The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-09-13
First Steps Launched 70 Get Grady
Soldiers and Sailors Started To-
ward Permanent oreaniza-
ton Post Here.
CALL FIRST SESSION
FOR THURSDAY NIGHT
Perfect Chapter and Name Delegates
to State Convention is Purpose;
Aims of Legion Outlined
In Booklet.


American Legion, an organization OF
the American veterans of the World
war, are being promoted by DR.. l..
e. Emanuel and other Grady county
men who answered the call to the
colors in the recent bloody conflict.
Solicitors are at work over the
entire county and up to yesterday
afternoon, more than hundred re-
turned soldiers had signed up for
membership in the Legion. Doctor
Emanuel, who served as major in
the medical detachment overseas,
hopes for a 1000 membership in the
Grady county chapter.
The permanent organization will
be perfected at meeting called for
next Thursday night at the city hall
in this city
Those Eligible to Membership
According to DR. Emanuel, any sol
dier, sailor or marine who served
honorably between April 6, 1917 and
November IL, 1918, and women who
were regularly enlisted or commits
stoned in the army, navy or marine
corps, are eligible for membership
i'll the American Legion.
The organization, he says, is non
partisan and non-poltical. II is a
civilian organization-not military or
militaristic. Nearly all of is mem
bers, he explains, are men who were
civilians before the war, and are now
again civilians. The American Le-
gion makes no distinction of rank and
no distinctions between overseas men
and men who did not get overseas.
Among the men who initiated the
formation Of the Legion are: Lt.-Col.
Theodore Roosevelt of the First di-
vision; Sergt. Alvin G. York, of Ten
nessee and Charles w. Whittlesey
commander of the Lost Battalion"
Membership Fec $10o Annually
Membership fee in the American
Legion is $100 annually. Twenty
five cents of this goes to the national
headquarters, similar amount to
state headquarters and the remain
ing amount of fifty cents into the
treasury of the local post.
1t is thought by those promoting
the organization of the American
Legion that funds collected in this
manner will be more than ample
after the Legion is fully organized.
In order, however, to finance the
national headquarters at 19 West
44th street, New York City, during
the organization period, fund is
being raised in the form of advances
from the members and friends of the
Legion in about twenty-five leading
cities in the United States by a
finance committee, of which John w.
Prentiss, who was a lieutenant col
onel during the war and who headed
the Red Cross subscription campaign
is chairman 1t is the intention of
the Legion that these advances be
! repaid in the future.
Purposes Of Legion
The aims and purposes of the
American Legion are explained in
the preamble of the organization,
The preamble, as given out by DR.
Emanuel, is as follows:
For God and Country. we associate
ourselves together for the following
purposes: To uphold and defend the
Constitution of the United States ql
America; to maintain law and ORDER
to foster and perpetuate a one hun
, dred per cent Americanism; to pre-
serve the memories and incidents
of our association in the Great War
to inculcate a sense of individual
obligations to the community, state
and nation; to make right the master
of might; to promote peace ant
good will on earth; to safeguard and
transmit to posterity the principles
of justice, freedom and democracy
to consecrate and sanctify our com
radeship by our devotion to mutua
helpfulness."
Convention Armistiee Day
Communications stating that th'