The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-05-15
THE VOICE OF THE VETERANS

mans accused Of crimes.
-
THE VOICE OF THE VETERANS
The country has heard from "th
veterans" They are coming home to
DAY in. all parts Of the country fron
three lively days in st. Louis, durinI
which this new American force mad
more noise than America ever hear,
them make while the war was on, ant
from this session Massachusetts mel
gre bringing home their share Of tn,
honor
They had their first real chance Il
speak out in meeting. After being
for two years in an organization wher,
men do not air their personal opinions
to0 frcely--where men have to do "as
ordered" that some began 10 fear
these men would cease to be thinkers
= all--they have lifted the lid or
speech.
And they made themselves heard.
The country was listening at the
keyholes Of this St. Louis meeting, al
which the organization of a world wal
veterans association was undertaken
Certain things the country had expect
ed to hear.
First, there would be an organized
move to get more pay from the Gov
ernment, in one way or another. That
was confidently predicted. And there
WAS, in fact, such an organized pro-
'Kram--but it did not 60 through. In
spite Of the haphazard, inconsiderate
way in which the Government has
turned back into civilian life more
than 100000 soldiers, these st. Louis
veterans unanimously rejected petit
ton for six months extra pay for dis
charged men!
"We are not here to get something
out of the Government. The
legion ought to put something into the
Government" That was the burden
of the speech which swung the conven-
ton on this first point.
Then, too, the country was half ex-
pecting Spring airing of grievances
against the Regular Army establish
ment, which served as the framework
for the whole American Army in this
war. But no word of that came out in
formal meeting. Nor did the expected
anti-prohibition protest see the light
of day.
What did NOT happen was one sur
prise. But what DID happen was a
greater surprise.
In each days session there blazed
forth spirit which swept the conven-
ton. In other years it might have
been called patriotism; now it is call
ed Americanism.
A certain amount Of patriotic thrill
ling was forecasted. 1t was to be ex-
pectcd that the flag under which these
men fought would be waved at their
first postwar gathering. But the
demonstration went far beyond the
stage. Spontaneously
her burst out cheers and shouting and
oratory denouncing anything which
seemed to these men to threaten that
A soldier from Seattle came quietly
o the convention, informing those he
net that he represented the Soldiers
md Sailors Council of his city. He
night as safely have waved his red
lag before. a bull. His career as
lclegate was at an end the instant !
he convention sensed the possibilities
# Soldiers and Sailors Council DEL
gate sitting in the American Legion.
Episode No. 2: Chicago delegates,
rue to form as boosters from big
city, urged the legion TO
ONE to Chicago for its first meeting
iext November, on the first anniver-
airy of the armistice But that invi-
alton touched the same powder maga-
ines. Chicago, because its Mayor was
harged with UN-Americanism, was
5 unpopular as the Seattle Soldiers
nd Sailors Council.
And perhaps it was the same red
lcoded enthusiasm which started the
hot on the trail of those
tho treated conscientious objectors
Whether it was or not, those three
icidents of the convention-Seattle,
hicago and the objectors-gave the
rst gathering Of the veterans its big
gnifcance. 4
Those 1000 men had come from
very State, even from every Congress
onal District in the country. (They
ad been chosen in various ways, not {
ute clearly defned.) They repre- {
,nted all ranks Of the Army, Navy /
nd Marine Corps. They were men !
ho could have travelled to st. Louis 9
private cars and men who would @
ave been more at home on the brake s
.ams. III
But they stood together on one plat 8
rm and called it Americanism. They c
I'd fought and defeated German mill y
ry autocracy, SO that the institutions a
their own democracy might 70 on S
'acefully working out their salvation. .
ney came home and are disturbed to d
ID something seemingly threatening il
e democracy from another quarter. a
And they are ready to accept the n
allcnge. Americanism is written on q
cir banner.