The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the LegionWheat, George Seay
History
The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the Legion
Wheat, George Seay
American Legion; World War, 1914-1918 -- Societies, etc.
"Now, gentlemen, I have a telegram from Seattle which I will read. It
is addressed to Jack Sullivan, St. Louis.
"'Executive Board American Legion of Liberty authorizes you to
advocate before the St. Louis Convention as part of the
Americanization program, that the organization bring its influence to
bear throughout the United States to secure enactment by Congress of
laws making it possible to deport alien slackers who avoided military
service by renouncing their citizenship and signing affidavits that
they would return to the country from which they came. A bill
providing for their deportation introduced by Senator Jones of
Washington failed to pass the last session of Congress because the
demand for its passage from the State of Washington was not backed up
by other States. Demand upon senators and representatives from their
own constituents that a law should be passed to deport these slackers
would probably result in action by the special sessions of Congress of
nearly three hundred aliens who escaped military service in Seattle by
renouncing their right to become citizens. Twenty-seven per cent, were
shown to be I.W.W.'s of the thousands who thus escaped military
service. Throughout the country a large percentage are probably of the
element which is seeking to undermine American institutions. They
still remain despite their affidavits that they would leave the
country and there is no existing law under which they can be deported.
The first move towards making this country one hundred per cent.
American should be the elimination of aliens who are opposed to our
Government and institutions and who poison the minds of others by
their teachings. Every senator and representative should be urged to
back legislation for the elimination of this element and we hope that
this work will be adopted by the convention as part of the national
program.
"'(Signed) American Legion of Liberty,
"'NORMAN E. COLES, _Secretary_.'"
When Sullivan finished reading, he began one of the most stirring
addresses made before the convention:
"Now let's not be afraid to put the cards on the table and say to the
Congress of the United States that we are not afraid to trample on the
toes of the diplomats of these alleged neutral countries who do not
want legislation of this kind to pass," Sullivan plead. "We have the
interest of the man who donned the khaki and the blue and when the
ships bring the boys from over there, they must take back these alien
slackers. We would be derelict in our duty to the boys who gave their
all when they went over the top; we would be untrue to ourselves and
the institutions and principles for which we fought if we did not see
to it that these people were sent back.
"I was born in the State of Massachusetts and I was taught that
citizenship meant something. As a boy I went out West where I learned
that American citizenship meant something to the people of the West.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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