Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-01-02
LEGION TELLS ITS
OBJECTS TO LABOR
SEATTLE POST DENIES STRIKE
BREAKING PLANS IN LETTER
TO UNIONS.

Alleging persist mt efforts At the
radical element in certain branches OF
organized labor to dissuade ex-serv-
ice men who are members of unions
from joining posts of the American
Legion, and on account of alleged fla
grant Misrepresentation made in the
attempt, Rainier Post 81, American
Legion, of Seattle, has taken the lead
in a movement to place the objects
and policies of the American Legion
squarely before the labor unions.
AS preliminary step toward es
tablishing thorough understanding
with the labor unions as to the atti-
tude of the American Legion. circu-
lar letter has been sent by Rainier
Post to the Central Labor Council
and to each labor organization in Sc
attic, which sets forth the policy OF
Rainier Post and calls attention to
the cardinal principles of the Amer
lean Legion's national constitution
showing that membership in no way
affects the interests of organized
labor.
The circular letter is as follows:
The attention Of this post has
been called to the fact that there is
being carried on among the union
men of this city campaign to dis
credit the American Legion in the
eyes of the laboring men.
1.-THE statements made in this cam
paign are so absolutely untrue and
work such an injustice to our organ
ization that we feel it is our duty to
call the matter to the attention of
the unions officially and present to
you the true facts in reference to it.
"Our organization is composed very
largely of union men. During the
time of our service in the war, we all
established most intimate relations
with members of the unions and we
do not feel that it would be fair,
either to us or to the men in the
unions who have not joined the
American Legion. to permit these
statements to remain unchallenged.
eve wish to assure you it is our
very sincere desire to continue the
bonds of friendship that were forged
by the service between all men in the
various branches of the service and
that it is because of this desire that
| this letter is written. We therefore
request that this communication be
given your serious consideration and
also all possible publicity among the
members of your organization.
while there have been large
number of statements made in an at
tempt to discredit the Legion, there
are three that are particularly serious
and concerning which we are partic-
ularly anxious to present the true
facts
"The first of these is the claim
which is generally made that the
American Legion is an officers or
ganization, founded on the principle
of caste distinction between officers
and enlisted men for the purpose of
creating and perpetuating an officers
caste in our civilian life. In answer
to this, we first wish to call your at
tention to the provision in our ma
tional constitution. on which the con-
stitution of every post in the Legion
in the country is based, which prohib-
it's the reference to any member of
the organization in any meeting of
the Legion by his military title.
"All members of the organization
are placed on an absolute level. Each
member has an equal right and voice
in the government of the Legion with
each other member. The ideas of the
former private carry equal weight
with those of the former colonel. We
wish you all could attend meeting
of our post and listen to the discus
sions carried on. Our members are
all referred to by the common title of
cOmraue, ana every one mas an eQuai
voice in the discussion of the prob
lens that present themselves
Does it seem reasonable to you
gentlemen, in the exercise of your
sound discretion, that group of
per cent in an organization of live
young Americans could even hope to
exercise control over the remaining
95 per cent which is based upon the
fact that during the war they were
needed in the capacity of officers
The 95 per cent give to you their very
solemn assurance that it is impos-
sible. and the former officers in our
organization extend their equally SOL
emn assurance that no such attempt
has ever been nor ever will be con-
templated.
The next argument that is used
against us is that we are military
organization, created for the purpose
Of, by use of military force, fighting
the battles of capital against labor.
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