The Sauk Centre herald., 1925-02-12
AMERICAN LEGION
1900 Cophers Sign

1900 Gophers Sign
More than one-half the Minnesota
Legion's 1925 quota already has
signed up with the Gopher Gang. The
years quota-to be reported at Thief
River Falls Convention next August
is 10000, but leaders now are con-
fident that the enrolment will be il
excess of that figure. At present tn.
books at Department Headquarters,
Old Capitol Building, show that more
than $4,000 Minnesota service men
belong to the Legion. This mark is
several thousands in excess of that at
corresponding time last year. The
1924 total membership was approx
imately $4,000.
Gratifying progress this year is
credited largely to the activities of
Director of Membership Ludwig l.
Roe of Montevideo, who was ap-
pointed to the newly created office
last Autumn by Commander Lindell,
and who is being ably assisted and
advised by Department Adjutant
Stafford King, veteran of many a
membership campaign, Ellard Walsh
of St. Paul, and others.
The Gopher Gang "army,' reor-
ganized last week for more intensi-
fed campaign, justified the "shake-
up" by enlisting more than 1900
recruits. More membership cards
are being received at Headquarters
daily. Every hour about so cards
and dues arrive at "army' recruiting
headquarters. This continues to keep
Minnesota ahead of every other state
in the union with the exception of IL
linois. Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan,
New York. Pennsylvania, are some of
the states which thus far have tried
in vain to overtake the Gopher Gang.
The American Legion Auxiliary
also is setting a new record this year,
having signed 5000 members when
last reports were compiled by Mrs.
M. L. Spencer of Winona, State
President. The Auxiliary expects to
exceed it's 1924 enrolment by April
and to have signed a 25 per cent in
crease over the 1924 enrolment by
May Is.
Hospital Prospects Bright
Minnesota Legionaires, who last
week viewed prospects for the early
erection of a hospital for tubercular
service men as none too encouraging,
now are congratulating themselves
on having sent delegation to Wash
ington that apparently "saved the
day" and is "bringing home the ba-
con. The special committee, COM
posed of Department Commander Ed
win l.. Lindell, Department Arju-
tant Stafford King and Fred c." Mel
son of St. Paul, chairman of the Le-
gions Veterans Bureau Investigating
Committee, returned with the prom
Use of General Frank T. Hines that he
would do all in his power to see that
the hospital is established in Mime
sofa; and that he plans to begin con-
struction work before June, 1925.
Accompanying the Legionaires to
Washington were Gaylord Warner of
Minneapolis Civic & Commerce Asso-
ciation, Isaac Summerfield of the St.
Paul association, and Byran McOsker
of the Disabled American Veterans.
The Legionaires not only obtained
Director Hines promise for the hos
pital, but conferred with him and
with President Coolidge, as well as
with other influential men in Wash :
ington, relative to improvement of
Veterans Bureau conditions through
out the Tenth District.
The Legionaires told Director
Hines they favored no particular site,
but that Minnesota wants, and must
have, that hospital, if the lives of
hundreds of service men suffering
with tuberculosis are to be saved.
They pointed out that the center of
population of the "tubercular load"
in the Tenth District comprising the
Dakotas, Montana and Minnesota) is
near Fergus Falls, and that the center
of the load for Minnesota is near the
Twin Cities. They asked, however,
that the hospital be located near
enough to large center of popula-
ton to insure the services of expert
medical advisors, but not near enough
to defeat it's own ends by being built
so close to an industrial center that
SCOT and smoke would jeopardize the
recovery of the patients.
Department Adiutant Stafford
King quoted statistics to prove that
Minnesota needs the hospital; Com
mander Lindell questioned Director
Hines at some length as to the size
and nature of the proposed institu-
ton. The latter was told that a hos
pital of between 400 and 500 beds
would be provided, but it had not yet
been decided whether the institution
would be for tubercular patients
alone, or whethert it would combine a
general hospital with wards for tub
CIRCULARS.
The Legion, said the officers on
their return, will not cease agitation
for the hospital until it actually is
under construction. While they were
in Washington the Minnesota House
and Senate passed concurrent reso-
luton, in 19 minutes, memoralizing
President Coolidge in behalf of the
hospital, and Governor Theodore
Christianson sent a telegram to Dir
rector Hines to emphasize the neces-