Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-29
9TH
LEGION CHAPTER
Organization Proves Popular
With Veterans of the
Great War

The inception of the American
legion, an organization of all per-
sons who Were in the United States
military service at any period be-
tween the date of the declaration of
war with Germany and the signing
of the armistice, took place in Paris
shortly after the conclusion of hos
tilities. Representatives from every
division in the American Expedi-
tionary Forces, including both Of
hcers and enlisted men, were called
into session to formulate the skele-
ton of a patriotic legion that would
transcend any previous organiza-
tion previous organization in point
of numbers and effectiveness.
The originators, however, did not
lose sight of the fact, that there
were several million whose disap-
pointment at not getting across was
great, and whose right to member
ship in the Legion was equal with
the men in the A. L. +. Accord
ingly, action was deferred and a
caucus in this country was planned
in which every district should be
represented, and a big convention
held in st. Louis in May of this
year. At this meeting the American
Legion was really started, and it
was decided to hold the first national
convention in Minneapolis, Mimi, on
the first anniversary of the signing
of the armistice, November IL, 1919
In the interim between the tive
conventions, local posts have sprung
up in all parts of the country, under
the guidance of State Executive
Committees, and n drive for mil
lion members by November II has
met with n big response. At the
present time. Pennsylvania is sec
ond among the States of the Union
in the number of posts organized
under charters granted by the Ma
tional Executive Committee of the
Legion, and Harrisburg, with a field
of over three thousand service men
and women to work ON. should be
one of the strongest posts in the
State.
27th Post
Harrisburg's was the 27th post
to receive charter, which was
granted last May. After the Ma
tional convention in November. all
organizations will be made perma-
nent and new charters will be is
sued with the names of all men who
are enrolled as charter members up
to that time inscribed on the manu-
script. In addition to Post 81 two
other posts have sprung up in this
city. Pennsylvania Railroad Post,
which already boasts several hun
dred members. and a colored post,
Nfg.1,
fighters of this vicinity will join. No
name has as yet been selected for
Post %, but sentiment appears to
be strongly in favor of calling after
Lieutenant-Colonel Frank f. Ziegler
the ranking officer from this city
whose death occurred in service.
Objects of Society
Certain guiding principles, the ap-
plication of which bids fair to make
the American Legion a powerful
factor in the life of the country
for years to come, are contained in
the preamble to the constitution,
and are calculated to answer any
questions that may be asked as to
the why and wherefore of the ex-
istence of such an organization of
war veterans. The preamble says:
For God and my country we
hoSOtliIS OuiSelNtS IOSelneF IOf
the following purposes:
To uphold and defend the
Constitution of the United
States of America; to main
tain law and order; to foster
and perpetuate a one hundred
per cent. Americanism; to pre-
serve the memories and Incl
dents of our association in the
Great War; to include a sense
of individual obligation to the
community, State and Nation;
to combat the autocracy of both
the classes and the masses; to
make right the master of
might; to promote peace and
goodwill on earth; to safe
guard and transmit to posterity
the principles of justice, free
dom and democracy; to conse-
crate and sanctify our comrade-
ship by our devotion to mutual
helpfulness.
Already in various parts of the
country, Legion Posts have proven
their right to existence by taking
an active part in the suppress
sion of unlawful disturbances,
and it. is an assured fact that Har-
risburg's posts VII very soon be or
ga anized as an effective combination
against any untoward events that
| may oonceivably arise.