Evening star., 1927-06-26
American Legion.

Nention or the department Dy LlnCOl
Post, No. II. In view of the fact tha
OF a veteran population of betweel
$4,000 and 80, 600 in Washington. ther
are less than 1000 veterans enrolle'
in the District Legion. delegates O
Lincoln Post have been instructed L
request that the department under
take a study to determine reasons VIII
more veterans have not taken III
membership. and to find means o
overcoming the condition.
AT the last meeting OF the post,
committee delegated 10 study tn
question reported that means OF in
cooperating Legion activities will
community activities appeared tn
most logical answer. While in mos
small towns, and many larger cities
where there are Legion posts. the or
Canizations are closely identified will
community work. such is not the cas-
in Washington. the committee re
ported. Washington posts are organ
lied ard operate without reference It
communities, and the general lack o.
community connections has prevented
posts from taking active lead In com
munity activities.
Lincoln Post believes that for the
best success of the local Legion organ
ization a closer connection with com
muntty activities should be had, and
the post delegates will present reso
luton suggesting that, II need be.
reorganization of the District depart
ment be considered to this end.
Under a resolution 10 be presented
before the convention by this post $
delegation, the department officials
will be requested TO name committee
TO study the situation during the sum
mer and make recommendations 10
the Legion early next Fall.
4. A. Chenay and +, T. Hitch were
named by the post as delegates to the
convention and Past Post Eomdr. W.
y. Morrell and George NJ. Cook were
appointed alternates.
Membership standings OF the various
departments OF the American Legion
were announced from national head
quarters last week as follows.
Alabama. S.4S5: Alaska. 452; Ari-
xona, s.5o5: Arkansas, 5,2l5: Cali
fornia. 25,412: Canada. 1911; Colorado
s.5s5; Connecticut, S,464; Delaware.
ESQ: District OF Columbia. 1855;
Florida. 1857: France, $50; Georgia.
$3.50; Hawaii. s42; Idaho, S.5SS,
Illinois. s.. 2.s1s; Indiana. 21.S01; Iowa
7a.6Ss; Italy. 1.105; Kansas, 1897;
Kentucky. 6.56T; Louisiana, 50o6;
Maine. 5,667: Maryland. a,ls1; Massa.
chusetts. 1882; Mexico. 35si Mich
.Kan. 1880: Minnesota, .32o: MisSIs-
aippi. 1894: Missouri. 9.6S2; Montana.
4674: Nebraska. 1881; Nevada, 1856;
New Hampshire. 900: New Jersey,
1s.sS7: New Mexico. 1915: New York.
S5.SS5; North Carolina. e,0e1; North
Dakota. 7.IsS: Ohio. 81 .o4s: Oklahoma,
17.51I: Oregon, S.91s; Panama 400;
Pennsvlvania. 50.0s6; Philippine
Islands. 81: Rhode Island. e.02S; South
Carolina, 3.s7e: South Dakota, S.426;
Tennessee, 1854: Texas. 1888; Utah,
.S0s: Vermont. ses1; Virginia. 5.l64;
waShinEtor. Hal: West Virginia
800; Wisconsin, 24,4S7; Wyoming.
i,7s7.
Reservations for the Paris conven-
ten o. the American Legion viii
elese July Is
This announcement was made by
Howard P. Savage, national COM
raander of the veterans organization.
Ary ore desiring 70 attend the con-
vertton must have q reservation filed
BY July Is with the department
France convention officer OF his State,
whose address may Be obtained from
the nearest Legion pos<. Otherwise
II cannot be accepted
In order TO accommodate hundreds
who could not be sure al first II they
could 60 said National Commander
Savage, ''we extended the time of
receiving reservations. But physical
limitations in handling. The many de-
tails Of caring for each-fe eservation
l. [e1 -. ~ for
70 set July Is as ths final closing
date.
Already most of the official ships
are nearly filed and soon all will be
completely booked. Therefore, 1 urge
all os those who have been delaying
fling their applications to get them in
ut once. Otherwise the Second
A. z. r. will sail without them"
The national defense committee OF
the American Legion will recommend
to the legion's national convention to
be held in Paris in September that
the Legion favor, a national defense
policy, the formation by the Govern
nnent, "as soon as warranted" Of the
Nations air forces into a separate de
partment headed by a cabinet officer
This decision was determined follow
ing a session here, according to a re
port to National Commander Howard
p. Savage.
Before adopting the resolution
agreed upon, the committee, by a vote
of to /, turned down resolution
that favored the organization or the
Nations defensive machinery into one
department, with secretaries Of equa
importance for land, sea, air force:
and munitions.
The committee also voted down,
to 3. a resolution indorsing the i'm
mediate creation of a separate depart
ment of aeronautics.
The adoption of the resolution
unanimously agreed upon by the nint
members Of the committee, who rep
resented the land, sea and air forces
committees of the Legion, came as z
result of the belief of the national de
fense committee members, a majority
of whom have distinguished war rec
ords, that air power is developing
more rapidly than any other brancf
of the Nations defensive machinery
and that its relative importance will
continue to grow.
The resolution adopted, and which
will be reported to the national con
vention in Paris. reads:
1--WE, the standing committee OF th'
American Legion on national defense
favor the organization Of nationa
aeronautics, as soon as warranted
into a separate department Of nationa
defense headed by cabinet secre
tary."
The sole purpose Of the nationa
defense committee this year, unde
mandate of the last national conven
ton, was to consider whether to rec
ommend to the coming national con
vention the advisability Of the Gov
ernment orga niZing the entire force
or national defense into one depart
ment with secretaries Of equal i'm
portance for land, sea, air forces ant
munitions.
This was the second meeting OF tn
committee. The first, held In April
heard the testimony of Secretary o
War Davis. Assistant Secretary o
II rTr,,hao naVfsnn Ppar 4 DIM Ira