The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-07-23
Some Crimes Of the American Legion.
By Arthur Warner in "The Nation.

economic pressure" consisted chiefly
of visiting advertisers in the church
nublication and inducing them to
| withdraw their support. In New
Brunswick, New Jedsey, campaign
was made against "extremist" news
papers and magazines by visiting all
the dealers and getting them to with
draw the offending publications from
sale. One of the Lekion's most cruel
pieces of interference was directed
against the Mennonites of Mississippi,
because of their German speech and
pacifist doctrine. The State conven-
tion called upon the prosecuting Of
ficers of Mississippi to proceed
against the Mennonite settlement and
asked Legion members to take lawful
| steps to prevent it's continuance. What
lawful steps it was possible for Le-
gion members to take was not lndi-
| Gated. Nor does the Legion disdain to
use the cover of "10p per cent Amer
icanism" to attack its rivals. In Ell
Paso, Texas, a couple of months ago,
the CITY council forbade the circulation
of leaflet Of the World War Veter-
ans because the attorney for the local
Legion post objected to its contents
The leaflet contained the program Of
the World War Veterans and an ap-
peal for members.
Agitation in the Legion over "pro.
Germans" and pacifists has been less
pronounced lately than it once was
During and directly after the wal
whoever thought first to call his op-
ponent "pro-German" won the argu-
ment. This reply is now less convinc-
ing as a sole answer to an opinion
with which one does not agree, while
it is again becoming almost respect
able to be pacifist. 1t must not be
forgotten, however, that American
Legion opposition was largely re-
sponsible for upsetting the concert
tour Of an artist of international re-
putation, Fritz Kreisler, in the winter
of 1919-20.
Objection by the American Legior
to the attempt to revive German opers
in New York City led to riots, Will,
efforts to aid even German or Aus
trian children by American charit,
have been resisted. When the mayo
of Pittsburgh gave permission for ,
"tag day" for such a purpose, tn,
humane Legionaries of the city de
clared they would snot permit coliec
tions, threatening even to patrol tn
streets with rifles, and compelling tn
mayor to leave the reviewing stan,
before they would pass in the Ar
mistice Day parade.
= Preaching u Practice.
Against the Legion's long, Ion
ttrail of lawlessness there have no
been lacking protests from officis
and influential quarters within the o,
/ ganization, but they have not bee
, backed by disciplinary measures, an
| commonly have been offset by utter
ances of contrary sort from equal
important sources. Mention has a
ready been made of Franklin D'Olier'
warning against interference wit
| public officers. Unfortunately, almos
. simultaneously, the American Legio
r Weekly gloated editorially: "Loc,
posts may be said to have establishe
5 sharp vigil over the functioning I
2 local government. They are seeing
y it that neither sins of omission
: commission are permitted to flouris
+. when it comes to matters of law ar
;" order and sound Americanism.
b Lawlessness and physical interfe
), ence by Legion members have appa
e emily decreased in the last year, b,
: this represents less change Of hea
h in the organization than tendent
!, in the nation at large away from Il
S violence begotten Of the war. II
Legion is cutting out the "rouf
Y stuff" The methods are changing, b,
e the temper remains; it is expressir
i itself in demands for laws and polici
d OF repression and suppression.
: Meddling in Politics.
). Present tendencies in the Americ,
/ Legion appear to be away from Il
i violence and intimidation, but Il
n change is one of practice, not pri
ell ciple-of manners, not morals. T.
IS Legion is still imbued with the spii
e of repression and coercion, Of pr
: judice and unreason, which the W
nourished; but it has to heed the C
of Back to normalw which the re