The St. Joseph observer., 1921-11-12
THE AMERICAN LEGION AND
HARVEY

made n speech in London, at which |
time he made light OF our soldier |
army by saying that President Wilson |
sent orr troops in only to save the
United States and that we were
afraid not to fight.
Now as a cold-blooded proposition,
who Is most capable of interpreting
The helrt OF America? Is II George
Harvey. bitter sneering, cynical pro-
tege Of the rich and powerful and
protagonist OF tie doctrine Of selfish
materiaiism? or Is it the thousand
young men who sat in the American
Legion convention at Kansas City last
week, veterans Of the great war, still
fighting as thoy believed they fought
three years ago at st. Mihlel and the
Argonno for a great ideal? Is II
George Harvey whose life and ideas
have been moulded by the narrow
provincialism Of Fifth avenue and
wall street, or ir It this gathering Of
virile young manhood. recruited from
every section Of the country, repre-
sentlng directly most OF the 100000
men modified by America for partlcl-
patton in the war and indirectly the
millions of loyal American men and
women who stood back Of them dur
ing the dark days from April c, 1917,
to Noverf ber II, 1918?
The minds of George Harvey and
the legion veterans do not run In
parallel channels. The horizon OF one
is obscured BY the mists Of meanness,
hatred and Jealousy. that Of the other
extends out md out to where earth
and stars meet.
Ambassador Harvey reached the
apotheosis of calumny, when he made
this charge egainst his country at the
Pilgrims dinner in London last May:
"Far more prevalent until recently
was the impression that we went to
war to TasCue humanity from all kinds
OF men9cing perils. Not few rem ain
convinced that we sent our soldiers
across to save this kingdom, France
and Italy. That Is not a fact. We
sent them solely TO save the United
States ald most reluctantly and lag
gardly at tnat. We were not too
proud e. Tieht. We were afraid not
to fight, That is the real truth OF the
matter"
That was the declaration Of a man
still ranking with hatred, still eager to
seize every opportunity to level dart
~
American soldiers were being sent
abroad "to make the world safe for
democracy" It was the declaration
Of m n who can see reason why men
should 'Ipht for possession Of a dollar,
but can hardly understand why one
should risk his life in defense OF a
woman's honor.
The American Legion is not COM
posed Of men who think in terms so
narrow. It's resolutions, adopted at
the clos ~ session, say:
"That the sentiments expressed by
George Harvey, United States ambas.
sadOr to Great Rrita'n, I'm his Pilgrim
day speech, setting forth Americas
reasons for entry into the world war
and tho cause for which America
fought, do not represent the true
American attitude rs interpreted by
the uerlcan Legion; and let 1t be
known FOR all time that America
fought not only for the maintenance
Of Americas rights but for the free
dom Of the world. and that a copy OF
this re, Jluti0n he sent 10 the president
OF the United States"
II.rro,- aV1 ~. 4 ~, In.
istratlon which has not seen III 20 re.
huke him for his utterance, delivered
in a semi-official capacity, may gel
what comfort they can out OF the fact
that this deserved censure was not
couched in the caustic phrases which
the 70 yon resolutions committee orig
lnally drafted Though shorn Of III
vitrollc phra pcs and stated in simpler
and more dlBnihed terms than at frs
presented, tho resolution carries Z
President Harding a message whicl
he will do we'll 70 heed,
II tho viewpoint expressed by Am
bassador Harvey Is that Of the worl
then there - little hope for result
from the disarmament conference
But It is not the viewpoint OF tn
world. Through the weter OF bloc
and madness of the battlefield me
have como e. see a clearer vision O
world brotherhood, vision that give
nope that tie nations Of the worl
nay one day dwell together in peac
ma good Will. Thanks be 10 IN
American Legion tor its service /
brushing away those clouds wit
which material minded men woul
gain obscure that vision.