EVICTED WAR VETERANS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21249, 1 August 1932, Page 9

EVICTED WAR VETERANS

"ARMY" DISORGANISED APPEAL TO UNEMPLOYED FASCIST BODY PROPOSED CONCERN IN WASHINGTON TROOPS' USE DEPLORED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 31, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON. July 30 The disorganised units of the "bonus army" staggered out of Washington today. Their erstwhile commander, Walter Waters, of Portland, issued a militant appeal to all the unemployed, as well as veterans to join in a "khaki shirt" movement. The avowed purpose was to "clean out the high places of Government," apparently meaning the President, Mr. Hoover. Waters insisted that the proposed organisation would act strictly according to American principles, namely, by the ballot box. However, the obvious Fascist-like nature of the movement, although vet undeveloped, is causing some concern in Washington. Invasion of Pennsylvanian Town On tho understanding that the Mayor of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Mr. E. McCloskey, previously invited the "army" to establish its headquarters there, 1000 veterans are en route to Johnstown ; where Waters expects to start the organisation of "khaki shirts." Mr. McCloskey, however, says he only j invited the loaders. Nevertheless, several truck loads of veterans have already j arrived and there are indications that many more will arrive in a few days. Probably they will create another problem for the police. | The relief of the evicted women and chil- ! dien is presenting a serious problem now. j At first it was announced thr.t the Red Cross Society would send them to their homes. This later was denied. In the meanwhile private charity is providing for the | children as well as possible. Some children | left with the veterans for Johnstown. President's Action Criticised. Repercussions of yesterday's hostilities ! were quick to materialise. Mr. Hoover is- | sued a statement in which he defended his ; action in calling out the troops. Inquiries among a few Congressmen in the city revealed the general opinion that the movement was an untimely ono. Senator Hugo Black, of Alabama, severely criticised the President, particularly for the night operations against the women and children. He hinted at an investigation by Congress. A message from New York says the j New York Times states that it understands Mr. Hoover desired to suspend the military operations early in the evening, but that General D. Macarthur, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Captain P. Hurley, Secretary for War, persuaded him to allow the plan of campaign to be continued. Liberal elements throughout the nation have issued strong protests. The Com- . munist organisation at New Y'ork has ! called several demonstrations. "Government by the Masses" The organised veterans' associations, including the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, apparently are divided in opinion. Waters, in his statement, denounced the "monied interests of Wall Street." He called for universal support for the movement "to return the Government to the masses." Tho possibility of unemployed malconi tents forming such an organisation and taking political, perhaps oven diiect, ation, has been voiced in various quarters for some time, but Waters' declaration is the more definite manifestation of such a movement yet heard. END OF STRUGGLE STRONG MILITARY ACTION GUNS AND TEAR GAS BOMBS ! WASHINGTON, July 29 The United States troops, summoned yesterday by the President, Mr. Hoover, had to-day broken the grip held on Washington for months by the thousands of veterans demanding immediate payment of the bonus for war-time army services. As mute evidence of a struggle that has no identical parallel in this country, four scarred areas mark the once populous encampments of the Bonus Expeditionary Force. William Huskn, Chicago, an ex-soldier, is dead, and scores of other veterans are nursing injuries. Troops remained in command, and tho veterans, driven forth by tear gas and flaming torches applied to their crude shelters, clustered in smali groups or headed from the city seeking to organise elsewhere. The uso of troops, cavalry, infantry, tanks and machir.e-gun corps was ordered by Mr. Hoover after the police efforts to carry out the demand for the immediate evacuation of Federal property had pre- | cipitated a riot. When the district of Columbia turned to White House the President summoned his Cabinet aides, and the order went forth bringing in from Fort Myer, Virginia, 300 cavalrymen and 350 infantrymen who assembled near White House, then marched down Pennsylvania Avenue to the first of the " bonus army" camps, almost in the shadow of the Capital. After a pause to give tho veterans a chanco to move out peaceably, the khaki line of steel-helmeted troops, with full battle equipment, moved forward with tear gas bombs and fixed bayonets, the. cavalry with drawn sabres. They pressed the charge, and the job was quickly done. In spite of the resistance, the troops moved on and cleared two other camps in the city, then one at Anacostia, six miles from the down-town section of Washington. A withering combination of fire and tear gas left the veterans leaderless and demoralised and without shelter. They spent the night in open fields and parks and many started for home. Walter Waters was not at Anacostia when it was emptied and burned. It was reported that he had left, telling some of his followers to meet him at Johnstown,

Pennsylvania. Earlier he had issued statement saving: " No matter what may happen, from now on the 'bonus army' will carry on. We have gone too far to quit."' Wholesale arrests of radicals who hava been active with the " bonus army" tools place this afternoon under the spur olf the President that the local authorities should at once find the instigators of the attack on the police yesterday which led to the killing of one veteran. On leaving a meeting in an abandoned church on Fifth and Virginia Avenues, near where the Communistic wing of the " bonus army" had been billeted, more than 30 men were taken. Those arrested were held for investigation by immigration officials. The troops hurled tear gas bombs and set the shacks of the "bonus army" ou fire in the vicinity of the Capital again this afternoon, at a time when Mr. Hoover at White House was serving an emphatic notice to the effect that the Government cannot be coerced by mob rule. The President said he considered the disturbance yesterday a challenge to the authority of the United States Government, and it had been met swiftly and firmly. As the President read the statement, cavalrymen who had returned to Third and Pennsylvania Avenues clashed with a group of veterans gathered around a baseball "diamond." The troopers charged, scattering the veterans. Some ran off and climbed trees. One plunged headlong through the open window of a passing motor-car as he ran. After tiie cavalry had halted, infantry swept tho street with bombs. There wa3 no resistance except when some veterans refused to move until tear gas was used. The cavalry kept the streets clear of spectators. As a great roll of smoke poured out of the block into near by residences, a strong wind fanned the flames and the shacks burned fiercely. .