Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-10


to France, 10 years after the declara-
ton Of war by the American Congress.
Not many of the American Expedi-
tionary Force had gotten across the
Atlantic by September, 1917, but the
United States, at that time, was &C.
lively engaged In preparing for her
part in the great conflict. Then came
the Bridge of Ships" and the 100000
soldiers lover there" and the 100000
in reserve. Then came the killed upon
the field of battle, 34,249; the wounded
and hospitalized, 224,089; of which
latter one-third of the casualties came
from the enemy's poison gas. OF the
gassed, only 1921 died in hospitals
and 69,351 recovered, while of the
153,537 wounded by bullets and shells.
12.470 died in field hospitals and 141,-
OCT recovered more or less completely.
And now, after decade. thousands
Of the soldiers who were associated
with the allies "over there" are re-
turning to hold their annual meeting
in Paris, opening Monday. Septem-
Der 10.
The American Legion was first
organized in Paris; it was also organ
lied, tentatively, here in Washington
about the same time, and in token of
this initiative. led by Col. E. Lester
Jones, chief of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey, the first post is recognized as
George Washington Post, No. l." 1t
was called the John j. Pershing POST;
but when, at the first national conven-
ton of the Legion, it was ruled that
no post should be called after living
person, the name was changed to
that of the Father of His Country"
The prejudice among the unin-
formed, that the American Legion ex-
lists for the purpose of exalting mill
tarism" and promoting a war spirit,
is so far from truth that to any Le-
gionnaire it appears preposterous. It
Is an organization confined to those
who know by hard experience what
war means. They realize it's cruelties,
it's miseries, it's bitter griefs. They
want no more such adventure" and
they scorn it's GLORY" They know,
however. the awful penalties of I'M
preparedness for national defense.
Their consciousness Of the Nations
duty to care for the wounded Is keener
than that of many who by personal
associations have not had that obi
cation brought home to them.
The American Legion gives a help
ing hand. not alone to Legionnaires,
but to all wounded or sick veterans.
Their greatest single achievement has
been the passage by Congress Of the
veterans compensation and rehabili-
tation acts and the concentration of
the several bureaus executing the
earlier legislation of relief into the one
United States Veterans Bureau, which
is now paying out to disabled soldiers
more than a million dollars a day, be-
sides maintaining the greatest sys-
tenn of hospitals of any nation at any
time. Altogether, the Legion has sup
ported Congress in passing nearly 200
laws for the veteran relief and regu.
lation. These adopted measures were
sifted out of nearly 1000 bills more
or less unworthy.
There exist in the United States and
in foreign countries wherever there
are American veterans) nearly 10000
American Legion posts, and the Le-
gionnaires, particularly within the last
three or four years, have developed
undisputed leadership in municipal
improvement and in arousing public
interest in patriotic affairs. Today
that is the mission of the Legion and,
in the face of pacifism, communism
and weakness, that, the Legionnaires
believe, is the most vital influence
needed in American life.
X X X
Gen. John J. Pershing Is Legion
naire-a member of George Washing.
ton Post, No. /, and also member OF
it's board of directors In charge of the
financial affairs of the three-story home
of the post at and Nineteenth streets
northwest. He is a believer in the
mission of the American Legion-in
it's authoritative voice as expressing
not only the will Of soldiers but the
spirit of Americanism. In response
to a request of the writer of this col
umn for an expression of his views on
this subject, Gen. Pershing writes
THE fact that from its pioneer days
Il have been an active member OF