New Britain herald., 1927-11-03
COMMANDER
 VISITS NEW HAVEN
SpaHord Explains Purpose Of
 "UniYerSal Draft"

New Haven, Nov. 2 (Pl The "Uniyersal Draft act urged by the American Legion is intended solely and purely 10 see that, in the event Of another war. the nation will pick up where it left off at the end of the World war. National Con- mander Edward P. Spafford told the Connecticut department of the Legion and auxiliary last night Commander Spafford, making his first official appearance since his election at the Paris convention this fall, installed the new officers of the department of Connecticu, at the Lawn club,
 Two Legion-sponso measures. the Universal Draft act and the act for the retirement Of disabled emergency officers, have been blocked from consideration by con- sress, he said, by a group Of legis- latiyo cZars as absolute as any in the history of the federal legisla- lurc.
 When students at the war time training schools were graduated and went 10 war, he said,> some wen, into the regular army and some, by choice, into the reserve. Members of both bodies were disabled in the lighting. The regular army officers have received the benefit of retire ment legislation, but the reserve officers. who fought side by side with the regulars and were equally patriotic and are equally disabled have been unable to get relief. This relief, he said, is the object of the legislation asked by the Legion.
 Turning to the Universal Draft act, Commander Spafford told his audience that nothing was further from the minds of the Legion's leaders than communism.
 "All that the Universal Draft act actually provides for is for use to put into operation at the beginning of the war, or when war is immi- nent the very laws which We found necessary to put into effect before the close Of this last war. Only the Universal Draft act wolld save the months of delay which in the last war took bitter toll of life and treasures" he said.
 We hear people say that We must draft capital and labor, l do E.liry-a that hiS lC tho lnfrn .. ton of the people who actually say these things for I am certain that the members of our Legion are the furthrst of any people in this coun- try, from being communists.
 We do not want to draft capi tai and We do not want 10 draft labor but we want an absolute con ;rol over labor We want this con trol right at the very beginning ana mot wait until the end of the war We do not want control over labor for instance, to take place after the shipyards have raised the pay Of their men from 23 cents an hour to $1.5O an hour. \ we want tn. law so arranged that in case a man will not work at an equitable fee the government of the United States may make him work for the country.
 We want the price fixing to go further than fixing the price of the produce of the farm. Farmers should not be the only persons to bear the burden Of war, and to
 Under the part of the constitu- ton which provides for the regula- ton of commerce, and by means Ot the system of taxation, we can con trol every bit Of property and every bit of industry of this country, and We want laws at the beginning of a war so that this control may be eA- crcised before prices have been raised
 Placing Of big business executives in the federal forces through ex- tension to them of commissions, su that 'in case they perform any u'- patriotic act they could be tried by general court martial, instead of being tried before q civil court, was urged by Commander Spaffor1 as d better method than government operation Of big business in war time.
 Department of Connecticut head .mIarters will remain for the coming year in Hartford, Department Com mandcr Earle r. Richards of Wcsl Haven announced in his address following the introduction Of the new state heads into office.
 Before the year is over, he sad paid adjutant may he possible but for the present 1t is planned to get on without this added ex- ponso.
 The new commander outlined ih' work of the past year, and sai( that the coming year will see the efforts of the Connecticut Logior directed along the same lines. Mem hership increase, perfection of or gaui2atiOn, community welfare anC stat" lcClSatlon Tn palflollc, chuCd' fional and veterans reliet lines were the obicctiv"s sought, he said
 The new Legion officers installed were as follows: Earle F. Richards West Haven. commander; Frank r, Anderson, Wcthersfeld; Walter J Angle, Waterbury: J. Frederick Col . lins, Greenwich; Francis Prlchard - Rockville, Maurice Peck, Lyme ! James l.. kirwin Litchtield and Wil , liam F. smith, New London, vice commanders; Edward l.. Whlte Westvillr adjutant; James R. Case Danbury assistant adiutant; Clar | cnce C. Scarborough, West Hart | ford, treasurer: George F. Nye, NeV 5 Haven, historian; Harry C. Jackson New Britain, national legislativ' committeeman: Stanley Dunn. Ncv . Haven, judge advocate, Rev. Fathe ' Henry r. Cassidy, Waterbury, chap . lain; Charles r. Schall, West Haven