The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-07-23
American Legion Will Assist in Distri-
button of These Medals
On Armistice
Day.
AID WAR DEPARTMENT
Applications viii be Made for the
Medals Through the Legion
Posts and Will be
Mailed.

American Legion's plan to assist il
the distribution of victory medals
now being issued by the war depart
ment, and to arrange for formal pres
entation of the medals in series OF
simultaneous ceremonies to be held
under legion auspices on Armistice
day, remains exactly as outlined IN
press dispatches published throughout
the country on July 5. it was announc.
ed at Legion national headquarters
here today.
The announcement followed publ.
cation OF a report that the president
of a smaller organization of veterans
of the world war had sent a protest
to Secretary Baker saying the Ameri.
can Legion had announced that ar
rangements had been made for the
Legion to distribute the medals. In
his reply to the protest, the secretary
was quoted as saying the medals are
being issued on individual application
only and that no arrangements have
been made for the Legion to distrib-
ute them
Secretary Baker Is absolutely
right" said Lemuel Bolles, national
adjutant of the Legion, land the
Legion never announced that it had
made arrangements to distribute the
medals.
THE Legion did announce that I'M
der arrangements with the war de-
partment it becomes an instrument for
this distribution and hopes to arrange
a series of community ceremonies to
be held throughout the world ON Ar
mistice day at which formal presen-
tation of the medals to legionaires and
other ex-service persons who desire
to participate, will take place.
I'VE have just been advised that
telegraphic instructions have been is
sued to all recruiting officers to draw
sufficient supplies of medal applica-
ton blanks and to furnish them upon
request to American Legion posts.
This will relieve army posts and re-
cruiting stations of vast amount of
clerical work. as under the Legion
plan the various posts will take care
of the filling out and forwarding of
application blanks not only for legion
aires, but for all other ex-service per-
sons and the next of kin of those who
died in the service, so far as the lat
ter desire to avail themselves of this
free service
The Legion is recommending that
members and other ex-seryice persons
request in their applications that the
medals be mailed to them in care of
the commander of the nearest legion
post; also that those who receive them
direct, turn them in to the proper
legion officials of their community and
participate in the legion ceremonies
on Armistice day.
THE purpose of this Is to make the
medals mean something; to pay tri-
butte to the spirit of America and COM
memorate the anniversary of the day
in 1913 which marked that spirits SUI
preme achievements vast contrast
TO having all ex-service persons re-
ceive their medals from the hands of
postman."
In circular letter to all legion de-
partments national headquarters is
Urging posts to used discretion in the
matter of drawing application blanks
from army posts and recruiting sta
tons and to limit their requests for
these blanks to their actual needs in
order not to exhaust the supply of
forms.
Franklin D'Olier, national COM
mander of the legion, has issued a
public appeal to 1egionaires and
Americans generally ito make our
1870 Armistice day memorable
the years to come"