Evening star., 1923-11-18
Veterans of Great War

tains of the various teams engaged
! in raising funds for permanent
home for the post, and it was an
nounced that more than $500 had
been raised during the past year for
that purpose. Another feature of the
meeting was the presentation of "A
history of the work OK the year by
Miss Louise Mcdonald, a past posr
historian.
Paul j. McGahan. department COM
mander of the American Legion in
the District of Columbia. installed the
newly elected officers and delivered a
brief address on the, program of the
year In American Legion activities I'm
I Washington.
On the occasion of their first meet
ing since the department convention
the members of the National Press
Club Post of the American Legion
voted last Tuesday night to plan an
active program of events for the win
ter months. Col. Edward b. Clarke,
the post commander presides
Department Commander Paul J. Nc
Gahan, who has been the adjutans er
the Press Club Post, reported that it
had membership of seventy, includ-
ing many well known public officials
and ranking Army and Navy officers.
Arrangements are under way by ths
National Press Club Post to entertain
In honor of National Commander John
r. Quinn of California on the occasion
OF his initial visit to Washington.
department Commander McGahGn al
i nounced that he was endeavoring %
arrange for Commander Quinn to
come to Washington TO deliver an ad-
! dress at large American Legion
| raliy which can be attended by sew
erai thousand legionaires. 1t will be
! the hrst time that such an event has
! oeen attempted in the National Capi-
! tai.
By action &C che post rnefnbefs there
VIII be presented at the December
meeting, at which new officers will ba
| CHOSEN Tor the ensuing year, past
| commanders badges TO the three past
commanders. This group includes Col
| Clarke, the retiring commander. and
| Past Post Commanders Frank / Con-
| molly and Jack S. Connolly.
| Brig. Gen. Amos A. Fries. chief Of
! the chemical warfare service. United
, States Army. who is junior vice com
! mander of the post, was present and
made brief address. William Wolff
| Smith. alternate national executive
committeeman for the department,
gave report on the recent San Fran
cisco convention, at which Past De-
partment Commander James A, Drain,
member of the National Press Club
Post. was the runner-up in the con-
test for the national commandership.
The annual Forget -me-not drive hers
was the most successuful event Of the
sort ever conducted by the District OF
Columbia department of the Disabled
American Veterans, according to the
returns.
In past years only an unorganized
effort was made to obtain public sup
port. but this time the officers planned
weeks in advance. Offices were estab-
1ished in the Star building. a strong
citizens committee was organized
patronesses We're obtained from lead
! ers in society, the District Federation
| of Women's Clubs took charge Of if;,
! sale of flowers and the receipts well
| repaid the efforts of the disabled men.
; In pursuance Of the policy adopted
before the annual celebration, largS
proportion of the money is to be ussxt
+ in emergency relief of deserving dlE-
| a bled veterans while the department
J is now in such financial condition that
! il can stimulate its endeavors in sew
eral lines.
! Reports already received at the
Washington office of the D. A. V. in
dicate Forget -me-not day was de-
| cided success in all parts OF the coun-
try. as the organization is now better
known and stronger than ever before.
the membership rolls continuing to in
crease.
The Disabled American Veterans
organization was officially represent
ed at the Armistice day celebration
at the unknown's grave at Arlington
and in the annual pilgrimage to the
home of woodrow wilson
While waiting to be called at the
hearings of the Senate committe"
probing the Veterans Bureau, Ma
tional Commander ]. A. Mcfarland of
the d. A. V. spent several days last
week in Washington.
The Edward Douglas White Post,
No. 81. the American Legion. met at
department headquarters last Tues
day evening. Past Commander Jo-
seph J. Idler. who attended the San
Francisco convention. gave an outline
of the proceedings of the convention.
1t was decided to inaugurate an In
tensive membership campaign TO Sc.
cure new members for the year 1924
and to secure as many renewals as
possible. In view of the fact that tho
majority of the members Of the post
are former members of the 29th Divi-
sion. il was decided that an invita-
ton be extended to all former serTic"
men who were members of that div