The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-03-28
George R. Anderson Post
OF the American Legion
The MuskOgee Conference.

kogec, the early part OF March, two
committee reports which We're ap
proved by the conference are Of
especial interest at this time. The
following is the report Of the com
mittee on military policy:
we are unqualiledly IN fayC- Of
universal military training. by Uni.
ycrsal Military Training we mean
that all the young men OF the coun.
try, not physically disabled, should
be trained in the time OF peace for
the military service in the time Of
war. We do not mean universal mil
ltary service az formerly practiced
ON the continent Of Europe, where
by, for the term of several years
all the time and energy OF the male
citizens were conscripted for mill.
tary purposes alone.
we do believe that universal mil
itary training should mean the with.
drawal Of the Individual from civil.
ian life for a period Of not more
than six months. This training
teen or nineteen, when the few months
devoted 10 military training can be
spared with the least possible per-
sonal educational or industrial loss.
The men so trained should form n
reserve corps for period OF five
years after the completion Of their
training and cannot be called out
FOR military service except by con.
sressional action.
We further recommend that we
have u standing army of not more
than 100000 men. 1t is however. es-
sential that we have on active duty
much greater proportion Of Off.
GERS 10 enlisted men. than the mill
tary establishment has previously
had. one of the big lessons taught in
the war with Germany and other al
lies was that large number Of well
trained officers must be available
for the preparation of large emerg.
ency army. In this connection we
further favor large Officers Re,
serve Corps"
After considerable discussion n roll
call vote was taken as TO whether
or not the conference approved this
report, with the result that 52G voted
for and 40 against.
" Beneficial Legislation.
The report of the committee on
beneficial legislation is as follows
The American Legion is an or
ganization whose primary object is
the promotion Of Americanism. ANY
recommendation Of specific legislation
designed to grant material benefits
to the members of the Legion is
departure from the true purpose Of the
organization. In this connection we
desire specifically 10 indorse and
reiterate the sentiment expressed by
our state Convention that we desire
10 put something into the govern
ment rather than take something out |
Yet while adhering 10 these ideals. /
We deem II necessary and proper 10
cal attention 10 the following facts: |
The great mass Of the former /
service men are not today in as /
good 20 financial condition as they .
were az the time they entered the .
military service A large proportion
of our comrades are seriously handl. .
capped by financial difficulties. Upon .
their discharge they found the fin .
ancial provision made for them by /
the government scarcely sufficient /
To equip them with civilian clothes. |
They are today still struggling TO .
regain the foothold which they lost
when they entered the service. on tho
other hand they behold practically |
every one who was not in the ser
vice, moro prosperous today than ever
before. These conditions are newt.
able and no blame or odium for
them can be attached 10 the civilian
population. But it. must frankly be
confessed that the situation is one
which naturally provoke. deep resent
ment Of that all too numerous class
OF eX-seryice men who find them.
selves the victims Of such conditions.
Patriotism is not aided; Americanlsm
Is not promoted by such a situation.
Rather the eX.seryicc man who finds
himself encompasscd by financial diff.
ficulties arising out of his military
service, is apt to grow dlscontcntcd
with the government and even some.
times 10 regret the sacrifices he made
in its defense.
We believe that thi. condition
outlined by us demands remedy and
rectiiication We believe that. in the
present and future day Americanism,
the exservice man as a whole must
be brought TO believe that that coun-
Try is grateful for their sacrifices
and hardships and is willing to do
what 1t can to see that these sacr-
fees and hardships do not bear an
after-war harvest OF financial suf-
fering.
We further believe that the people
OF this country have been entirely
willing to pass legislation calculated
to protect the ex-service men from
the financial handicaps otherwise in.
evitab>e imposed by their military
service. Unfortunately, however, con.
gress. by most reprehensible dila
toriness, has refused to pass even
through one house any legislation cal
TO effect this purpose BY so
doing bitterness has been engendered
in the breasts of no inconsiderable
number Of exservice men, and the
path has been made easier for the
extremist and the radical Many ex-
seryiCe man who a fav. ,,,nr,h, o,.