The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-11-07


1910, 1919, and the first annual CONVEX
ton was held at Minneapolis on Novembe
l0-1l-l2 of the same year. Only eightee
months have passed since the temporary ol
ganization was made at St. Louis, just yea
and a half. yet much has been accomplished
Consider how this young organization ha
been developed, and grown and what it ha
accomplished.
Fifteen or more men or women eligible Il
membership may form a Post of the Amer
can Legion and there are posts now in pr2c
tcally every city and hamlet in our country
and in many places in foreign countries. The
post is the smallest unit. All of the posts il
state, territory or foreign country form
Department and the National organization i.
composed of all the Departments. 1t has
been necessary to completely organize these
posts and departments, to form the National
organization and to establish headquarters
for each and elect officers so that everything
might function properly. National and State
Conventions have been held to formulate the
policies In the short period of eighteen
months the organization has grown from
nothing to an active virile organization with
membership of between one and a half and
two millions and has become one of the most
potent factors for good citizenship and
Americanism in our country. This is most
remarkable record, never before equalled,
and was made possible only through the pa
triotc desires of the men and women who
served under our flag to carry out the prin-
ciples contained in the preamble to the Con-
stitution.
The American Legion has been publish
ng for over year, a 30-page weekly mag
aizne known as the American Legion Weekly.
There are, in every issue, articles devoted to
various civic matters which assist in educat-
ing in good citizenship There are many
other articles of interest to ex-service men
and its pages are open for the discussion OF
any subject and are freely used What an
accomplishment A magazine developed in
a year with a circulation of over million.
There have been National Committees
during the past year on National Legislation,
Land and Home Aid, Beneficial Legislation,
Military Policy, Americanization and Hospit-
alizaton. Each State or Department has also
had its committees and through the National
and Department Committees an enormous
amount of constructive work has been &C
complished. The National Legislative Com
mittee had headquarters at Washington, d.
c.. and were there continuous while Congress
was in session. This committee had, during
the year 473 bills introduced into the House
and Senate, and the bills covered nearly
every conceivable subject.
The Legion was directly responsible for
the passage of the Sweet bill which provided
specifically for an increase Of from $50 to
$50 per month in compensation for the dis
abled veterans. To accomplish this fair and
just act, it was necessary to call the Depart
ment Commanders of every State in the
Union to Washington to impress upon Con-
gress the fact that the Legion insisted that
the disabled ex-service man should have fair
treatment.
Some of the other National legislation ac-
complished by the Legion was: Incorpora"
ton of the American Legion, increase in ap-
preparation for death and disability claims,
assisted in procuring appropriation of S46,-
100000 for disqualification, transfer of va
rious hospitals to Public Health Service for
discharged disabled men, remodeling of cer-
tain hospitals, increase in allowance to men
taking vocational training from $50 to 500
per month increase in appropriation for Fed
era Board of Vocational Training, assisted
in Army Reorganization bill, to exclude and
eXpel from the United States aliens who are
members Of the anarchistic and similar
classes, to deport certain undesirable aliens,
and to deny readmission to those aliens con-
victed of conspiracy and other similar Of
fenses, who have been deported and the Le-
gion has also succeeded in having the Depart
ment of Justice push the matter of draft de-
linquents and deserters.
The National Americanization Committee
has accomplished great deal in Americana
cation work. State Committees have accom-
plished much that would take too much space
to mention We could fill columns with ac-
complishments
The Legion has succeeded in having the
House pass the Adjusted Compensation bill,
or what is largely known as the Five-Fold
Plan. Surely this young organization has
accomplished much in its short life.
When Congress again convenes the Legion
will first endeavor to get the Senate to pass
| the AdiuStpd Cnp,nansntion hill Thara ara