The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-05-20
70 PATRIOTIC organization in

tHt liStolN VI t!t WI ~ ittH
had such remarkable growth
as the American Legion, and
IT is going forward with speed that
Indicates a membership of 2MW,UUO
before the end Of the present year.
TIL" Grand Army of the Republic.
founded following the civil war.
reached It's peak in 1900. when The
roster showed a half million members.
With 100000 to draw from, it is pre-
dic1rd that with the present campaign
for 400 per cent Amrrcani>,n. the
roster Of the American Legion viii be
above the 2.0OOMm mark by 1921.
Th" Grand Army Of the Republic
has played an important part in the
life Of III" republic Once or twice
politics threatened its total liSrir-
tinn particularly in HE year N"rrrd-
ing The election Of Gen. John A. lo-
gan as commander in chief General
Logan succeeded in Steadyny the boat.
The diSatfection grew out Of reports
that men with bad Civil war records
We're receiving prcfernent in appoint
men! to political Offices.
TO Mai. Benjamin +. Stephenson Of
Decatur, H., belongs the honor Of
founding the Grand Army Of the Re
public. In 1866. the year following
the close Of the Civil war Major
Stephenson called together Il handful
Of Veterans at Decatur and established
the first post. Only one charter men,-
Der "f the Grand Army still is living,
Capt. X. A. Smith Of Lake City, Ia.
T.. Major Stephenson, in council with
'S6,lt Of his comrades, drafted Il secret
ritual. 1t was WOrdy, oratOrcal af-
fair and was revised in later years.
The ritual was so pretentious that II
was hard to find printers who could
set the type, but Major Stephenson
finally rounded up Isaac Coltrin and
Joseph Prior, printers who served In
the Union army and entitled to know
tho contents of the ritual when they
Joined the Grand Army.
Twelve men constituted the first
post and the hall in which they met
still is halowed landmark in neca
tur The Grand Army at first was a
sort Of vigilance committee that sought
ont persons given to disiOyal ut
terauces, and soon had them marked
for punishment if they did not de-
sist. The men of the Grand Army de-
manded hundred per cent American
ism, lust as the American Legion
makes it plain that only one flag. O'd
Glory. will be tolerated in this land OF
ours. On through the years the Crane
Army has stood for this same prin
cjpIe of patriotism, but death has beer
removing its comrades at rapid rate
and the ranks have diminished unit
now only few more than 100000 re
main.
The American Legion was born il
France. and it was fitting to have i
so, for IN Flanders fields repoSe thou
sands of American soldiers who dlet
that the principles of American free
dom might live. On February Is, l9l!
twenty American officers, who hat
been assembled in Paris to discuss con
Hitions in the American expeditiOnar
forces, met at the InterAllied CLUB an
there talked Of the formation OF a
after-war organization that would 100
TO the WelI-being of the men OF tn
service both on land and sea.
The decision was made at this cor
ference to start an after-the-War OF
ranization, while the men were vet i
France. Thus they would go back t
America with their minds and heart
centered on protecting the principle
they had fought for. And they cam
home to find that the great army
men in American training camps Wer
ready, too. They had not crossed tn
sea. hut they were willing to go an
were equally willing to participate
any movement that meant b'gse
stronger America.
The twenty men who met in COME
.nce February Is, 1919, in Paris agree
at that time to call a caucus OF Inc
renresenting every branch of war ser
;ce .nd the caucus assembled in Par
Narch Is. continuing for two dag