The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-06-12
WRITER THINKS
LEGION IS NOT
OUT FOR GLORY
Veterans Are Not Grand
ISLANDERS; Not Anxious
To Parade Work Well
Done.

am not a member OF the Amerl
can Legion and hold no brief for tina
organization. and my view may b
just as badly distorted as that OF tn
writer OF the article appearing in you
7 issue OF June attacking the patro
tism OF the members OF the Legion
= Perhaps most OF us get so thorough,
u contented with our own little outlool
i that we don't get the view OF the 9th
er fellow Now if | see the thin
right the writer of that communica
ton does not understand the attitud,
. of the returned soldier-particularly
the boy from the west That the boy:
-. do not parade in uniform. that they
do not stage military demonstrations
is not because of lack OF patriotism
but on account of a feeling. which
seems universal among them, of alb
solute contempt for the ''grandstand-
err" To illustrate: In a little town
near Caldwell. where everyone knows
everyone else. is young business man
who was awarded the Distinguished
Service Cross for bravery in action.
and none OF his neighbors seem to
know anything about it. He is the
member of a lodge in Caldwell and the
head Of that lodge was surprised to
learn OF the distinction he had gain
ed One of the most coveted prizes
that can come to soldier is his and
he said nothing of it. Proud of it.
of course. but he isn't grandstander.
| mention this because it is typical:
the grandstander does not get far with
the Legion.
II there is one thing that is charact-
eristic OF the ex-service man it is his
adherence of appearing in uniform
He is content to know that his work
is done and he does not parade it,
The mention of the Montana prize
fight was unfortunate. Anyone who
is follower OF the news clearly
knows two things that Jack Demp-
sey is always in bad odor with the Le-
gion and that any featuring of him
is condemned by ex-scrvice men gen
orally and that the action OF the Selby |
post has been denounced by the ma
tional headquarters OF the American
Legion. This reference to the Selby
affair recalls that up in that same STATE
Of Montana year or so ago. a prom
nent preacher was killed in a fiasco
n which another mans wife was in
,olved. but so far we haven't heard
4 legion man who was small enough
o charge that matter up to preachers
S a class.
The writer OF that diatribe seems
o have ignored these facts:
That the most potent foe of
Red Radicalism in America is
the American Legion.
That no one is preaching a
more virile type of Americanism
than the American Legion-Ows-
ley an example.
That whenever there has been
a disaster or an emergency call
ing for trained men the Ameri-
can Legion has been on the spot
Boston police strike. Astoria fire.
|. w. w. disturbances etc.
That the work OF the Ameri-
can Legion Weekly in ferreting
out and publishing the details OF
fraudulent war contracts and ir-
regularities in departments, when
the big news papers were afraid :
of the subject, practically forced
the department of justice to &C
tion which has saved the govern
ment millions of dollars.
That fund of 100000 is be-
ing raised by the American L.
gion to keep green the $4,000
American graves in France.
- ~ WIZ NiltiNlSIl VI the
morals Of some of the men. or of
the brand of cigarettes they
smoke or charge of heterodoxv
il would be a discussable matter.
But charge of being unpa-
triotic.
During those uncertain. few
erish days almost every branch
Of the service was under fire. We
were told that our airplane fail
are was a crime. that the ordin-
ance branch fell down complet
,ly in making guns. that the en-
Urgency fleet was a frost: that
here was robbery in the quart
rmasters department: that the
nan who made rain coats ought
o be hung; but no one ever crit
sized the behavior OF the Am
rican common soldier in action
Tow arises among an amazing