Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-10-29
WARNS EX-SOLD|ERS
AGAINST ALLEGED.
WAR VET SOCIETIES.
COMMANDER or OTTAWA POST,
AMERICAN LEGION, ISSUES
STATEMENT TO MEN WHO
SERVED IN LATE WAR.

Sounding warning against pro
miscuous Joining up OF alleged sol
diers and sailors organizations.
Glenn " WeeSe, commander OF OF
tawa Post, American Legion, today is
sued the following statement o. inter
est to all lanhs and gobs who served
with the colors during the late war
The statement, according to Com.
mander WeeSe, was prompted s"lely
by desire on his part to protect his
comrades against being hoodwinked
into parting with their hard earned
money by some institution or institu-
ticns which look only to the protit
side of the membership proposition.
Mr. Weese says
Among the many after the. war ac
'ivities. fer the more or less unScrupu
lous. none has been more profitable
than the promotion q. alleged organi
cations OF former service men where
a g,ittering button and IA high sound
ing title has been the chief stock Ill
trade and the chief claim to giol2.
That these efforts have become abOr-
tive has been due in great measure
to certain steps taken by the war de.
partment and Congress and the watch
iulness OF the press.
In the period following the Span
ish-American war scores tthese or.
ganizatiCns sprang into being, fOs-
.r, in. h., Vol lt- ,i,,n nxtt
yiduals. who then, as nov, were not
themselves soldiers or sailors, and
whose sole aim was to gull the un-
wary at so much per head. The
chaotic condition produced by such ii
situation can well he remembered b.
the veterans of that conflict. Happily
for the veterans, mes; of these orSani.
latiCns enjoyed mushroom sort Of
an existence and, like the humble bee,
was biggest in the borning, With the
rassaee OF time and tue elimination
Cf the ] Rufus Walling1ord. the gem
uine ORGANIZATIONS merged under the
name OF United Spanish War Nete'
rams and as such merit the cOnSidera
lion Of the country which they .ought
for But the wasted years are stu
bitterly regretted by the boys OF "S.
AT the conclusion OF active hosti!
lies in the present WAY the forces still
under arms. under the fostering care
OF the government, preceded 10 or
eanihe u vCteldnS' association which
was called the American Legion. 1t
was chartered by a special act OF Con.
eress and Is the only instance OF Con
ere - taxing such step for such an
organization at any time in our his.
tory. The ofiiciai stamp OF arproVu!
was therefore placed on the American
LCgiCn. and the press and pulpit o.
he United States have united in gi'
ing 1t their support As mighty buI
wark TO patriotic and unCompromisins.
Americanism
Unfortunately for the young We,
rams. with the signing Of the armis,ic@
came the usual gang Of promoters tu
reap the harvest from ,he unsuSpcct'
ing. Advertising was inserted in mag.
aHineS and periodicals calling upon
former service men 10 lon this or
that organization, by doing which they
paid . nominal sum and received a
lapel decoration ana the promoters
interest ceased forthwith
promoters OF some Oh thp't OIEuUl
cations viii find barren field A
vass majority OF our bo are already
members of the local post Of th.
American Legion, and it is not likely
that the remainder will be lead astray.
The' CHIEF argument put forward by
the promoters in their attempt to
hamper tine growth Of the Legion IS
! that II H. 4 sam Browne club. mean.
ing by that that it Is an officers or
ganization.' This "dud" Is easily ex'
| ploded by the fact that the American
| Legion is governed by the majority
voice OF its members. Nearly 1000
| 0O0 men are now active in the organi
cation The largest number OF OIL
GERS ever commissioned in the army
during the war was approximately
! 21G 600. If all of these one-time Off
GERS had Joined the American Legion
which they have not, they would BE-
| outnumbered nearly five to one at
this moment.