The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-11
WILL HAVE
FRIENDS
To AID
District Executive Committee
of Legion Will Rally
to His Support.

Regardless Of any action taken
by the Vincent B. Costello Post
of the American Legion at to-
nights or any other meeting,
Major Daniel ]. Donovan, Dis
trict auditor, will not be ousted
from the legion, it was predicted
today by prominent local legion
aires.
Has Committee Support.
The executive committee of the
District Department of the Legion
will rally to the support of Major
! Donovan in the same manner they
| supported him when he urged the
committee to declare null and void
the contract entered into by Cos
tello Post through which the public
| was to be asked to contribute $780,
| 900 toward a clubhouse for the post,
| it was said.
! Major Donovan said today that he
would attend tonight's meeting of
the post. When the question of re-
moving him from the post comes
| up. Major Donovan plans to ask per-
mission to speak. He declared today
that he intended to "can a spade a
| spade" tonight.
~ am sincerely sorry that this
I matter was not amicably settled
within the LEGION said Major DON
ovan. Il regret that it has come to
public notice. I will announce, how
| ever, that / have no intention of re-
signing from the American Legion. -
Makes Letter PuhIic
Major Donovan, for the first time.
made public today a letter which he
| sent on June Is last to John Lewis
Smith, department commander of
| the legion, in which he asked for
an investigation into Costello Posts
contract with a local man to raise
the $1,000 for a clubhouse. In the
letter, Major Donovan pointed out
| that the man who was to raise the
100000 was to get so per cent of
all money collected from the public.
1.-THE present situation is" his
letter says. "tht the party Jones
and his agents are now going about
the city. among the business people
| and others. using the name Of the
| American Legion without the an.
proval Of the department. attempt
ing to collect 100000 for the al.
Legged purpose Of providing a club
house for Costello post. and for
every dollar collected the party
Jones is to be paid so cents, Shades
Of Shylock! 1t is absurd to believe
that any level headed resident of
this city would agree to contribute
even one dollar were those facts
known.
Challenges Right.
IF the Costello Post has the right
to go ahead on a venture of this
KIND. acting as an independent or
gan1zatlon. complete within itself
owing to allegiance or obedience to
the department. and to the legion
as a whole in the District, then it
logically follows that every one of
the other posts can and might do
the same thing. Think of it. the
people of Washington being asked
10 contribute money for one club
house after another for the Ameri
can Legion. I can conceive OF
nothing that would be more dam
aging to and destructive of the
good name of the legion than
policy that would permit this to
be DONE"
Opponents Have Program.
If details of a prearranged pro-
gram are carried out, the resolution
demanding Major Donovan's resig-
nation and charging him with "dis-
loyalty to the post" will be intro
duced by Richard A. OBrien, men,
Der of the executive committee Of
the post shortly after the meeting is
called to order in the boardroom OF
the District building tonight.
The resolution will then be sup
ported by E. J. Lefferts, vice COM
mander of the post. It also will have
the support of DR.. Sullivan.
Inasmuch as Major Donovan has
already stated that he will not re-
sign under any circumstances. the
motion to GUST him is scheduled to
he taken up Immediately after the
resignation resolution" is acted
upon.
The meeting of Costello Post for
tonight has been postponed twice be
cause of the death of President
Harding and the proclamation OF
President Coolidge setting aside yes
terday as a day of national mourn
ing.