Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-11-28
WHAT THE AMERICAN LEGION
Is AND WHAT 1T STANDS FOR

People ask, What is the American
Legion?" 1t is a post war organiza-
tion of men who were in service be-
tween April 6. 1917 and November
III, 1918; a non-partisan, non-sectar-
ian organization of the men who put
on the uniform when the country
needed them.
The first meeting was held in Pa
ris, France in May, 1918, with an at
tedance OF about twenty thousand
soldiers, sailors and marines. Here
the dougboy met the general, and the
COB came in contact with the admir-
al on equal terms for all military
rank was abolished for the time be-
ing and everyone was merely a man
and an American and plans for the
organization in America were. discus
sed. Later in this country the lead
ers, among them Colonel Roosevelt.
with nothing more than their nerve
to go on, brought about the first ma
tional meeting in st. Louis, Mo-, and
there IL was that the national organ
ization was perfected. It's purpose
was to promote 100 per cent Amer
icanism throughout the nation. Ev-
eryone will admit that 1t took the war
to really wake us up to that fact first
and above all things else, to remind
US that we are Americans and to
teach us what that means. II is not
necessary to repeat here what II does
mean to be an American, but we don't
want to let that spirit die now that
we hope there will be no more wars
The Legion is criticised by some
who declare that 1t will become a DO
litical machine. The constitution
states that the American Legion as
an organization will not support any
man who seeks political office or pre-
ferment. That each man shall cast
his ballot and conduct himself as a
citizen as his own conscience dictates,
not as the Legion commands. At the
last national convention. which was
held in Minneapolis 1t was voted that
no office holder of the American Le-
gion might hold public office. Does
this not show the good faith OF the
organization in making its statements
of non-political nature?
In the campaign for members much
criticism and opposition is met be-
cause some fear that to become a
member is to place oneself under the
military control OF the government.
and that It will be like the army,
the buck private will have no chance
In fact the buck private will have
the greater chance because he is in
the majority, that Is. of course II any
rank were to be recognized, which II
is not. Most of the arguments are
founded on the oath sworn to by the
members. which is this: "T solemnly
swear that will support and defend
the United States OF America and its
institutions against all enemies, for
eign and domestic; that ] will sup
port and aid in carrying out the bur-
poses Of this association; that have
never evaded military duty on the
ground OF conscientious objections to
bearing arms or aiding the armed
forces of the United states-so help
me God"
Certainly there Is nothing said in
that which implies obligations to mil
itary duty. To defend the United
States OF America and its institutions
against all enemies. both foreign and
domestic! Why. every man and wo-
man born in this country Is born
with that obligation resting on his
or her shoulders. Surely no one can
object to taking such an oath as that.
Some Of the things done by the
national organization were the plae-
ing Of resolutions before congress