New Britain herald., 1919-11-08
THE AMERICAN LEGION.


 till open the second convention Of she organization which promises to #e the 'outcrop of the Great War ] sust as tho C. "A. R. has been the &esult ot the Civil War. The Am 4 4rican LegiQn, conceived in Paris and #hly aided in it's growth upon this, Side of the water by prominent figures in the doughb0y world. bids %lir to become the national organi- Patton of veterans. With over one billion members at tho present time. %s membership is rapidly growing End it should include at least fifty Fer cent. of the arrpcd forces of the Emitted States within q few Nnars. #here is no discrimination in it's b em berships for rank or service, the General the Major and tho Buck #rivato are known as Mister. no more, End women as we'll as men. wherever &ley did their duty arc eligible for # elnbcrship. In many cities there Have been formed posts which are Exclusively composed of members of e weaker sex who served as nurses, ptlr Army and Navy, or ambulance Y rivers.
 # The principles of the organization -e essentially American, if promises 8 lend it's cndcavors 10 a preserVa- on of law and order. "Policy not olitics" is it's watchvord. There ,n be naught but 8 rosy future for ! lch an aggregation of youthful, ncere citizens.
 At the close of the Civil War there #crc many factions arose, many or anizations which started with the e national one. These were finally elded into tho present C. A. R.. but < bt until there was much bitterness
 hausted and many striyingS for blitical advantage of one descIip- bn or another. The present time Rs been singuIarIy clear of such :un- 5eIllAGCo etllSiIlI'C tLL OIS@llLdl
 le clique of men who met abroad. q whose names are not even, known
 the ma ajoIity of Legion members
 inclusive proof that there is no blitics here, had definite idea of Es& e principles that would appeal to e men of the Army and Navy and n
 niza tior upon that plan, They ere good organizers, their scheme unded good and numerous men of
 ranks took hold of the proposi- I on with tho result that it at once
 canC q fayoIitC, thereby climinat-
 g much of the factional disputes
 at have heretofore been evident
 the first convention, in St Louis Ist fall. it was quickly apparent tha1
 g American Legion was bound tc
 a success and an carly one Re. |onses to the membership campaign
 lring the late summer of this veal
 ere very heavy. 1 llC [NilIGI iNfJi ItSloll III 4<S" H1l
 in is not as strong as that of othe1 |ties, nevertheless a good start has zen made in the forming of a loca
 pst. It, needless to say has adopted
 @ principles of the national orgapi
 ton in d broad way. As far as it,
 cal platform goes. it will cndcavo1' +,,I-I
 lilding for service men. C1uI
 oms will be requested in tho build
 E so that the C. A. k. and al
 terans of the last war will have
 mmon gathering place. In othc ties the Legion has been directl:
 strumcntal in obtaining sucl
 Farters, by means of drives and b, ising the money within it's owl
 nks. It does not discriminat
 Eainst any one who saw serlic
 lring the war, whether he or sh a member or not, but allows tn e of the club rooms which is en rely proper inasmuch as city mone
 cases where it has rented it's clu oms the usage of them has bee stricted to members.
 When the city of New Britain ta Ike
 eps toward providing a. memoria the soldiers it may we'll bear i C mind the wishes of the Legior lat a plan be made which will fur sh club rooms. They may not b nerican Legion rooms, ther &e other organizations in, the city hey might be used by the c. A. F