The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-05-14
LEGION TO HAVE
A MEMBER PUSH"
Week of May 1922 Designated
for Big Push" for New Men,
bers of American Legion.
NO CONTRIBUTIONS ASKED
Public Is Not Asked to Contribute
Funds But Is Urged to Lend Its
Moral Support in Enrolling
New Members.


campaign for new members the week
of May 1922 that will be different"
The great American puClic, which
has been the "drivee" in so many in
tensive efforts of the last several
years, has cultivated a fine taste in
campaigns. 1t has come to be able
to spot a good drive from one that is
poorly handled. 1t can distinguish
points of variety in campaign. 1t
mas become connoisseur in appeal.
The public, then, will be quick to
recognize the essential difference of
this American Legion effort.
In the first place, it is not "drive"
but push" Back in the dim days
of the early war publicity experts
borrowed the word "drive" from the
slang of the day. Everyone who went
ouSafter something fell into the easy
habit of calling his campaign a
drive" Then, when it came time
for the men who really knew what a
war drive" was to go out after new
members for their Legion, they found
that the word "drive" was as punch
less as blank cartridge. They had
to dig themselves up new word. So
they called their campaign push;
which is a great deal like a "drive"
except that it goes farther in implying
relentless effort and resistless force.
A feature that the great general
public should be quick to realize is
that they, members of the public, will
not be called on to contribute any,
thing except good will. Positively
no money contributions will be ex-
pected or received from them. They
will be expected to exhibit their friend
ship, but not their checkbooks.
Only some three million men are
eligible to take active benefit of the
Legion campaign. The organization
now has enrolled more than million
and half former service men and
women, leaving some three million
who can belong but do not.
The "push," then, is aimed directly
at this minority, All of the combined
efforts of the million and half of
their fellows will be devoted to bring
ing the absent into the field. Which
means that every legionnaire will have
to take on and convince two comrades.
Only about one man in twenty is
eligible to join the Legion. 1t is per-
fectly safe to say that hundreds of
thousands of loyal Americans would
give good deal if they were eligible,
by reason of active army, navy or
marine service, to come into the Leg
ION. But they cannot, and it is only
the three million who are privileged
to take advantage of the "push."
But the Legion has no intention of
passing up the general public, simply
because it is not asking anything from
the public. The Legion keenly desires
to interest every American in it's
push" because it believes it is to
every Americans interest to be inter-
ested, which is not as ambiguous as
it sounds.
e While only one American in twen-
ty may be privileged to come into the
Legion, every American must support
in his heart the Legion's platform,
"For God and Country" Leaders in
every field of American life have
gladly and spontaneously endorsed
the Legion's aspirations. It is widely
recognized, although less than fifteen
months old, as the greatest force for
the established order in these United
States.
That the general public feels that
this is true is shown by the way prom
lnent citizens have come forward to
lend their aid. General Pershing has
endorsed the campaign and urged ell
igible men to join the Legion. Lieut.
Gen. Robert Lee Bullard, commanding
the department Of the east, has in
cluded the same recognition in gener-
al orders.
Various welfare and civic organiza-
tions have endorsed the "push" and
have volunteered to lend speakers and
equipment to help make it success.
So the general public shows that it
refuses to stay out. If citizen can
not come in himself he intends to do
his part to see that the eligible men
do come in.
The Legion intends making special
efforts to capture those men-and
there are hundreds of thousands of
them-who have every facility for
joining a post but who are the vic
TINS of inertia. These men-and wo-
men-know they are eligible to be-
come legionnaires; they approve the
Legion's principles; they have always
intended coming in, but they have
simply put off doing so for the same
reason of inertia that keeps men from
taking out enough insurance or ma
king their wills.
They belong in, and they know if.
The Legion plans to get them by
backing them into a figurative corner.
flashing an application blank in their
faces and painlessly extracting their
names and dollars.
Efforts also will be made to get
army, navy and marine corps men
who are eligible. Posts located near
lamps are expected to actively 90 out
after these fellows. Another special
sortie will be made against collegians.
members of faculties.
The nation-wide "push" is expected
% reach men in the most Inaccessible
places. Any fifteen ex-service men
IAN form their own post by getting
'ogether and applying to national
headquarters for application blanks.
t is believed that no locality is 50
.hinly settled that it cannot scare nm
fifteen former fighters who can band
,ogether for social and Legion pur-
poses.
Incidentally, the campaign will reach
nto the far corners of the earth. Al !