The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-09-21
An AMERICAN LEGION
POST To Be FORMED
1T hRDMORE MONDAY
(Contributed)

22nd at 8 o'clock, to take up the for
nation Of post Of the American Le-
zion in this city, and to prepare a
formal application for charter.
The American Legion is the organi-
Zation of American veterans Of the
World War. 1t is non-partisan and
non-political or militaristic. Nearly
all Of its members are new who We're
civilians before the war and are again
civilians It makes no distinction of
rank and no distinctions between over
seas men and men who did not get
overseas.
Amy soldier, sailor or marine who
served honorably between April 9Th,
1917, and November 11th, 1918, is eli
gible for membership.
The American Legion was first or
ganized in Paris, March 10Th to 18th.
1919 by a thousand officers and men,
delegates from all the units Of the
American Expeditionary Forces to an
organization meeting which adopted a
declaration of principles and selected
the name, American LeOioD
The preamble to the Co.'s c,tion
covers fully what the American Legion
stands for, and reads as follows:
For God and Country we associate
ourselves together for the following
purposes:
TO build and defend the Constitu-
ton OF the United States of America;
to maintain law and order; to foster
and perpetuate one hundred Per cent
,;S.ut 10
and incidents of our association in the
Great War; to inculcate q sense of in
Gividual obligations to the community,
state and nation to make right the
master Of might; to promote peace and
good will on earth ITO safeguard and
transmit to posterity the principles Of
justice freedom and democracy; to
cUnseCrate and sanctify our comrade-
ship by our devotion to mutual help
fulness."
II is earnestly requested that all
men who are eligible for membership
in The American Legion attend the
meeting on Monday night in order
that the formation Of a post may be
started out with great enthusiasm and
spirit.
The American Legion did the follow
ing things at its St. Louis meeting.
(a) 1t demanded investigation OF the
pardon and subsequent discharge by the
War Department of convicted conscl-
entious objectors.
(b) 1t strongly condemned the activ
tiles of the l. W. VS., the Anarchists,
and the international Socialists.
al II
should take steps to reclaim arid
swamp and cutover timber lands, to
affort eX-service men an opportunity to
establish homes for themselves and u
fitting place in the constructive work
of the country.
(d) 1t demanded Of congress the same
disability pay for men of the National
Guard and National Army as now per-
tains to those in the regular establish
ment.
(e) 1t initiated a campaign to secure to
service men their rights and privileges
under the War Risk Insurance act.
IL 1t demanded that congress should
deport to their own countries those
aliens who refused to join the colors at
the outbreak of the war, and pleaded
their citizenship in other countries to
escape the draft.
(g) It undertook to see that disabled
soldiers, sailors and marine should be
brought into contact with the Rehabili-
tation Department of the Government,
which department helps them to learn
and gain lucrative occupations.
(hl 1t demanded that nationalized cit.
izens convicted under the espionage act
shall have their citizenship cancelled
and shall be deported.
O 1t authorized the appointment of q
competent legislative committee to see
that the above recommendation were
effectively acted upon by congress and |
that committee has been appointed and |
is now at work.
ID 1t authorized the establishment of |
bureau to aid service men to get re.
employment; and Of legal bureau to
help them get from the government .
their overdue pay and allotments. These |
two bureaus are being organized at the
National Headquarters OF the Legion
and will be in active operation by
July /.
The American Legion is composed Of
state branches. there being a state
headquarters in each state and these
in turn are made up of local posts.
The constitution states that q local
post shall have a minimum member
ship of IS. No post shall be received
into the Legion until it has received
g charter. \ post desiring a charter
shall apply for it to the state branch,
and the charter will be issued, upon
recommendation of this state branch.
by the national executive committee.
No post may be named after any living
person.
Scmc of the men interested in this
movement have been in correspondence
with the national and state headquar-
tors and have all information and ap-
plication blanks required to go ahead
with this proposition and will place all
this information before the meeting on
Monday night. 1t is desired that q
temporary organization be perfected at
that time and that formal application
for charter then be prepared and for
warded to state headquarters After
the charter has been received the post
will be permanently organized
1t is earnestly requested that all men
who are eligible for membership in
the American Legion attend the meet.
ing on Monday night in order that tha