Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-18
SOLDIERS and SAILORS
Enlisted Men to Have a Say About
Things
TO have NATIONWIDE ORGANIZATION

Ian the Men Who Were Drafted for tn,
| World War are to Get Together Il
Protect Their Own Rights, and SCI
That They Are Not Exploited.
"Tm.not for the Bolshevism Of force
but for the Bolshevism Of justice ant
equality, security by the ballot box"
This declaration was made Tuesda!
by former Representative Ernest Lun
deem, of Minnesota, who has just beer
chosen counsel for the newly incorpor
ated Private Soldiers and Sailors
LEGION of the United States of Ameri.
lea"
Keep an eye on the private soldier
who served in this war; he. Is yet t.
be really heard FROM" Lundeen, 6
Spanish American war veteran, add.
ed as he stood in the Office at the cap.
itol which he must soon relinquisf
as a result of his defeat for reelection
last fall.
American soldiers have just begun
to pour home from overseas" Lun'
deem continued. They are not going
to be satisfied with charity, with pit
tance of $50 like the late congress
tackled on the revenue bill. Not they
They will find way to get that tc
which they are entitled If the next
congress does not make proper pro-
vision for them. know. I have min.
gled with many who have already re-
turned from over there They are de-
manding to know why the last con-
gress failed to provide for them. Just
wait until they register their resent
ment at the polls"
| Hardly had Lundeen concluded than
a well-knit figure in an overseas SER
vice uniform entered his office. Three
gold stripes glistened on one arm
Lundeen introduced the soldier as
Marvin G. Sperry. late Of Company F.
18th Railway Engineers, A. E. F., now
national president Of the private SOL
dicrs and sailors legion with national
headquarters at S02-10 F street, north
west, Washington, D. C..
'Is our organization going ahead
Just watch us grow" remarked Sper-
r., II have just sent organizers into
Mississippi, Kentucky Massachusetts
and Florida. We. will have an organi-
cation in every state before we are
through. Our objects? Fair play for
the soldier Is one."
Censures Court Martial.
Sperry said he was locomotive en-
gineer before he enlisted insthe army
when America entered the war. He
bitterly censured the courts-martial
system of the army. of which he COM
planned he had been a victim, be-
cause he explained, he Aad slipped
away and fought in the ranks of
Byng's (British) army on the west
em front without asking permission
to do so."
Here's one Of our objects" Sperry
continued as he produced a small
printed folder bearing the caption
SOLDIERS, Sailors and Marines in All
cities of the United States wanted
as organizers for the private soldiers
and sailors legion"
With one finger Of hand calloused
by hard toll he pointed out the follow
ing:
Thousands Of soldiers were sub
iected to needless hardships and pri-
vations by the unjustly heavy fines
| by incompetent and unfit officers In
court martial for insignificant, petty
infractions of military regulations.
Congress should at once take neces-
sary action to see that these fines be
promptly repaid to honorably dis
charged soldiers, sailors and mar
| ines"
Sperry emphatically denied that his
| organization was Bolshevistic in its
tendencies. 1--WE are not Bolsheviki,
he said. Our other objects? Read
this" Again he quoted from the fold
er:
List of Demands.
81. We demand prompt action by
congress to open up for demobilized
soldiers, sailors and marines the op-
portunity to employ their labor on
the unused lands and natural resourc-
es Of our country"
"2. And We don't want to be con-
fined to swamp lands, out-over stump
lands, and desert lands. either.
I've hold that the hundreds of mil
| lions Of idle acres Of good agricultural
mineral and timber lands and vacant
city lots are none too good for the use
of the soldiers who are conceded to
have saved civilization at $50 month
1--WE seek no crumbs Of private char
| ity: we accept no dole Of public aims;
we know our rights and we demand
them like men.
1--WE do not propose 70 be used as
crowbars to pry some other man or q
woman out Of a job. Nor do we in
tend to be recruited into an army OF
unemployed to be used as a lever to
force down the wages Of other citi-
zens."
Nor do we intend to starve or beg
Natures bounty has provided Uncle
Sam and all his nephews with ample
opportunity for all to work II the gov
ernment will only let down the bars
of monopoly and privilege"
Lundeen nodded his head IN ap-
proval as Sperry concluded:
"Bolshevistic?" Lundeen inquired
"If that be Bolshevism, make the most
of it. Must one be a Bolshevist be-
cause he speaks out and asks for JUS
tice and equality and all the rest he
is entitled to as a private soldier
drawn into a war that was supposed
to be for world freedom?"
81 am a nationalist" was Lundeens
concluding remark.
PROHIBITION ENFORCEMENT.
Authorities In Doubt as to Who ].