The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-02
Ex- -SerUice Men Launch Campaign for Members to
 Birmingham Auto Club
Legion Members Will Canvass Every Car Owner in City Who Is Not Affiliated With Club-Objec-
 tive Is 10000

With an objective of 10000 mem bers though slightly handicapped by a slow, steady rain which fell over Birmingham yesterday Birmingham eX-serVice men marshalled their strength and armed with membership cards and complete plans for obtain ing new members for the Birming ham Automobile club, set out for their drive which will not close until every automobile owner has been canvassed
 Even though the motorists passed the traffic officer at intersections with wave of their hand, the sol diers declare they shall not pass unless their cars bear the radiator emblem of the association, or sign a membership card and hand over the necessary SIC for annual dues of the club.
 Shortly after the drive for new members began, Hervey N. Benton called headquarters which has been established at the employment ba- reau of the American Legion station ed at Arthur Greenwood's cafe, and announced to Maj. R. H. Bethea, the firN membership procured in the drive.
 "The boys set out with determina- tion to win" declared Charles G. Davis, president of the Birmingham Automobile club, and, judging from the way they have formulated their plans, there is every indication that with their assistance. the club will increase its membership to 20,000 be- fore their work is complete. Every thing pertaining to the drive proRer has been turned over to the American Legion, the only reports being made at the end of each day, except, of course encouraging reports which have been coming in all day by tele- phone.
 With the plan by which the mem bership campaign IS being waged, both the American Legion, the indi- vidual ex-service men and the club will benefit. One-fourth of the meni- bership fee of s10 goes to the man who procures the member and of course those who mail their checks and application blanks in are assured the local post will get the benefit, because of this amount. although 1t goes not to one individual soldier, they benefit through the "chow house." maintined by the post for their buddies' who are less fortunate. I am told that the cost of main tenance of the chow house runs around s7O0 per month, and 1t is readily seen that for those whom 1t is impossible to interview personal ly and who wish to seek the ad- vantages and benefits offered by -he club, this seems, to be the best means of aiding the boys, that is by mail ing their application blanks directly to Mai. R. H. Bethea, at the Amer ican Legion Employment bureau
 Each ex-service man who began work for new members for the Au- tomobile club was given list or each automobile owner in the Bir- mingham district. This list has been revised with old numbers stricken from the list of prospects. It is from this revised list that the canvessers launched their offensive, first call ing on such owners personally. later plans also call for downtown can- vass. that is, calling on automobilists whose cars are parked and do not bear the emblem of the club.
 In referring to tha work Of the ex-service men, Major Bethea said tue plan devised seeks in a great meas