The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-12
Topeka Legionnaires Determine
ed to Keep State Headquarters.
Appeal to C. of C. to Aid in
Membership Drive.
BUSINESS MEN PLEDGE AID
viii Urge Employees to Join
Capital Post.
Endorse Thomas Lee as State
Legion Commander.

The meeting of the first district of
the Kansas division of the American
Legion, held at Atchison, Saturday,
resulted in a resolution being passed
to the effect that the first district is
solidly behind Topeka lin her fight
ito retain the. Kansas headquarters.
( The question of moving the head
quarters 10 Wichita will come up at
| the state convention TO be held at
Pittsburg, August "a, 25 and %.
At the convention of last year, the
question was brought up as to wheth-
er the location of the state headquar-
I tiers in TopAka would be permanent
peka Legionnaires thought, that To-
peka was to retain the honor of hav
ing the headquarters. Now Wichita,
has filed a request for the transfer of
the post to Wichita. with Frank Sam
uel, state adtutant Hutchinson and
bined with Wichita in the effort, it is
said
Another Caucus Soon.
A caucus of the First district dele
gates will be held in AtchisOn as soon
as the posts have elected their repre-
sentatives TO formulate a more defi-
mite plan of actioa in Topeka's behalf
Glen Logan, adjutant of Capitol Post
No. 1, thinks Topeka has a good
chance to retain the headquarters in
the fight If she does not loaf on the
job The First district delegates at
the Atchison meeting were positive
that having the state headquarters in
Topeka was the best thing for the le-
gion. and the fight will be waged On
that ground. Robert d. sMcGiffert,
who was elected chairman of the reso-
lutiOns committee at Atchison, be-
lieves that politics>should be kept out
of the contest for state headquarters.
Appeal to c.. of C. Directors.
Thomas Lee, vice commander of the
State Legion, and who is also running
for state commander. appeared before
the directors meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce today noon and asked
their support in the project of keep
ing the headquarters in Topeka He
asked the directors if they agreed with
him that the headquarters should be
kept in Topeka, and cries of Yes,
yes" answered him. He then told
how the Topeka men must get to-
gether and organize if they hope to
keep Frank Samuel and his fogce in
the Memorial building. He said that,
as the Legion mem bership stands
now. Topeka will be allowed fourteen
delegates to the convSation in Pitts
burg. He further stated that with
only that many men, they could not
hope to win the headquarters fight,
and he pleaded with the directors to
take some action whereby they could
get more men to join before August l
in order to allow Capitol post No.
a larger representation at the state
convention. L. II. Crosby asked If
they had any record of the ex-service
men in Topeka, and whether all or
them belonged to the legion,
He'll Pay Their Fees.
Charles l. Mitchell said:
Il don't know whether the men in
Crane & Company have Joined or not,
but if they have not, you can put me
down as saying that I'll pay all OF their
membership fees for the first year.
w. w. Webb seconded Mitehells state
n1ent. George McDermott then pro-
posed a plan by which every employer
who has ex-service men in his en-
ploy should call them into conference
and explain to them the circumstances,
telling them that If they wished, they
could have an hour in which to go
down and join Capitol Post No. l.
E. H. Crosby seconded the motion,
and it was passed by the board.
To Entertain D'OIier.
During his speech Lee mentioned
the fact that Franklin D'Olier. nation
al commander of the American Lee
sfon, would be in Topeka July % for
a twenty-four hour stay. and proposed
that the Chamber of Commerce plan
some entertainment for the man high
est up in legion work. 1t was decided
that the D'OHer party be entertained
at luncheon that noon as guests. OF the
c. of c. and that room be reserved for
seventy-five legion men whom Lee
said would be at the luncheon
In closing the legion question. the
directors voted to invest in Secretary
A. L. Oliger, the authority of working
right along with the membership
drive committee of the American Le-
gion and try to get the men to. pay
their back. dues as we'll as get new
members They heartily endorsed
Tom Lee for state commander