The Washington herald., 1920-05-30
Patriotic Activities
American Legion

nelly OF the American Legion
whose headquarters are in Wash
ington. has been accompanying
National Commander Franklin
D'olier on an inspection of Public
Health Service hospitals where
wounded soldiers are undergoing
treatment. FIR. Kelly, who wears a
d. s.. c. for conspicuous bravery
! while with the 27th Division. claims
the American Legion is far from be-
ing a militaristic body.
National Commander D'Olier this
week sent letter OF congratulation
to Col. James A. Drain. newly elect
ed commander of the. District OF
Columbia department Commander
Drain, presided at meeting OF the
Department executive committee for
the first time Wednesday night
when plans for the Memorial Day
observances were drawn up. he
will devote much of his attention to
developing the fellow feeling OF
Legion members in the District DUR
ing the next year.
Women's American Legion posts
in the District may suffer consid-
erably this summer because OF the
number Of war workers who plan
| to leave the city. Many OF the yeo-
women and rlarinettes entered gov
ernment employ as bureau clerks
after they were discharged. some OF
these will not return to Washing-
ton. The Americanization pro-
gram laid out for these posts Will
be postponed until Fall because OF
the uncertainty in membership.
william ]. Harper. finance ofhcer
of the District department. resigned
at the executive committee meeting
Wednesday night. Commander James
I A. Drain plans to appoint his sue
cessor and a successor to Adjutant
Howard A. Fisk in few days.
| The American Legion will take
part in the memorial exercises at
Trinity Church Sunday night. Will
lam e. Harvey, Americanization Of
fcer of the department. will have
charge of the legion's share in this
program.
Laws to make punishable by fine
and Imprisonment the wearing of
American Legion buttons without
authority have been passed by sew
eral States. Only paid-up members
are considered authorized to wear
the lapel button or any other legion
emblem.
British interests in Hawaii have
! protested against the Americaniza-
tion efforts of legion posts in the
islands which are trying to secure
employment for Americans in pref
erence to subjects of any other
country. An American Legion post
has been started in London with
the intention of keeping up Ameri-
| can ideals in the British capital.
This post now has fifty members.
| George Washington Post will at
| tend in a body Sunday the service,
at Sixteenth and Alaska avenue at
p. m, when a tree will be dedicat-
| ed for each comrade who died dur
! ing the world war. The post will
! ity Church, Third and G streets
northwest, Sunday evening. The
! post will participate in the Memo
| rial Day exercises at Arlington
| Monday.
| George Washington Post will
fmeet Tuesday night at its new hall.
423 G street northwest. An enter
tainment will be given under the
! direction of Charles Hanford.
The committee in charge of the
District membership drive. a part of
! the national movement, put in a
busy week securing members in the
department buildings, hospitals and
other places where ex-service men
meetings every afternoon at De-
partment headquarters and iaiu
plans for the program to be fol-
lowed the remainder of the week.
At the close of the first year the
District department includes TWEEN
ty-four posts and 5000 members.
This probably Is a record for the
United States, considering the linn
tied territory the district had to
draw from.
National Commander Franklin
D'Olier, in. a statement issued this
week. accuses opponents of the four
fold compensation plan with con-
triving strategy to strike at the bill
by a fomented controversy over the
methods of raising money. National
| headquarters now is devoting its
entire attention to securing favor
able action on the bill before Con-
gress adjourns June s.
Hundreds of veterans of the Unit
ed States army ambulance service
are expected to return to Allentown,
Pa, June s, 8 and 10, when the ser
vice association holds it's annual re-
union. Steps will be taken to make
the organization permanent. A re-
! union dinner will be held and citi-
zens of Allentown have made elab-
crate plans for entertainment. The
reunion will be held in a different
part of the United States each year.
A bulletin recently issued by Ma
tional headquarters. American Le-
gion. suggests that local posts ar
range ceremonies in connection with
the Americanization of aliens.
J A new state department was add
ed to the American Legion last
week when organization of the de-
partment of China was started. The
American ex-service club of China
/ has become Shanghai post, Ameri-
can Legion. At least six addition
al posts are to be organized at Han
kow and Tientsien in North China
and at Hong Kong.
| The national executive committee
OF the American Legion is preparing
new initiation ritual which will
be delivered to each post in the near
future. This provides for a cere-
mony each time class of new can
didates is taken in. Provisions are,
made whereby a comedy feature can
be introduced at the option Of the
local post. It Is hoped the new
initiation ritual will be ready for
aDDlicants coming in durfnp fha