Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-02
FRACTIONAL FIGHT
LOOMS IN LEGION
Campaign to Boost Peyser
as Jennings Successor
Precipitates Fight.

Another factional Tight loorned in
the District OF Columbia department
of the American Legion today with
Joseph j. Idler. department adjutant,
under fire as the result of efforts TO
obtain Legion support for the canal
dacy of Capt. julius ]. Peyser for
District Commissioner, !. ana Idler
charging his opponents with playing
politics to block the candidacy or Capt.
Peyser to succeed himself as head
of the District Legion.
At the same time. the list OF candl-
dates for the Legion commandership
was increased to four, with the pos
sibility that another may be added
before the date Of the convention
August 81 and %.
Brig. Gen. Amos A. Fries, chieI
of the Chemical Warfare Service OF
the Army, announced his canolohcy
for department commandership snort
ly before noon. a short time aIter ~
became known that Charles L.
Riener. past commander OF Stuart
Walcott Post, would run again Tor
the highest office in Legion ana1rs IN
washington. Lieut.. Howard 3. FISK
NAV also be added TO the list OF candl-
dates. although his candidacy mas
mot vet come out In the open. capt.
Peyser announced Saturday tnat ne
would run for reelection, and sup
norters of Harlan Wood. chairman OF
the veterans Joint committee, predict
Woods election.
Cites Legion Regulation.
The f9ht on Idler Is based on tele-
ra,,,s sent 10 state Legion adjutants,
in which he urged them to give their
hacking to Capt. Peyser for the Coih-
missionership. ,,,.,,..,
When this became known, Wiillan
r, Franklin. adtutant of the Vincent
B. Costello Post here, sent a teiegrSni
70 James Barton, national ad)utant'
criticizing Idler's action. The move
ment for Peyser was barred IL was
said. when the secretary for mem
Der of Congress from Michigan IN
auired by what right 1dler, as mem
Der of the Legion, thus took part IN
political movement. The Legion con
stitution, it is explained. forbids pro
noting the candidacy OF any one seek
ing public Office"
Idler's statement today declared the
action of Franklin to be the EFFORT OF
a small minority" of washington
members of the Legion to defeat Fey
ser for a second term as commander:
Franklin has openly announced
his opposition to Peyser and VIII un-
doubtedly make a great effort to de-
feat him. in the department conven-
ton" he SAID. 1T is true that many
prominent persons throughout the
Nation have asked the President to
appoint Capt. Peyser to succeed Mr..
Fenning because they know Peyser
is fitted for the position and com
mands the respect of the people OF
Washington. Capt. Peyser's standing
in Legion circles here Is OF the nigh
est and the coming convention OF the
local department will prove it when
they elect the captain TO succeed him
self as Legion commander. BY his
condemnation of the effort to make
Legionnaire a Commissioner of the
District of Columbia, Franklin has de-
feated his candidates before the con-
vention."
Executive Session Planned.
In Legion circles today. the opinion
was expressed that the whole contro-
versy should be aired. and all the
surrounding circumstances brought to
light. Vincent b. Costello Post, Capt.
Peyser's post, will meet tomorrow
night in executive session, and accord
ing to many members of the post.
will not support Peyser, but will back
Wood for department commander.
George Washington Post will also
meet tomorrow night, and may place
Fisk in nomination.
George Washington Post is slated
to place the name Of Gen. John j.
Pershing in nomination for national
commander of the Legion at the ma
tional convention in October. Another
nationally known celebrity is slated
to become an officer of the Legion,
for Costello Post has made 1t known
that Col. William Mitchell will be its
next commander, succeeding Thomas
Walsh, present commander.
Many legion members, among them
men who have been influential in
the organization since 1919, claim
that a complete cleanup of the af
fairs of the department in the Dis.
trict of Columbia is in order. A de.
partment headquarters is needed, a
membership drive should be staged
and every effort put forth to bring
the legion up TO it's proper place here,
they say, pointing to the present
membership of about 1900 as proof
that vigorous measures are neces
sary.
The forthcoming fight for depart
ment commander will be the second
big struggle in the legion. Previous
department conventions have beer
relatively tame affairs, until the
struggle last year, when Peyser was
elected deua ri Tnant comma rdov