Evening star., 1920-03-07
AMERICAN LEGION,
year OLD TODAY,
TO OBSERVE Event
Program at Central High In.
*cIudes Address by Gen.
r Pershing.

Tho American Legion is one year
ofd~today.
Washington has more than a pass
iHg interest in the anniversary, for
George Washington Post. No. ], the
pioneer post of the order, was or
gahized in this city, and a celebration
upder its auspices will be held in the
Central High School auditorium at
4ebclock this afternoon. with Gen.
John J. PershinS as, the principal
epeakGr.
The meeting will be open to all
members of the order who wear the
laEion button. or who present their
s2O membership card. The only spe-
Cial privilege enjoyed by the members
OF the George Washington Post Will
be that they may he accompanied by
deir wives. officers of the legion
are urging all members to reach the
auditorium between $50 and $50
PM. as seats will not be held for
them after the latter hour.
Other Speakers on Program.
Speakers other than Gen. Pershing
VIII be Representative julius Kahn
ot California, chairman of the House
cecamittee on military affairs, and
c. -. Lester Jones, first commander
OK the first post and now commander
os dhe District of Columbia depart
ineht of the American Legion. Ken
NStn a. hCNdt, Tie present
dar. of George Washington Post, will
make the address of welcome, and
i;by W. Winton, junior vice comman-
der. will read a history of the or
lSniZation.
When organized in Washington on
March Z, 1919, this post took the name
OF General Pershing Post. NO. !.
n continued under that title until
tno.s-AmerIcan Legion caucus In 81.
Lohis last May. wnere II was agreed
that no post should be named after
"a living man, and General Pershing
Post accordingly was rechristened
George Washington Post. Because
OF this early association OF the local
post with the one-time commander
Of the American expeditionary forces.
commander Jones and his associates
IRE particularly pleased at having
obtained Gen. Pershing as a speaker.
whiIe that officer has expressed him
self tas very glad to appear before
the post of which he is a member and
which for a time bore his name.
Program of Exercises.
The complete program for this aft
ernoon Is the most pretentious yet at
tempted by the American Legion in
Washington, and in detail Is as FOL
lows:
Organ prelude. Miss Edith b. Athey.
The Star Spangled Banner" adopt
ed az the American Legion anthem.
by tie Marine Band.
Invocation. by Rev. John ". Daily.
chaplain of George washington Post
Address of Welcome by Pest Com
mander McRae.
Hymn. Onward. Christian Soldiers"
by the audience.
George Washington Post, No. l." by
Junior Vice Commander Winton, act
ing historian.
Patriotic songs written and sung
by Joseph Conlin. tenor. accompanied
by Miss Athey.
Address by Department Commander
Jones.
Smiles" sung by the audience.
Address by Representative Kahn.
American compositions. The Doe
akin Blanket" and THE Young War
rior." Mr.. Conlin. accompanied by
Now You've Como Back" sung by
Address BY Gen. Pershing.
"Atnenca." sung by the audience.
BeDediction by Rev. Daily.
Organ postlude by Miss Athey.
HSw Legion Was Organised.
The foundation of what was to be-
como George Washington Post, No. I.
ary 5, 1919, where a group of men
who had served during the war met
to discuss what steps should be taken
to form an order of war veteranA Az
a result a general call was issued to
thoee interested to meet at the Cosmos
Club. on March Z following, at which
time, 2S7 veterans assembled and or
ganised the premier post of the
American Legion.
The first meeting at the Cosmos
first Paris caucus Of American war
veterans. and the organization meet
ing in this city was eight days in
advance Of the date Of the bermanent
nr0a ~ % II
priority Of George Washington Post IL
beyond question.
On March the Following cablegram
was sent to Gen. Pershing. then
II have the honor to inform you
that on March Z the first veteran post
of the world war was organized in
the Nations Capital. which was
unanimously named General Pershing
Post. No. 1. Delegates were named
TO confer with representatives. from
our forces overseas looking toward
early formation Of national organisa-
tion. E. LESTER JONES.
Post Commander"
cableEram was received through the
War Department by Commander Jones
two days later:
please convey my thanks to Col
Jones and his comrades for honor
done me in comforting my name upon
rost," This was signed by Gen.
Pershing.
National Meeting in 81. Louis.
The f1rst national gathering Of rep
resentatives Of the American Legion
in this country was the st. Louis
caucus, held May s, 9 and 10 of last
year Eight delegates and as many
alternates represented the District Of
Columbia at that meeting. and the
constitution of what was then General
Pershing Post was taken as a model
for the national constitution framed
hy the caucus This was followed
very largely by the committee which
'irew up the permanent constitution
adopted at the national convention Of
the legion in Minneapolis last Novem-
Der. Of which committee Commander
Jones was a member.
To conform with the action taken
in st. Louis. the name Of the local
post was formally changed to George
Washington Post on May 19 Of last
year. and at the same time the De-
partment of the District Of Columbia
was created. with Col. Jones as de-
partment commander.
Million In 1890 Pests.
From a single post with 287 veter-
ans year ago the American Legion
until il embraces 20 posts. with q
total membership of 5000 Moro than
200 posts have been organized in the
United States. and the membership
i well past the million mark
The commanders of the General Perish
inS-George Washington Post have
been +. Lester Jones, John Lewis
adjutants have been Howard s. Fisk.
now departmental ad1utant: Leslie H.
Jackson and George L. Boyle.