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.
Our men of the army, navy, and marine corps got a schooling in the
practical Americanism which our military establishment naturally
teaches. Those who were aliens by birth and those native sons with
inadequate educational advantages learned a great deal by association
with men of better types and by travel. These men can and will stem
the insidious guile of the wolf, and, to aid them in so doing, the
Legion has an active speakers' bureau under Captain Osborn teaching
Americanism in every section of the country. These speakers, in
helping to organize the Legion along the right lines, teach the
Constitution of the United States and preach that remedial changes in
this government can be brought about in only one way, and that is,
constitutionally.
Why the American Legion?
America is safe from any real danger if she can keep everybody busy.
Less than two weeks after the caucus, the national executive committee
had in process of formation a practicable scheme to aid in solving the
reëmployment problem. As time goes on this department of Legion
activity will become more and more efficient.
Here is another answer to the question.
All through these pages the reader has found references to this
question of reëmployment; to anti-Bolshevism; the protection of the
uniform; the non-partisan and non-political nature of the Legion;
unselfishness; disability pay for the reserve forces; war risk
insurance; allotments and back pay; the care of disabled service men;
one hundred per cent. Americanism, and the deportation of those aliens
who "bit the hand that fed them." The story has dealt almost entirely
with these questions because primarily and fundamentally they are The
American Legion. This program is the most important in the United
States to-day. It means the betterment of the most stable forces in
our community life, not only of to-day but for the next forty or fifty
years. It means the proper extension of the influence of the most
powerful factor for patriotism in our country--the onetime service
man. It does not mean patriotism bounded on one side by a brass band
and on the other by a dressy uniform and a reunion banner. It means
real patriotism in its broadest sense--a clean body politic; a clean
national soul and a clean international conscience.
This is the final answer to the question which serves as the title for
this concluding chapter.
THE AMERICAN LEGION
LIST OF STATE OFFICERS
ALABAMA:
Chairman: Bibb Graves, Montgomery.
Secretary: Leroy Jacobs, Care Jacobs Furniture Co., Birmingham.
ARIZONA:
Chairman: E. Power Conway, Noll Bldg., Phoenix.
Secretary: Fred B. Townsend, Natl. Bk., Arizona Bldg., Phoenix.
ARKANSAS:
Chairman: J.J. Harrison, Little Rock.
Secretary: Granville Burrow, Little Rock.
CALIFORNIA:
Chairman: Henry G. Mathewson, Flood Bldg., San Francisco.
Secretary: E.E. Bohlen, 926 Flood Bldg., San Francisco.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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