The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-03-27
Tells Why Indianapolis
 Was Chosen As A. |. HQrS.

Why did they locate the national at Indianapolis?
 This is question that many dele gates to the Minneapolis convention of the American Legion are unable to answer. They know that Indianapolis was not one of the three cities re- ported favoraibly on by the committee, that a minority report was presented on the floor of the convention, result ing in the election of Indianapolis as permanent headquarters of the organ ization.
 I Fred Bates Johnson, an Indianapo- lis attorney and one of the Hoosi CT delegates to the convention, was asked how the Indianapolis delegation man oeuvred to secure the headquarters.
 Tt was a case of superior salesman ship, as I see it,'' said MT. Johnson That means, as you know, faith in the superior quality of the product you're trying to sell, a thorough knowledge of the article, and hard work.
 We not only worked hard in try l ing to convince the members of the committee that Indianapolis was the I logical locahon---we tried to sell the city to every delegate we could talk
  we had lost out in committee, we felt pretty confident we could win by rais- ing the question on the floor of the convention, and we did.
 I've had a delegation thoroughly 1 well informed on the advantages the 1 city afforded as a headquarters cen l ter. The line of argument was, of course shaped to fit the particular 1 delegate with whom we were dealing, and all in line with a pre-arranged plan. I'm not saying that the political ] bent naturally inherent in every Hoo- sier may not have helped us in win ming out over the competing cities. l "Our first argument was that In- idianapoIis was the ideal convention or l headquarters city because it is only sixty miles from the center of popu- 1 lation and thus most accessible to the l largest number of members. We ex- plained that with 15 railroads and 13 1 electric interuuban lines this greatest ] inland railway center was easily and directly reached from all parts of the country.
 l "We showed them how more cities 1 of 20,G00 population and over can be reached at nights ride from Indian apolis than from any other city in the United States. embracing a zone in- cludtng Chicago, Milwaukee. Detroit ! Toledo, Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh 1 Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Chat ] tanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, St, Louis, Peoria and Springfield. Over 1 two million people five within two ! hours ride of the city and over 6O,000, 900 can be reached over night.
 ''We also argued that the fact the ] city was an ideal headquarters loca- ; ton was evidenced by the number ot ] national headquarters already located
 here, listed among these the United
 Mine Workers of America, Interna-
 tional Brotherhood of Bookbinders
 International Typographical union
 International Brotherhood of Team
 sters and Chauffeurs, Bricklayers
 Masons and Plasterers Internationa
 union, Barbers' International union and the International Brotherhood ot
 Carpenters and Joinefs. This array i of labor organizations assured the ap- ! proval of the thousands of legior i members belonging to labor organ | izations.
 i 'sWe said we could assure all ex 1 service men of a most cordial welcome 1 as Indianapolis had always beer most appreciative of the heroes. IT
 proof of this, witness the soldiers an( | sailors monument which was erectef ] thirty years ago, costing then ovel i $500. .O0O-a monument almost 30( feet in height-and the patriotic man 1 ncr in which Indianas sons have an i swered the call in all previous wars.
 "AIl were surprised to learn tha i Indianapolis has the most complet electric traction terminal building il
 the world, where more than 20, ,00 | passengers each day arrive and de
 part on about 800 high-speed electri | inter-urban cars. The fact that w 1 built the first union railway station il
 the world also appealed to many.
 eve found few knew that Indian
 apolis was the home city of the lat
 Vice President Charles w. Fairbanks
 the home city of Vice President Mar l shall, the late James Whitcomb Rifle, l and the late Benjamin Harrison; o Booth Tarkington, Meredith Nicholson
 and other literary men of nationa ! note.