The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-08
Frank DOlIer, National Commander
Says Organization is Favorable
to All Unions Which Give
Men Square Deal.
PREAMBLE GIVES STAND
Purpose of Legion is Two-F old-lt
Serves It's Comrades and Its
country-Exerts All Its In
fluence for Cause.

! Franklin D'Olier, national ;om-
mander of the American Legion, today
issued from national headquarters at
! indianapolis, the following statement
regarding the attitude of the American
Legion toward organized labor.
THE attitude OF the American Le-
gion towards organized labor is exact
ily the same az its attitude toward all
groups OF American citizens who are
interested in square deal for all in
maintenance of law and order and the
protection OF the Institutions handed
down to us by our forefathers.
"The preamble Of our constitution
expresses very clearly the purposes of
the American Legion and reads as
follows:
For God and country, we associate
ourselves together for the following
purposes: To uphold and defend the
constitution OF the United States of
America; TO maintain law and order;
to foster and perpetuate one-huIdred
percent Americanism; to preserve the
memories and incidents OF our asso-
citation in the great war; to inculcate
a sense of individual obligation to the
community, state and nation; to COM
bat the autocracy of both the classes
and the masses; to make right the
master OF might, to promote peace
and good will on earth; to safeguard
and transmit to posterity the princi-
pies of justice, freedom and demo-
crazy; to consecrate and .sanctify our
comradeship by our devotion to mu-
tual helpfulness.
'"The purpose of the American Lee
gion is two-fold-service to our COM
rades and service to our country.
Under the head of service to our
comrades we will exert all of our in
fiuence and all of our strength to the
end that the ex-service man, especially
the disabled man and his dependents
and the dependents of those who paid
the supreme sacrifice, shall receive
that just and fair treatment which
they have reason to expect from a
patriotic and liberal country.
In serving our country we shall
endeavor to keep alive that spirit of
service which induced us all to res
pond to our country's call in the time
of her need even to the extent of
being willing to pay the supreme
sacrifice. And this we propose doing
by assisting in the maintenance OF
Americanism based
on fair play and a square deal for all.
THE members of organized labor
are patriotic American citizens and
the members of the American Legion
are patriotic American citizens who
have proven their patriotism and their
loyalty Consequently, on the pur-
poses of the American Legion both
they and we are in accord. Many of
our most loyal members are members
of organized labor, and it is our hope
that we may be able to convince every
ex-service man who is member of
organized labor that our purposes are
the same as loyal citizens and that
every ex-service man in organized
labor will join the American Legion.
All ex-service men who are members
of organized labor have proven their
loyalty and their patriotism to the
country and now appreciate their res
as citizens, and we there
fore hope it will not be long before
they all are active members of the
American Legion"