Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-09-13
MIR. BACA's LETTER.

The Journal is In receipt of letter from Her
man G. Baca, adjutant for New Mexico OF the Amer
lean legion. which We are publishing in another
column.
We wish to reply more courteously and more
accurately than Mr. Baca addressed u.s. Both the
heat and the unfairness of Mr.. Baca are not justi
fled by the circumstances
In the first place, Mr.. Bacas implication Of our
systematic unfarness toward the American legion Is
wholly unfounded in fact. His assertion astonshed
us. The editor of the Journal had in Francs,
living and working under the fire of German guns
He was there at personal expense to his father Of
many hundreds Of dollars, to aid the French in their
fight This boy was never Of draft age during the
war. His services, both with the French army and,
later, in the American army were volunteer. When
the American legion first was organized this father
advised the son to Join the legion.
The editor of the Journal also had brother IN
France who is a prominent member of the legion In
Kansas. Every bond of sympathy ties us to the
legion and to the service man.
The instructions of the editorial management #
the Journal, to the service, has been to give
the widest publicity to American legion news Upon
investigation we find that some matter sent us oy
Mr. Baca was not used because we had previously
received and used the same material from national
headquarters. other material was not used because
it was propaganda, pure and simple. without even
the sugar coating of being written In news STYLE
Mr. Baca was advised of this defect and requested
to change the character Of the get-up OF the mat
ter selt for publication.
In spite of this, have printed more columns
OF American legion news than any newspaper IN
New Mexico with the probable exception OF the New
Mexican. Mr. Bacas statement to the contrary
Notwithstanding Our news attitude toward the
legion and other soldier organizations has been more
sympathetic than that of any newspaper In the state
except the New Mexican That paper has special-
NJ Cuttings
patton in the activities of that organization as
member and official We compelled to resent Mr.
Baca's premeditated effort to prejudice the legion
and its iympathizers against the Journal. 1t is
without justification.
The Journal did not attempt to defeat the re-
adjusted compensation act, as Mr.. Baca states. u
advocated an expert commission. composed partially
of ex-service men, to investigate and report on the
fairness and feasibility OF the bill We objected tnen
and we object now. to any effort to kill or long oe
lay the passage of just compensation act
To pay all the other debts Of the war; but to
plead poverty an excuse for failure to distribute
among ell the people. the unfair financial burden
borne by service men, is all wrong. Time
enough to act intelligenty, without day of unneces
sary delay. should be our national policy.
Mr Baca takes this fling at us because we do
not approve of the amendment giving ex-service m an
$4,000 tax exemption in New Mexico. He tells us
In substance, to attend to own business and let
legion
1t pleases. Such an attitude Is a piece Of personal
impudence on the part of Mr.. Baca. This amend
ment under discussion is amendment to the con-
stuton of the state of New Mexico; not to the con-
sttuton of the American legion. II it were the
latter 1t would be the sole business Of the legion
This amendment, 1t is true, benefits only some
ex-service men. 1t is also true that what benefits
they receive are borne in increased taxes by the
rest of the people. To tell the legion voters OF
New Mexico that this matter is Of their bust
ness, is a piece Of unwarranted arrogance Mr..
Paca's part. The legislature submitted this amend
ment to tie people and not to the American legion.
to Mr. Baca. The legion certainly does not en-
dorse Mr.. Bacas position this phase Of the ques-
ton? |
AS far as the Journal Is concerned, II would be |
delighted to leave this amendment to exclusive
vote among ex-service men, provided they could be
maze to know and understand its import. The |
amendment is Of no equal benefit to all in New
Mexico who have served their country in it's wars |
1t Is special legislation. beneficial only to those who
have property If the rank and file Of the legion |
boys understood the advantage being taken of them
by comparative few who least need relief. they |
would kill the amendment without any outside help |
Whatever is done by way Of relief to soldier 8
should help, first the most needy and then those
more favorably situated. This amendment reverses |
that rule.
The Journal had no intention OF carrying on a
SdHpdlsh against TINS amendment. 1t intended to L
recommend its defeat and to publish one editorial
giving our reasons. However. II Mr.. Baca wishes 20
raise the issue that the Journal Is disoyal to our
ex-servce men because It opposes an unfair So
called relief measure which a limited fe,; leaders
planned and put through the legislature we are pre-
pared to defend ourselves with some vigor
The American legion was not organized for the
purpose of putting into the hands of one man. like
Mr.. Baca, the power at his within. to brand men who
dare to exercise the right of free speec on an Inn
portant public question: as disoyal, either to the
American legion or to men generally who have
served TIE nation in It's hours of peril In attempt
ing to do Mr.. Baca assumes powers not conferred
on him by the organization.