The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-11-21
The American Legion.

The constitutional convention of the
American Legion closed its first ma
tional meeting Wednesday Of last week
The meeting was held at Minneapolis
and had brought OUT full representa-
ton of the. states. Potentially it rep
resented 5000, 900 fighting men of the
great. war. 1t was a meeting of broth
ers in arms, not one of officers and
men. The convention transacted a
large amount of business, and gave ut
terance to opinions on matters of pub
lie interest straight from the shoulder,
soldier fashion It perfected its or
ganization, elected officers and eyecu-
tive boards, formulated platform in
a series of resolutions, and the conven-
vention as whole projected itself upon
the attention of the nation in no uncer-
tain or faltering manner.
The national officers elected were :
Franklin D'Olier of Philadelphia, ma
tional commander; the five vice-com-
manders James O'Brien, California;
A. r. Chambers, Massachusetts; Alan
Turkey, Nebraska; Joyce B. Lewis,
Minnesota; P. c. Boon, Idaho.
The national commander was voted
an annual salary of $4,000, but the
commander-elect declined to accept a
salary The national adjutant is to be
named by the commander. Indianapo-
lis, Ind was. selected as the home of
the national headquarters, and the an
nual meeting Of 1920 will be held at
Cleveland, Ohio, next September.
The convention adopted a large num-
Der of resolutions recommending con-
gressional legislation, some of which
involve large appropriations of funds,
of "a beneficiary nature, applying es-
pecially to disabled eX-soldiers; among
them is resolution asking congress to
appropriate $l4, 900, 900 to decentralize
the Bureau of War Risk Insurance by
establishing la regional Offices Reso-
lutiOns were adopted with reference to
matters of general public interest and
welfare. One of them condemns police
and firemen's strikes; one pleads for
settlement of industrial disputes; one
for increased production; one disap-
proves the teaching of German IN the
schools and of putting on German plays;
another advocates thrift campaigns and
Boy Scouts. Unceasing warfare upon
everything un-American, such as boil
shevism, l. w w. and other radical
isms and propaganda directed against
the naCioual government. A National
Americanism Commission of the Amer
lean Legion is created, having dis
tinctly educational program, which in
cludes better methods for educating
immigrants, incubation Of the ideals
of Americanism in the citizen popula-
ton, the spread of information as to
the real nature and principles of our
government.
Its resolutions covering its stand on
future military policies of the nation
disapprove of large standing army
and compulsory military service, but is
favorable to universal military training
under civil authority, national citizen
army, based on the democratic and
American principles of equality of OBJ
legations and opportunity for all. In
other words: No military cast to be
fostered on American soil.
The new commander was born in
Burlington, n. j., in 1877, is a gradu-
ate of Princeton university, and is now
engaged in the wool business in Phila-
delphia He entered the service in
1917 as captain in the quartermaster' S
corps. He rose to the rank of lieuten-
ant colonel and was awarded the Amer
lean distinguished service medal and
the French Legion of Honor,