Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-13
ADDRESSING THE LEGION

ADDRESSING The LEGION
We have unbounded confidence in
tho Americanism Of the American
Legion. None have given better
warrant for such confidence. One
may not question it. Also. ex-
perience being an excellent teacher,
none may possess better grounded
comprehension Of what war actually
means than those who served their
country In that terrible ordeal. the
World War. We have need Of their
understanding applied to the affairs
Of the country. The leadership OF
thought in the organization has been
sane and constructive. It can be, as
it now is, very helpful. and it con-
stitutes assurance that this great
body Of men will continue for years
TO be a stabilizing factor in the
countrys affairs.
This evident fact Is widely recog-
nized, and right now there appears
to be somewhat Of a disposition to
overwork 1t. Within the past few
days Colonel Theodore Roosevelt has
been urging the Legion to get after
the excessive expenditure Of money
in politics. A big undertaking but a
problem. which should have but one
side. Then came the address of
General Hartford at the Kansas con-
vention Of the Legion, in which
among other suggestions was one
which may arouse unwarranted
hopes in the minds Of the French,
who dislike to settle their debt to US.
Thursday, General Clarence r. Ed
wards addressing the convention of
the New York Department OF the
Legion urged them to secure the
passage Of laws such that by the
time Of another war everyone will be
called upon to serve and to pay,
which he termed 'the real peace
program of the most intelligent and
sincere advocates of sane pacifsm."
Moreover the general was quite
specific in his warning against GER
tain so-called peace organizations.
BE advised" he said: "of the wo-
mems organizations, especially the
womep's International League for
Peace and Freedom. Read their
radical platform and principles. es-
pecially those relating to discourage
ment Of students attending military
schools and colleges and from taking
military courses in any colleges:
their advice to mothers, sisters and
wives to keep young men from TAX
ing any part in Army, Navy. Nation
al Guard or other forms Of ma
tional protection, and to work to
abolish the summer training camps,
to work for the gradual and then
final abolition Of the Army and
Navy. There are 200 of these
organizations seeking to undermine
our Government. If you want to
undermine all these forces and
neutralize the poison they are
squirting, pass a law that will make
everybody take real. active interest
in this country
We would not expect members of
the Legion. who may have had
actual experience in the fighting, to
be misled by such propaganda and
possibly General Edwards was in
tending to convey his message
through them rather than to them.
Possibly, too. General Harbord's
motive may have been similar, al
though it is easy to see the force OF
his appeal to the emotions of his
hearers. a poignant memory. that
Of: "a million and a half Of the very
flower Of French manhood lie be-
meath the sod, dead SO France might
live, dead, hundreds Of thousands Of
them. in holding the line while we
prepared for our part in the war
with Germany"
There is tremendous appeal in
that vision and 1t cannot fail to I'M
press the minds Of those whose eyes
saw the wreckage Of war. Sol i'm
pressive this inevitably would be to
the minds Of those who saw it that
certain other features might easily be
obliterated. We find nothing IN
General Harbord's address about the
fact that this country virtually can
celled the millions upon millions
which this country loaned to France
during the war and made easy terms
for the payment Of the loans made
after the Armistice. yet this should
have been told.
As further evidence that General
Harbord's remarks are not as COM
prehensive as they should be for the
complete OBLIGATION Of his auditors
take his statement that the generals
Of the War. Foeh. Haig. Pershing,
Hindeuburg and Ludendorn should
have been the ones to whom the
making Of the treaty should have
beso entrusted We wonder If the
members Of the Legion listening
considered tho mistakes made by the
generals during that awful . war.
hidsous plumbers some Of them.
Consider the Ludendorn Of today.
consider them all. great soldiers,
wise generals. ana see II there be
any good reason to suppose they
would a.-. es.si e.e.s1. Of making