Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-05-21
CIVIL WAR VETERAN
GIVES PUBLIC WARNING
10 LATE WAR VETS
General Sherw6od Warns Soldiers
Agalnsa Cliqae Control When Perm-
Ing Permanenf Body


General Isaac RI Sherwood. member
Of Congress from Ohio and long prom
inent lii the AFFAIRS of the Grand Army
81 the Republic. has issued d friendly
warning to the returning soldiers not
to permit themselves TO be enrolled In
organizations which they themselves
cannot control
This warning. which appears in q
signed Interview published In 8 mill
tary journal 1.-THE American Army Ga
xestel has attracted wide attention
here where the developments at the
St Louis Caucus OF the American
Legion have been closely followed by
men In public life.
Says the Civil War veteran to the
veterans Of this latest war
Of course, the soldiers of this
world war will organize All soldiers
of ali wars since the Declaration Of
independence have organized George
Washington organized what was
known as the Order or Cincinnati.
made Up exclusively of the officers
who commended companies. hrigades,
divisions and armies during the seven
years war for independence The SOL
diers of the Civil war, bothSSortn and
South, have maintained organizations
for over fifty years, and these orders
are still In existence
Immediately following the snrren-
der 81 the armies Of the Confederacy,
In April, 1865. our heroic soldiers,
over two million men organized first
the Grand Army Of the Republic, fol-
lowed by the Unions Veteran Legion,
and several other organizations, based
upon long service at the battle front.
Then the officers Of that army, In imi-
tation of the Order BIZ Cincinnati. or
ganized the Loyal Legion, made up
exclusively Of officers who saw battle
service. The most numerous body to-
day Is the Grand Army Of the Repub-
lie, containing about forty per cent
OF all the surviving soldiers Of that
four years, confiics.
1T Is inevitable and desirable thai
the soldiers az this world war should
form permanent body Of brother
hood, not only to perpetuate In the
memory Of this generation and the
coming generations the achievements
On the battle fields of France Of our
own heroic soldiers, but as perma-
nent appeal to the citizenship Of the
Republic OF the patriotic principles
and ideals involved in that great con-
fiict.
Whether the new organization, en1-
bracfng the soldiers of this war for
democracy, should organize III sepa-
rate groups. Is serious question
Ny own idea is that all tho soldiers
whether serving as officers or as pri-
Yates, should form one common broth
erhood, Recognizing no distinction aH
to rank
zone OF the mistakes made In the
organization OF the Grand Army OF the
Republic was to give those soldiers
holding positions as Post Commander
ana as State Commander and National
Commander, preference over the rank
and file iii all It's deliberations In State
and National encampments by making
said 0fficers life delegates. These for
life delegates have now become 80
numerous and powerful that they con-
troll and dominate the deliberations
of the National encampments Of the
Grand Army. While they may not be
10 numerous ISIS the duly elected del
egates from Grand Army Posts, they
are better organized and more famil-
lar with parliamentary PROCEEDINGS.
This system has always appealed
To me AZ being undemocratic and I'M
American, il not absolutely unfair To
the great body Of men who stood be-
hind the guns. and who have not re-
ceiyed ofFlciaI honors. 1t has also
created what Is called House 81
Lords, which has been able to con-
troll largely the deliberations and pol
icIes OF the Grand Army for the past
qaaftAr Of century
In other words. / believe that the
coming soldier organization. which Is
bound to be the greatest In the his
tory of this Republic, should be con-
trolled in all its deliberations and
policies and aims By majority Of the
men who stood behind the guns. which
constitute the numerous bodies Of all
solder organizations II should be,
III fact, an organization to promote in
IN the present and in the future that
vital spirit at democracy which was
the pYasenk and iii the future that