The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-08

neg, an official of the American Defense Society,"
and author of Reds IN America" once q0rOte
that Upton Sinclair is the founder of the l. W.
w. and the American Cj0a Liberties Union"
PROFESSIONAL PATRIOTS is edited by
Norman HapgoOd from material assembled By
Sidney HOlcGrd and John Hearley.
Continued from yesterday
Acts of Violence.
record of acts of violence by members of the Amer-
can Legion acting SUCH compiled from the press re-
ports and verified by correspondence was published by
tho American Civil Liberties Union in 1921 1t listed so
such acts up to the close of the year 1920 From that
date the record Of violence fell off due to the criticism
it caused and the resentment aroused among its
membership There have since been not more than
ten cases. Of which two seriousat Wilkes Barre
in March, 1924 and at Great Bend, Kansas March 81
1921. At Great Bend, where a Farmers Non-Partsan
League meeting scheduled four speakers the way
to it beaten up and two of them tarred and
feathered The men who beaten and tarred were
J. o. Stevc editor Of the NOnparsan Leader Carl Par
sons, veteran of the World War, while ex-senator
Burton of Kansas and George Wilson of Oklahoma who
were together in forced to get out of the
county.
At Wilkes-Barre a Lenin Memorial meeting conducted
by the Workers Party was broken up at the point Of
rifles by crowd of Legion who marched from their
hall for that purpose and who forced the audience to
leave the hall and salute the American flag The ac-
ton of the local post backed by others throughout
the country who wired their approval The following
firm Oklahoma is typical
"Oklahoma City Post No So American Legion, wishes
TO congratulate you your recent stand in upholdng
Aericansm which is the basic principle of our organ
zaton Dispersion of Bolshevik worship strikes chord
in the heart of all true Americans The American flag
Ia good enough for us. Stay with it.
Oklahoma City Post American Legion
By H. Lee BInton Post Commander"
The WilkesBarr Daily Record of January 80 1924
in account reported that:
Those who entered the local Legion Hall last evening
could hear click of rifles the indoor rifle range
large group of Legonnaires exhibited eagerness to
become proficient this for future emergencies The
rifle crowded last evening with
in quest of rifle practice This and attracted
the attention of all who entered the building"
Break Up Meetings
The breaking up of meetings at the instance of the
American Legion has been accomplished without violence
bypressure on local officials and landowners The Legion
specialized In stopping Socialist meetings addressed by
Eugene v DSbs, concerts by Fritz Kreiser and show
ings Of film depicting conditions in Russia, entitled
The Fifth Year"
Legion aarmsts prevented peace signs being carried
in Armstice Day parade in Boston A Legion Of
fetal journal in Sioux City has made lbeous attacks
on the Womens International League for Peace and
Freedom the basis of information which the local
post admitted furnished by the General Staff of
the United States Army" Loyal Legionnaires Joined
with the D. A. R. the Reserve Officers Association
Better America Federation the National Security
League and the Military Order of the World War in
fore the students of Leland Stanford Jr University
As noted above the Legion Chapter at Concord Mass
attempted, in June 1926, to prevent the New England
Fellowship of Youth for Peace from holding conference
there Eggs, stones and stink bombs were reported
among the missiles used without avail in this Legion
inspired attempt to intmidae college students interested
in peace Later the local Legion officials who had
most interested in breaking up the student gathering
repudiated their participation in the violence The
Legions propaganda material against the Fellowship
of Youth for Peace supplied by the Industrial De-
Tense Association and the Massachusetts Public Interest
League composed of group Of women who are jealous
of the good name of their state Mr.. Marvin of, the
New York Commercial also contributed to the attack
students conference, the charges made by all the pat
riots" were improved unfair, untrue and baseless
SANDER"
Civil Liberties Union.
A. Leroy F. Smith of Los Angeles, writing in the
American Legion Bulletin for September % 1928 under
the title "A Nice Little Kitty-with Claws" INDUCED
himself in page Of pleasantries about the American
Civil Liberties Union, which has branch in Los Angeles
combat police suppression of radical meetings and the
criminal syndcast prosecutions. The article
evidently had the approval Of the Legion officials 1t
scored in picturesque language all the principles Of
speech and assembly characterzng the Civil Liberties
Union thus
"The local committee has a number of wel-known
figures it, very well known while the national COM
mittee numbers among its members such eminent pa
triots William z. Foster Rose Schneiderman Scott
Nearing, James A. Duncan former LW.W. mayor Of
Butte) Felix Frankfurter (Which means in English
Merry Sausage)," etc.
The spectacle Of the IW.W. an anti-poitcal organ
zaton with mayor, is enough to characterize Mr..
Smiths ignorance of public affairs, even overlooking
the fact that Mr. Duncan secretary Of the Seattle
Central Labor Council and not resident Of Butte.
The spirit behind these evidences Of patriotic zeal is
not far removed from the Italian Fascist Indeed the
connection is not fancfu The Legion invited Musso-
ni to address its San Francisco convention in 1928.