The Coconino sun., 1923-06-15

ing of his department and referred to
as for use in "Americanization work. !"
He agreed to write to your state de-
partment, when the appropriation was
made, and ask US to take charge of the
same and the expenditure of the funds.
We have not as yet received this let
ter, although we have made several
requests. | urge that your new de-
partment commander give this his
first attention. This appropriation
viii be available July /, 1923, and was
made with the explicit understanding
on the part of the members of the leg
islature that it was to be used by the
American Legion. On his point there
is no question whatsoever.
There were certain pieces of ''petty
larceny" legislation introduced by var
ious parties, but your legislative COM
mittee succeeded in having this class
it as "petty larceny" legislation,
mean legislation that, if it became
law, would be of very little or no ben
eft to the mass of the eX-servicemen
and women of the state, yet would
tend to convey the impression to the
general public that the ex-service men
and women were receiving unusual
consideration and were being bene
fitted.
Our first duty in matters of legisla-
ton, as in all matters, is to act as
real 100 per cent Americans working
for the benefit of all true Americans,
and for our community, state and ma
ton.
The commissioners functioning un-
der the soldiers land settlement law
have recently purchased three tracts
of land located in the counties of Mar
icopa, Yuma and Graham. AS soon as
these selections were made and the
purchase ordered by the commission
ers, | requested that the posts in
Phoenix, Yuma and Stafford appoint
a committee of thoroughly qualified
and competent men to inspect the
tracts giving special attention to fer
tility of soil, class, sufficiency of per-
| manent water, cost of land per acre
compared to adjoining land of the
same class, desirability, marketing
facilities for crops, etc. | only regret
that this land was not purchased in
one large tract to allow of co-opera
ton of the future land buyers. / un-
derstand that a representative Of the
disabled American Veterans was invit-
ed and accompanied the commission
ers on some of their trips of inspec
tion.
4 have offered my services to the
land commissioner to assist in work
out out plan of allotment of land
parcels to the ex-sevicemen and wo-
men. | suggest that all the commits
sioners meet and permit me to pre-
sent plan whereby the American Le-
gion would investigate all applica-
tions made and have charge of the
drawing. They have not requested US
to appear before them to date. / made
the same offer to the preceding ad
ministration and upon their invitation
appeared before them, and our plan
was most cheerfully accepted. How
ever, the previous administration made
no purchases of land claiming that ac-
ceptable tracts were not offered to
them at proper price.
! Convention
Because we found it impossible to
| obtain or secure adequate accommoda-
tions for delegates and guests at the
Grand Canyon, your executive COM
mittee changed the place of convention
from the Grand Canyon to Flagstaff.
We communicated with all the posts
! in the northern part of the state of
fering them the convention, calling
their attention to the necessity of be-
ing able to take proper care of it.
| Your executive committee decided
upon Flagstaff, and "here we are"
Boy Scout Troops
! Your conference of post command
/ ers and adjutants unanimously recon-
mended that each post take an active
hand in the Boy Scout movement, and
organize a troop of Boy Scouts in
4 their city. Several of our posts have
done this.
i We must realize that it is our duty
as members OF the American Legion
to take an active interest in all mat
ters that tend to build up American
manhood and womanhood. Realize
that the young boy is natur-
ally "hero worshipper," and that
every veteran OF the wars of our coun-
try is a hero in his eyes. They will
respond to the teaching and direction
of an ex-service man much more read
! lily and effectually than to that of a
person who has never seen military
service. There is no militarism in our
organization nor in the Boy Scout or
ganization, yet there is most de-
sirable teaching of discipline, duty and
loyalty that creates tie between us.
Nom Partisan Politics
Under date of October 21, 1922,
sent a bulletin to all of the posts in
this state in which, among other
things, l called attention to the fol-
lowing:
'"The general election is APP
preaching. Let's elect men to
state and national offices upon
whom we can rely to assist US in
our fight for Americanism and
Justice to the ex-seryice men and
women. We are and must for
ever remain non-partisan, but we
must exert our individual influ-
ence for those whom we know are
going to fight with US for our
ideals and purposes"
On January IL, 1928, your depart
ment executive committee, without a
dissenting vote, adopted the policy for
IL. !.