Smyrna times., 1926-03-24
AMERICAN LEGION WORK IS
REVIEWED At MEETING HERE
POST OFFICERS MAKE REPORTS
SHOWING PROGRESS MADE
COl.ThOmas w. Miller, National Com
mitteeman, One of Speakers-Ex-
ecutive Enthusiastically Received

ing reports OF some of the officers
were discussed at an American Leg
ion meeting held at the headquarters
of David c. Harrison Post, No. Ia, of
Smyrna, on Monday, at the call of
State Commander Earl Sylvester, of
Harrington. The meeting was attend
ed by department post officials of the
state and also numerous other legion
naires, from Georgetown, Laurel Sea
ford, Milford, Dover, Harrington, New
Castle and Wilmington. There were
about Is in attendance and the meet
ing was one of the most enthusiastic
ever held by the legion. Harrison
Post of Smyrna, was host to the Wis
ltors at dinner at the Delaware
House previous to the meeting and
the wives and sisters of the post MEM
bers served supper at post head
quarters after the meeting adjourned.
The post commander, William E.
Matthews, Jr., of Smyrna, opened the
meeting by welcoming the officers and
members and relating briefly the work
OF the ambulance which was present.
ed to the town and community by the
Harrison Post several years ago.
State Commander Sylvester was in
the chair and called upon the various
officials for their reports and COM
ments on the good of the community
and the Legion.
>. Paul Heinel, commander of Del
aware Post No. 1, and State service
officer, told of the work among the
disabled and brought out the fact
that a large portion of the Legion's
efforts was not directed toward as
slstlng its own members, but ex-ser-
vice men in general whether thew
served in the Spanish or World War.
He related the difficulties that he was
having with the Veterans Bureau in
Philadelphia as service officer. He
also told of the expenditures of time
and money that had been made neces-
sary this winter to assist the families
OF ex-service men who were in desti-
tute circumstances.
Following Mr.. Heinel, a report of
the Americanism work was made bv
John b. Jessup, the State American
lzatiOn Officer and a member of the
National Commission. Mr.. Jessup out
lined the plans for the American Leg
ion Baseball League and informed the
meeting that while the Posts in Will
mingtOn for local reason had decided
against participation this year. he
thought there was an excellent field
IN the lower counties for such a lea
que. He also outlined the Essay Con-
test and stated that last year over
| 100000 pupils in America had written
essays but only two hundred were
sent in from Delaware. This year
the Essay Contest consists of one
not to exceed 25O words on the sub
ject of "a Flag Creed" Mr.. Jessup
also announced that the American
Legion had given 5000 to the fund
for the reduction of illiteracy among
adult citizens, which is the largest
sum given toward the fund and which
had established schools in Dover and
MillsbOro, where white native born
adult citizens were being taught to
read and write.
]. NJ. Holmes, the State Child We'll
fare Officer, gave a short talk on the
child welfare work and outlined the
procedure when the welfare work is
in full swing, which will not be until
next year. He called attention to the
fact that Delaware was one of the
States that went over the top in its
contribution to the LegiOn's Endow-
ment Fund last year. He also called
attention to the fact that the Legion
does not want any child to go into a
home where it is expected that they
are to become a servant. The pur-
pose of the LegiOn's Endowment Fund
is to provide homes for orphan chill
dren of ex-service persons. He stated
that in his opinion much of the work
in Delaware could be handled locally
The next speaker was Joseph Work
man, of Wilmington, who is chairman
of the Perry Point entertainment
committee. This work relates to tht
large Government hospital at Perry
vile, Md, on the Susquehanna River
where at present there are 700 psy
chiatric ex-service men whose case
are considered hopeless, but for whom
hope is not given up by those il
charge. The local posts in Delaware
Maryland and Pennsylvania are aske,
to provide entertainment on Sunda,
lafternoon for the inmates of this hos
pital, and Mr. Workman is in charg
of arrangements for the posts in Del
!. aware. Most entertainments are mus
ical and the results have been mos
gratifying, and the efforts of the Leg
iannaires in Delaware, under Nj
!. Workman, have been much appreciat
ed by the hospital authorities and tn
men themselves.