The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-05-20
YANKS TO FORM
NEW GRAND ARMY
OF THE REPUBLIC
Veteran of Worlds War Will
Organize Post of American
Legion Tonight
TO PLAN MEMORIAL DAY
Observance of Anniversary Ex-
pected to Be of Unusual
Solemnity May 30 , ,s
TO PLAN MEMORIAL DAY

"A OAsIAdICk post OF the new GranO
Army of the Republic will be organ.
lied at 7:30 this evening when Bis.
marck and Burleigh county veterans
OF the worlds war will assemble at
the state armory to form local
branch Of the American legion.
What the Grand Army of the Repub.
lic has, been to America during the
last fifty years the American legion
is expected to be during the half CEN
tury to come. AS, for almost a half
century the Grand Army of the Re-
public proved the most potent politi-
cal power in America, so for the next
fifty years the American legion is ex-
pected to WELD an important intlu-
ence over the destinies OF the worlds
greatest republic.
Purely Yank Organization.
The post to be organized in Bis
marck this evening will be urely
Yanks' organization. The meeting
has been called by Capt. r. H. Treacy,
a member Of the national executive
committee for North Dakota, and
Lieut.. Harold V. Semling, who were
among the delegates from this state
to the recent national convention in
st. Louis. Adjutant General G. Angus
Fraser, who was a delegate to both
the American legion and the National
Guard conventions in the Missouri me-
tropolis, will also be present this
evening. These three delegates will,
briefly explain what was done and
proposed at St. Louis, will state the
approved plan or organization, and
then will turn the meeting over to the
veterans, who will proceed to elect
their own officers and committees.
The American legion is altogether
demo n0cratic.s~It recognizes no rank .or
social caste. Its rewards are wholly
for service. 1t will be a great ma
tional organization in which the men
who served in the ranks will hold the
balance of power. The Bismarck post
to be organized this evening should
have an ultimate membership ranging
from 300 to 500, and it is expected to
Immediately assume leadership in
all patriotic activities, e.6
a.sf Memorial Day. =
Aside from the organization, one
of the important matters to come up
tonight will be proper observance
of Memorial day. This anniversary,
consecrated to our heroes of four
American wars, is but eleven days dis.
tant The day has taken on a ne:
significance. with the Bismarck and
Eurleigh county head who sleep, on
foreign fields Of honor. The capital
city will have to honor this year not
only the living veterans of the Civil
war, whose ranks have grown even
thinner during the last twelve.month:
not only those of our boys who fell in
the insular campaign during the Span.
ish war, but at least a half dozen Of
our best and bravest over whose last
resting place the lilies of France will
bloom this Memorial day.
The Bismarck post of the Ameri-
can legion will advocate a Memorial
day not given over to sports and to
holiday festivities, as 1t has too often
been in the past, but a solemn day of
reconsecration to the ideals for which
those to whom this day was dedicated
rendered up their lives. It is proba-
BILE that plans will be made this even
ing for Memorial day parade, with
Continued on Page FOur.I