SOLDIER BONUS: Counter-Attack

The Ex-Service Men's Anti-Bonus League, born one year ago, announced its intention of starting, on Nov. 15, an active drive for members and political prestige.

Its program includes:

1) A poll of 4,000,000 ex-service men in the country to determine how many of them really favor the bonus.

2) The establishment of a counterlobby against the American Legion " to prevent an overriding of the President's veto of bonus legislation."

3) Adequate compensation and efficient care of disabled veterans.

The poll of veterans is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 16. Plans are under way to have the Governors permit the use of state election machin- ery for the purpose. Edward L. Allen, a director of the League, ex- plained :

" As to our obtaining the use of the election machinery of the States, we have been unable to find any reason arising from legal technicalities why it should be impossible. It will not, of course, be a legally constituted referendum, and for that reason we hope to hold it on a Sunday. It will be necessary for election officials to donate their services free of charge. . . . We certainly would welcome the cooperation of the Legion so that there be no cry of fraud when the bonus is voted down by the ample margin which our investigations among ex-service men the country over show us must be the inevitable result."

Mr. Allen added: "We can prove that since it began its drive for the bonus the American Legion has lost 500,000 members."