The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1923-02-21

dead; Independence Day. for rejoicing
in our nations freedom; Labor Day,
which should express the high quality
and dignity Of all labor; and finally
Armistice Day its tremendous mean
ing of joy and sorrow, not to Legion
aires alone, not to Americans alone,
but to all the world;-these are our
great patriotic days of REMEM-
BRANCE and REMINDER. 1t is in
this spirit that the Minnesota Depart
ment of the American Legion is going
about its Lincoln Washington Mem
bership Drive. 1t does not propose to
leave undone anything that will save
our departed comrades from having
died ia vain. And it does not propose
that the living but disabled shall suf-
fer unnecessarily or in vain. This is
our great ultimate purpose in wanting
every service man to be a Legion
aire"
A MIGHTY BIG TENT.
By Alvin Stein, Asst. Editor, St. Paul
Post Eight Bulletin.
TheSends of the world have contri-
buted to the making of The American
Legion. All the emotions that ever
stirred the hearts of men anywhere.
all the points of view that are shaped
by race, creed, nationality and sta
ton In life, are represented somewhere
or another in the organization. The
American Legion speaks one language,
but were it so minded, what battle
the hundreds of tongues could make.
On the fundamental issues the Ameri-
can Legion thinks in one way, but
what a discord of clashing opinion
there would be if the members should
disagree along the lines of birth, reli-
gion, politics or the merits of the vari-
Gus military outfits.
St Paul Post No. is small part
of the American Legion, active and
noisy perhaps, but comparatively
small. Then consider casual small
part Of Post No. s, group that gath
cred few nights ago at the home of
Post Commander n. G.. Mortensen
Going no farther than these fifteen
men entertained by Dr. Mortensen it
is apparent that the origin of the Am
erican Legion extends TO many lands
and that it takes root in the tradi-
tions, the thoughts and the spirit of
all this complex world.
il4JCtii NTH Nciiilt W lain DuNl-
ness Proposals were advanced, dis
cussed, rejected and approved, and the
fifteen men agreed and parted good
friends. \ few statistics, penciled in
an idle moment, show how even in
this small group agreement was reach
ed by men who hold vastly different
opinions on many things, who are far
separated by birth and training, but
who think alike on the issues on which
the American Legion is established.
There were represented, to begin
with, many grades and ranks in mill
tary service. During the war these
men had been privates, buglers, serge
ants. lieutenants, major. captain and
chaplin. And they had been infantry
men, aviators, artillerymen, bakers
and members of the medical and motor
transport corps. On their watch
charms and cuff links they carried the
emblems of many divisions. So much
ascertained, some one moved that
there be period of general confes-
sion, and fifteen men told more Of
themselves.
They were born in Nebraska, Min
nesota, Missouri, Delaware, Connect
cut, Wisconsin, Greece, Russia, Michi-
gan and South Dakota. And the
oldest had voted and paid his poll tax
several times before the youngest
was born. The ages ranged from 2
to 81, and to satisfy curiosity as to
who confessed to being here for more
than half a century it is announced
that Post Adjutant Ed Slater was
among those present.
On Sunday these men go several
ways to their churches and for few
in the group, Saturday is the day of
worship. The religions they profess
ed are Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal,
Baptist, Presbyterian, Greek Ortho-
dox, Jewish Orthodox and Methodist
Episcopal Then the discussion turn
ed to their fathers, and it was learn
ed that they trace their ancestry to
Sweden, Ireland, Palestine, Denmark,
England, Holland, Greece and Scot
land
All in all, it looks like the American
Legion is mighty big tent, and that
it covers a great variety of animals