The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-08-13
Some Crimes of the American Legion.
By Arthur Warner in "The Nation.

Of course the fact that the founders
of the Legion wer9 mostly officers
and "smacked slightly of the silk
stocking seemed tremendously i'm
portant to young meH just getting out
of the army. In reality, it was i'm
measurably less 50 than the political
and industrial IDEAS that the Legion
leaders held; but the latter aspect
seems to have been ignored by the
average service man at that time, as
it has been since The subtle character
Of the support in the Legion for
General Wood and Industrial absolut-
ism, with its attack on the union shop
and on the alien, has been noted.
There was nothing subtle, however,
about the relation between the Legion
and the political boom Of "Young Ted
dy' Roosevelt. The latter, as already
recorded, Was chairman of the original
Legion gathering il Paris. Having
secured his fences there, he hurried
back to New York, where he was at
once taken in hand by business and
political groups and groomed for the
course of his father, He attended the
first Legion caucus in this country
that at st. Louis where his friends
were prepared to elevate him to the
f., leadership of the organization. But
something went wrong. Opposition
developed, or it appeared to be bad
tactics, and at the last moment
young Teddy withdrew his name as
candidate. His political career in
| New York fizzled similarly. He
couldn't go the pace, and finally de-
cided to accept a seat in the Assembly,
whence he was charitably rescued by
the Secretary Of the Navy.
The Way Out.
What the American Legion is, has
been told 1t remains to consider what
it may become. Certainly there is no
legitimate place in this republic for
the organization as developed within
the past two years. Yet the great
body of it's members are self-respect-
ing and right-minded young men who
have been exploited by a bigoted,
business-controlled, undemocratic lead
ership, which has manipulated the
Legion as Mogul propaganda engine
against the true interests Of the men,
bership at large and the community
as a whole. There are two courses
open to loyal and progressive former
service men, each advocated by con-
siderable group. One is to get out Of
the Legion and fight it in the open.
The other is to stay by the organiza-
tion. and "bore Qx Yithin."
For those who VlfFr to fight the
Legion outside, there are already
several opposition organizations. The
best known is the World War Veterans
which claims to have been the first
in the field, having been started in
the trenches nine days after the ar.
mistice. 1t is especially strong in the
Northwest, and has its national head.
quarters at sos Temple Court, Min.
neapolis. 1t is ready to extend charters
to groups of ten or more former
service men, and has an Auxiliary
which takes in such Of the genera
public as are in sympathy with it
slogan: Enforcement Of the Consti
tuition of the United States of Amer
lea as it is written" The World Wa
| Veterans indorse the Fordney bonu
, bill; they condemn mob action; the.
demand the recognition of the Irisl
and Russian republics. Some of tn
other items in their program follow
e We are unalterably opposed to an.
form of Compulsory Military Train
e ing in America, and we challenge tn
authority of any group or organiza
tion to represent the great mass o
d ex-service men when they speak there
for.
:, In the event Of war, all profit
f earned by every individual, firm, an
: corporation shall Immediately becom
: the property of the United State
r Treasury.
S Except in case Of invasion Of ou
e territory by armed forces, we oppos
: any declaration Of war by the off
n cials responsible for government, un
d less the issue be first submitted to
e vote of all the people.
IS We insist that Americas war deb
S be paid by the conscription Of all in
comes over 100000 per year; by tn
a continuance Of the present income tax
d and we condemn as yellow the at
e tempt of the agents Of Privilege 1
:, Congress to shift the burden Of tn
n debt from the profitcers to the poo
l. via the Sales Tax.