The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-29
CLASH OVER SPEEDWAY BILL THREATENS LEGION UNITY
Post Sum-
mons Mass Meeting on Is
sue at Monument,

A meeting Of commanders Of
all American Legion posts in
American County to discuss the
Memorial Day bill Will be held at
the Hotel Severin Tuesday noon.
The executive committee of the
st. Mihiel-Loer post went ON
record in opposition to the bill
today. The action was taken by 81
unanimous vote, after Philip Stapu.
editor the Hoosier Legionnaire. ex
planned and defended the DILL He was
questioned at length and the commit
too decided the bill did not conform
to the provisions Of the resolution
adopted by the State convention Of th.
legion at Terre Haute last September
J. w. Eb1ugh, postmaster. presided.
The Ski0more- Dean post was sus
pended and the surrender Of it char
ter demanded BY Perry Faulkner.
State commander Of the legion, Friday
for taking action similar to that of the
St MihielLOer post today.
Watch Faulkner
Legion members throughout the city
were interested in seeing whether
Faulkner would take similar action
In the case Of the st. Mihiel-Loer post
The SkidmOre- Dean post officers
called a public mass meeting of
veterans of the World War and
citizens Of the State OF Indiana"
on the steps of the Soldiers and
Sailors Monument for O'Clock
Tuesday morning TO discuss "co-
ercion, czar gag rule and the cur
tailment Of liberty"
Reports that secret meeting Of
the State executive committee Of the
American Legion will be held tonight
to discuss the revolt, We're denied by
Frank II. Henley, State adjutant
Legion affairs today We're in a crit
ical condition as the result of differ
ence Of opinion over the bill The
resignation of Humphrey c. Harring-
ton. State judge advocate was de-
manded by Perry Faulkner, State
commander. Faulkner charged Har-
rington with "betraying his organi
zatiOn."
Posts Debate Problem
Harrington said he had not been no
titled Of TIE action, and that until
Faulkner's communication was re-
ceived he would make no statement.
Among Rainbow Division veterans
there was a tendency to charge that
activities of legion officials were di-
rected largely against them. They
said 1t was significant that a large
percentage Of the membership of the
Skidmore-Dean Post is from their
ranks.
Faulkner telegraphed Alvin NJ.
Owsley, national commander of the
what he termed interference Of ma
tional legion officials with State affairs
This action was taken after TyndaH
had come out in opposition to the bill.
Opponents Of the bill charged today
that State legion officers have deter
mined upon policy of terrorizatlon in
order to force legion posts to support
the bill They branded Faulkner's ac-
ton in suspending charters and re
moving officers as "unwarranted."
They have taken the position that
for any legion man to disagree with
them is lese majesty" one veteran
said.
Meantime the Skidmore-Dean post, /
first pest to oppose the bill publicly,
defied Perry Faulkner, State com
mander Of the -egion, and refused to
surrender it's charter.
That the State commander has no
authority to demand surrender of
post charter was the stand taken by
the executive committee of the post. |
In support Of it's contention, the com
mittee in a statement called attention
to a section of the national consitu-
ton Of the Legion, which reads as
follows:
Post charters may be revoked by !
the department executive committee |
with the approval Of the national
executive committee"
The statement also said that Com /
mander Faulkner on Jan. 20, had |
stated that he believed the Memorial /
day bill, in it's present form, was I'M
fair. discriminatory and class legisla- |
ton.
Condemnation of the bill was ex-
pressed in resolutions adopted Sunday |
hy Disabled Veterans of the World |
War. CRapted l. Henry G. Klein is