Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-23
MACN|DERUPHOLDS
LEG|ON'S PRESTIGE
Nation Will Accept Its Au-
thority in Military Issues,
se He Declares.


HICKORY, \. c., August 23.-The
American Legion has fought its way
to recognition as the voice of the
great war veterans overcoming lin
difference, misunderstanding - even
organized opposition" Assistant Sec
retary Hanford MacNider of the War
Department said here today in ad-
dressing the annual convention OF the
North carolina department OF the
Legion.
"AS our generation becomes the &C
tive generation in American affairs.
SO will the Legion become the doml-
nant voice concerning all those. things
on which experience qualifes 1t to
speak" he added
"On all questions of proper nation
al defense the voice of the generation
which fought the war will be final.
Only the men who fought have the
necessary background to speak au-
thoritatively. 1t is logical TO presume
that the Nation will he glad to take
advantage of their experience and
abide by their experience.
Called Safe Guides.
Such men would he pretty safe
guides the Assistant Secretary SAID,
adding:
"They know what war is and they
have no desire To see ii again. IheE
do not want ii for Themselves ana GER
tainly they do not want II FOR theN
SONS You Will find no jingoes among
them. You will find no peace at-any-
price pacifistS. Those two types are
Invariably n-combatants with no
no ,~f
MEN who have seen their comrades
manned and killed about them know
what sacrifices have been made to
preserve American citizenship. They
have no intention of allowing that
hard-won heritage to be dissipated or
left at the mercy OF a still unsettled
world. They have just as firm de-
termination to discourage and defeat
those who would start any useless
Confla grafton and threaten the peace
Of the world.
Policy of Seeking Peace.
1.-The fact that the American
Legion is leading the fight for
universal war service legislation
should he conclusive proof that the
service man genera ion not only
wants peace but intends that we
shall have it, Yet there exists a
strange delusion among our de-
criers. the professional pacifiStS. thai
every one of us who has ever gone
to war is busy trying TO concoct
another such catastrophe.
Look over some Of the brethren
who object 10 the Legion's course
They reserve their battle energy Ia
fight tho hu"3 hoos of preparedness
In time OF peace.
EVERY man who has served with
the colors knows that our little
Army and Navy have nothing to
do with the declaration "f war. The
Legion helped write the Nationa
Defense Act into the Law of the land
1t emhodies the bitter lessons we
learned in the Great War. 1t does
not call for Il great standing army
II does not contemplate great mohili-
cations of men o. arms, nor NaS'
war reserves to fret us in time Of
peace 1t is framed to avoid those
very things. 1t provides simply for
an expert nucleus and wei
thought ont. conpl extensive and eX-
pert structure of emergency insur-
anre plans.
The Nation will continue to look
to the Legion for is policies of ma
tional protection on land. on sea, II
the air-not only for onr day hH
FOR the day OF the coming genera
ton. 1t is up t" the men or tht
Legion to dictate such measures OF
preparedness IA their experience
may dictate To them.