Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-09-28

unrest and REIMBURSEMENT, the Amer
lean legion and the stand OF the
eX-service man for law and order
is the greatest possible insurance
policy our country could possibly
have and the only insurance pre-
MUM the eX-service man expects
IN return is simply fair play from
that government with which he has
played fair"
Relief for Disabled Men.
THE first official act of this adj
ministration, after the close of the
convention, was to call confer
ence in Washington to consider the
deplorable condition of the disa-
bled man. Although the war has
been over more than a year, the
government compensation to disa-
bled men was SO inadequate that
many were objects of private char
iry. At this conference practically
every state in the union was repre-
sented and work begun one Mon
day morning in actual legislation
passing both the senate and the
house before the end OF the same
week. AS result of that legislation
there is now being dis .ributedl to
disabled men one hundred million
dollars more each year. And the
reason the legislation was passed
was because the American legion
put its requests before them so
plainly and so forcibly that con-
,gress knew that our requests were
just and had the backing of not
only ex-serViGe men but the pubic
as We'll"
The bureau of war risk insur-
ance, vocational training board and
public health service as it affects
the eXservice man all are main
tanned by the government for the
benefit of eX-service persons
practically all three be.ong to US
and the service we receive from
these three departments will be
exactly what we insist upon. If
our organization remains strong
and always presents a uniform
front, we may always expect eff
Gent service, otherwise the ex-
service men Will necessarily have
to accept what those at Washington
feel like giving him."
Adjustment OF Compensation.
After having looked after those
physically disabled and while still
working for further Improvement
in their condition, your national
officers and executive committee
took up the question of adjustment
of compensation to those who have
suffered financially because of
their service. The last convention
fully recognized this obligation on
the part of the country toward the
ex-service men but adopted pol
! icy of watchful waiting on the inn
piled promise that congress would
act. The national executive COM
mittee ninety days later realized
! that nothing had been done nor
was congress likely to do anything.
They therefore abandoned the pol
icy of watchful waiting and worked
out the four-fold optional plan
covering land settlement, home aid,
vocational training and adjustment
of compensation. In presenting this
suggested plan to congress it was
requested that each feature be
made as liberal as was consistent
with the welfare of the country.
AS result of the most active work
on the part of your national Off
GERS and state officers. this four
fold optional plan was finally en-
! bodied in a bill which passed the
house a few days before adjourn
ment of congress. but too late for
steps to be taken by your next ad-
ministration to secure its passage
| through the senate this coming De-
cember.'
Ideals have Proven Right.
"Our great success has been due,
as | have said to the fact that our
ideals have proven right and actu-
ated by these ideals there has de-
veloped a great organization pre-
senting a united front and extend
ling from the individual member
up through the local post and state
organization to national headquar-
tiers through which national unity
is secured. And SO your RESPONSE
bility during the next three days
Is to keep these ideals pure, inter
pref them and still further
/ strengthen them and solidify our
! organization to the end that 1t may
i continue to still more unselflshly
serve our country and our COM
rades."
ITO the American legion there Is
no east or west, no north or south,
mo Jew or Gentle, no Protestant or
Catholic, no capital or labor, no
employer or employe, no republl-
can or democrat. The American le-
gion is the only organization IN
which is represented every good
element in the entire country. 1t Is
the nearest attempt at organizlns
public opinion and we all know
that when public opinion speaks, II
speaks with authority. And so dur
ing this past year you have played
fair with every element in the le-
gion and have thus gained the sup
port of public opinion. and SO tne
closer we stick to sound puplic
opinion, the greater will be our
service to our country and the bet
ter able we will be to look aftef our
comrades needing our help
"This, therefore, is my simple
report. This past year ! have tried
to serve you faithfully and to the
best of my ability, trying at al
times to keep both feet on the
ground by insisting upon fair pay
for every element that played ran
and like a good soldier trying al,
ways to keep my sense OF humof'