Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-26
AT CITY HALL

AT CITY HALL
Twenty thousand more disabled
ex-service mem stand outside the door
of humanity crying to get in" was the
climax to the plea which Col. Frederick
w. Galbraith, national commander of
the American Legion, made in speaking
before the folks Friday evening at
City hall. The urgent, desperate need
of aid for the men who served in the
World War was brought close to home
when the head of this big organiZa-
ton hurled facts and figures in amaz-
ing quantity. 1T will be 1928 to 1880
before the peak of this is reached. We
are going to find ourselves in a fright
these helpless men. In 1919 $S5,72O
was recommended for a continuous
hospital building program. Someone
appeared before the Senate finance
committee and said We have $4,000
beds we can use The instructions
were Use them Then the cases were
general, medical and surgical. Today
they are tubercular and mental. OF the
5000 beds, 10000 were not hospital
beds at all. They were such as in
use at Togus for veterans of the war
between states, to be used as domiciles
OF the remaining number $500 have
been made available" And with sta
tistics at his command Col. Galbraith
gave a graphic. pitiful story of the
placing in poor farms and in other
inadequate places the ex-service men
who need help. The need of hospitals
and of money to carry on the work
stands in appalling propensity before
the American people today.
A standing ovation was rendered the
head of the American Legion when lie
arose to address the people, having
been introduced by a few well chosen
words by Frank L. Southland, COM
mander of the local American Legion
post. He early stated that it was
great pleasure to him to be able to
speak in the city from which his peo-
pie came CHS father and mother both
being natives OF Augusta).
The men and women who were in
the service between April 6. 1917, and
Nov. II, 1918, many now still in the
service and others out of the service.
compose the Legion. 1t was a spon-
taneouS expression which took place
in the hearts of these people. They
had been in the service and done a
good job. When we get our feet on
the carpet we decided we were going
to form an organization. Social and
industrial? No. Dedicated to some
thing greater, to patriotism and serv-
a to n;
nation. AS long as the American Lee
gion lives in the hearts Of the people
and as long as we remain true to its
ideals America is safe. We have new
or given promise we will spring. to
arms. We don't have to- Like the
Civil War or the Spanish War yeter-
ans. who if his country needed him.
he's there-So are We
I'VE can't forget the Lusitania. the
horrors of Belgium and the devasta-
ton of France. Keep them in your
mind. Remember them. If YOU don't
we are apt to find ourselves in a DO
sition we will regret. The one who
is loyal to the hyphen raises his head
in society and Kisses the same-pro-
German. He is preaching the gospel
Of Late, devastation, radicals. 1t is
hard 70 rEOu in your beautiful State.
with YOUR 80 per cent. Americans. to
realize it And then Col. Galbraith
read letter which had been received
by him from the World War Ncter-
ans Association, which he claimed
has no standing in the eyes of any
decent World War veteran He saws
this association is trying to bring
about a clash between the classes. /
They are endeavoring to stir up
trouble between capital and labor and
the are prevalent in the northwest
Ard as to the case of helpless men. !
who gave all they had and expected
nothin in return, Col Galbraith said, !
in closing, Il can speak for every de-
cent American in this country We, !
the American Legion, will tell you
exactly as it is and we will enlist
YOU to help. We have. 1t is worth
your while. It's the most beautiful
work in the world. And don't let
these men in the hospitals, say rs
they have said L me, No one comes
to sec me now No one sends us
candy or magazines row the war is
over. We're just damn we'll de-
serted Prove it isn't true in Your !
community.
THE President of the United States !
said should be ashamed Why I,
haven't l been told before / replied /
that the Legion does not want the |
country to forget the problem of the !
disabled soldier. He is thoroughly in |
sympathy with the efforts of the |
American Legion to cure the terrible |
situation