The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-08
Bill Which Officially Incorporates It
as a National Organization of War
Veterans of Great War is
Signed.
is FIRST ONE HoNoRED
This is the Only Time in History Of
Our Country That Congress Has
Done Such Thing-Presi- =
dent Signed It in West.

In bulletin which will be sent to
all state branches and five thousand
local posts of the American Legion
throughout the United States, Henry
d. Lindsey. chairman of the ma
tional executive committee, explains
the significance Of the legion's act Of
national Incorporation which was
passed by congress and signed by
President Wilson on his recent tour
of the west. The. bulletin says:
"a great victory for the American
Legion has been won by the passage
in congress of the Wolcott,Johnson
bill, to which President Wilson has
affixed his signature, officially in
cooperating the American Legion as
the national organization Of Ameri-
can veterans of the great war. No
other association of this kind has
ever been thus honored by congress
in the history of the United States.
"The bill, introduced in the house
by Representative Johnson Of South
Dakota and in the senate by Senator
Wolcott of Delaware, made record
time through congress to become a
law in September President Wilson
signed the bill in his private car at
the Pacific coast cities.
"In addition to the advantages de-
rived for carrying on the national
act of Incorporation gives the young
est veterans association official
standing in the nation. Six months
ago the founders Of the legion dream
ed of its possibilities in France. In
corporation over the signature of the
president means that the American
Legion has arrived-that it has been
accepted by congress as potent FAC
tor in the national life of America.
"The legion is removed irrevocably
from party politics by that section
of the bill which provides that the
organization shall be non-political.
and as an organization shall not pro-
mote the candidacy of any person
seeking public office.
eligibility to the legion corpora
ton is limited to persons who served
in the naval or military service OF
the United States at some time dur
ing the period between April 6, 1917,
and November IL, 1918, both dates
inclusive, or who, being citizens OF
the United States at the time Of en-
listment, served in the military or
naval forces of any of the govern
ments associated with the United
States during the war with Germany
1.-THE corporation is required, on
or before the first of January each
year, to transmit to congress re
port of it's proceedings for the pre-
ceding calendar year, including full
and complete report of its receipts
and expenditures.
"The original incorporators of the
American Legion are the national
executive committee Of thirty-foul
and the chairmen of all the states
District of Columbia and territorial
possessions, and are as follows:
| William S. Beam, of North Carolina.
Charles II. Brent, of New York.
| William II. Brown, of Connecticut.
G. Edward Buxton, Jr., Rhode Island
Bennett c. Clark, of Missouri.
| Richard Derby, of New York
L. H. Eyridge. Of Texas.
i Milton J. Foreman, of Illinois.
Ruby D. Garrett, of Missouri
Fred ]. Griffith, of Oklahoma.
| Roy C. Haines, of Maine.
John F. J. Herbert, of Massachusetts
Roy Hoffman, of Oklahoma.
Fred B. Humphreys, Of New Mexico
John w. liner, Of Alabama.
Stuart S. Janney, of Maryland.
Luke Lea of Tennessee.
I Henry Leonard, Of Colorado.
Henry D. Lindsey, of Texas.
! Ogden L. Mills, of New York.
Thomas w. Miller, Of Delaware.
! Ildward Movers. of Pennsylvania.
Franklin D'Olier, of Pennsylvania.