The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-10-02
RIGHTS OF STATES FAVORED BY POSTS
 OF LEGION IN SOUTH
Southern Representatives Take This Position in Re- gard to Granting Posts
 to Negroes

The posts of the American legion in the south will adhere rigidly to the principle of states rights if the resolution adopted at the meeting of southern ex- ecutive officers at the Tutwiler 1 hotel yesterday governs their future actions. The stand taken by the representatives of most of the southern states means that the delegates at the na- tional convention i'll Minneap- oils in November from this sec ton will insist upon each state
 aving complete control of the granting of charters and per sonnel of the various posts. 1 The adoption of this resolution at the meeting yesterday came after full and free discussion of the ques- tion of granting charters for posts composed of negro members. While the concensus of opinion was unques tionably against such action, 1t was held to be improper for the delegates fro mthe southern states to attempt to interfere with the internal organi- lzations within the several states and that they should stand upon their l right by insisting upon each state regulating this matter according to its own desires.
 l Yesterdays meeting was called by Col. Henry D. Lindsley, chairman or the national executive committee or the American legion, and was for the purpose of discussion alone At the present time the national organization is only tentative; the permanent oreani- i zation of the legion will take place Tn Minneapolis on November 10, 12 and F, the time set for the national con vention Nothing that was sa1d at yesterdays meeting is binding on the national organization. nor on any or the state organizations. The whole idea l of the meeting was to give the officers 1 of the present state organization an opportunity to familiarize themselves 1 with the questions that are to come up at the national convention with the l idea that between now and November they can ascertain the sentiment in their own state organizations and lay their plans for participation in the dis cussions that will arise at Minneapolis
 SOUTH HAS FEW MEMBERS | Approximately 20 delegates were present every southern state being rep resented except Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida Colonel Linds- lev was selected to preside. with H. H. Raege, who accompanied him, as sec- retary.
 | Following the organization of the meeting. Colonel Tindsley po'nted out to the delegates the fact that the le- zion had already become nationally im- portant; that it's growth had been phe- nomenal. and that it was the first vet eran organization in history that had been chartered by Congress. He then called the attention of the members to the unfortunate fact that the south is far behind the rest of the country in the number of members, and that as the number of delegates to the national convention depends upon the number l of paid memberships he urged that ev- | paign for members as much as possible during the next few weeks.
 | 'Tn view of the fact that at the na- | tional convention many important questions will arise for discussion and definite action,' he said, "it is neces- i sary that the southern delegates ac- quaint themselves with these questions and prepare themselves to urge the viewpoint of those whom they Will rep- resent at Minneapolis Among the more important of these matters are: | The bonus question. the future military policy of the United States, and the proposition of bringing back from France the bodies of those Americans who are buried there. And most vital of all to the southern states is the ne- gro problem, the question whether the negro is to be admitted to membership in the legion, and if so, to what extent.
 DISCUSS NEGRO QUESTION Today we should discuss that ques- <, tion in all it's phases. decide what we think will be the proper attitude for the south to take at Minneapolis, and 1 having reached that decision, be pre- pared to present a solid front at the national convention. Of course, what we decide will not be binding on any states representatives if the other members of the state posts do not favor it. We will simply get a definite idea of what we think should be our position, based on what has already been said to us and our experience to date, then we will have something to work on in the state conventions that will precede the national convention"
 In the subsequent discussion Iit-
 tie was left unsaid that pertained
 in any American legion. The dele
 gates were first asked to state what
 had been done by their respective
 states and their disclosures re-
 vealed the interesting fact that aI-
 most every proposition is already
 in process of being tried out. Two
 of the states have granted charters
 to several negro posts; others ex- pressed a willingness to do so if ap-
 plicatiOns are presented.
 I WOULD RENOUNCE LEAGUE
 Two states expressed the inten-
 tion of renouncing the legion alto-
 gether if it became necessary to
 grant charters to negroes and one 1 has already adopted . constitution | slv fsnvpI lat hat