we believe the bon bonus s plan is at at fa fault It It seeks to o put a premium on patriotism It would give a monetary r reward ward to very every man who went to war wh whereas as to most of them thet the V t tho thought of a duty well done i is all aU the reward desired a j There is however another consideration Some of the soldier boys boys suffered a distinct financial loss which they could ill afford to sustain Ver Very little opposition would be be foun l to squaring accounts with these young men But there were others so wealthy that the proposed bonus would be the merest pin money who dont don't by any possible stretch of the imagination need t the e money there are still stitt others who were benefited financially by oy the military mili miti- tary e experience there w were re others who gained physically morally and arid mentally there were many boys just out o of school to wh whom the war experience brought n neither ither profit nor loss los so sp far as dollars nd cents are arc concerned And looking a little further we we must must- admit that there were many other thousands who engaged in Red RedCross ed Cross Cross work or relief work of some other kind or I in some vital patriotic endeavor to whom no thought of granting a bonus has been given Nor hav have th they Basked asked a bonus I. I Summing up we rea reach h the conclusion that th the bonus plan as prepared b by the house Republicans go goes s too foo far It would be I equitable if i it sought to tc give relief to those service ex-service men wh who need aid But it goes far b beyond yond that an and threatens to impose a tax that will be burdensome to the people and to accomplish sh an end endt t j that at is unnecessary and in iii many any cases |