The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-07-01

The men who gathered at that event.
full meeting did many important things,
| including the selection Of q home for
the new patriotic organization. They
called it the American Legion. and
under that name it will go down in
| the patriotic history Of the United
States.
The caucus also named a committee
of fifteen to work in the United States
and to plan for a national meeting
within year. This committee came
home and a caucus was arranged for
. at ST. Louis, May s.
The st. Louis meeting was n revela-
ton. There several hundred men who
had served their country at home and
abroad met and, forgetting both creed
and politics. worked to inject the prin-
cipleS of AmeriCanism in one great
movement, the American Legion. AT
this meeting Joint executive COM
mittee was formed by men of "a states
with units in the Legion. This COM
mittee formulated a basis for perma-
nent organization and agreed that a
constitutional convention Of the Le-
gion would be held in Minneapolis in
November. An organization commit
tee of five was appointed to complete
plans for the Minneapolis meeting.
This committee was composed Of
Henry ID. Lindsey of Texas, Bennett
G. Clark of Missouri, Franklin D'Olier
of Pennsylvania. DIR. Richard Derby of
New York, and Eric Fisher Wood of
Pennsylvania. Mr.. Lindsey was
chosen chairman of the committee and
because of that service and his sub
sequent work as chairman of the Min
neapolls convention, the title of first
commander OF the American Legion
was conferred on him. Mr.. Wood was
named the secretary. One important
step taken at the st. Louis meeting
was that of asking the congress of
the United States for a charter. This
request was intrusted to Luke Lea
and Thomas w. Miller. The measure
was introduced in both houses June
p, last year. 1t passed the house of
representatives August 81 and the SEN
ate September 5. President Wilson
signed the charter September 16, COM
pleting the work Of granting a charter,
the first ever granted to an organiza-
ton Of the nature Of the American
Legion. The legislative committee of
the Legion also placed before the con-
gress many other important legisla-
tive matters, including bills covering
land grants for former service men,
bills dealing win the question Of the
deportation Of alien slackers and other
matters Of interest to men Of the Lee
gion.
Important steps taken at the st,
Louis meeting provided for the OPEN
Ing OF national headquarters In New
York and for the publication of a
weekly periodical that would be of In
terest to former service men. Plans
also were made to have three we'll
known men Of the legion visit different
parts of the country to further the In
terests Of the new organization. The
men chosen were Theodore Roosevelt,
Jr., John P. ]. Herbert and John w,
liner. These made tours of the coun.
try to advance the organization Of
local posts. When the American Le-
gion met in Minneapolis the member.
ship had passed the 10000 mark, and
it was predicted that the million mark
would be reached In few months.
There now are more than 5000 Amer
lean Legion posts in the United States,
Alaska, Cuba and Hawaii.
Franklin D'Olier of Pennsylvania Is
the new commander of the American
Legion. He, with other new officers
of the Legion have opened headquar-
ters offices of the Legion in Indian
apolis. And Indianapolis and Indiana,
feeling a joint pride in the honor paid
the state by the American Legion, well
comes them. When they came they
heard that Indianapolis was preparing
to erect memorial to her fighting
sons that will serve not only as home
for the American Legion, but for other
patriotic bodies, including the veterans
Of the Grand Army Of the Republic
and the SpaniSh-American war,
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