Evening star., 1928-12-16
Continued from Seventh Page.)

-
Wood announces that a number of i'm
portant matters will be discussed anC
reports of various committees received
The conference of post commander
and post adiutantS last Monday in room
lO46. United States Veterans Bureau
was not only a successful affair, but i
was the consensus of opinion that great
er progress had been made since tn'
department convention last August II
getting members paid up for the sue
ceeding year than in any previous yeal
In the history of the organization.
Tentative reports from the variou:
nosts showed that over 25 per cent OF the
1928 members had already paid then
dues for the coming year. The Vlncen'
b. Costello Post has organized 'tylns
squadron" and is engaged TO-DAY II
rounding up its members with view u
winning one Of the trophies donated bI
the department commander. All OF th'
posts in the department, with the eA'
ception of four, were represented at tIll
conference. This was the nrst OF
series of conferences which VIII De hetC
throughout the year, when SUBJECTS az
fecting all of the posts will be dlScuSseo
and the commanders ana aoluIanCS
given an opportunity to exchange loeas
The silver trophy donated by PaSl
National Comdr Edward E. Spafforo
for the post showing the greatest pei
cent gain in membership during tne
mast three years has been presented tc
LAFAYETTE Post. No. 9, of this depart
ment. The award was made at the
San Antonio convention and the name
of LAFAYETTE Post is the first to be en-
played on the silver shield which adorns
the base of the trophy. The remaining
nine shields will be engraved eacn year
as the winning post of the local Depart
n1ent is honored at future national con-
ventionS. 49,,
First Vice Comdr Thomas D. Walsh
and Department Adjt. Howard 5. FISK
returned a few days ago from indian
apoliS. Ind, where they attended a con-
ference of department commanders ana
department. adjutantS called by Ma
tional Comdr Paul V. McNutt and Ma
tional Adjt. James F. Barton. The con-
ference was held in the administration
building at national headquarters and
was attended by officials from every
State in the Union, the District of Co
lumbia and one foreign department,
that of Italy.
The conference was featured by ad-
dresses by Past Department Comdr.
watson B. Miller of this department,
now chairman of the national .rehabll-
itation committee, and John Thomas
TAYLOR. vice chairman of the national
Legislative committee. The sessions
covered a period of three days of the
previous week and continued from 9
o'clock in the morning until IN the
evening. Mr.. Miller spoke on the ma
tional program regarding "rehabin-
fation," and Mr.. Taylor selected as MS
subject, 1.-The National Legislative Pro-
gram for the Year and How the Depart
ments Could Assist the National Leg
1Slative COMMITTEE.
During the sessions other speakers
talked on child welfare, membership
community service, fundamental post
organization, publicity, national defense,
department publications, legal and
policy problems, incorporation, emerg-
ency units. junior base ball. selling the
American Legion and many other sub
.Jects of general interest to members OF
the organization. The last day of the
conference the members motored in
busses over to the plant where the
American Legion monthly magazine is
printed and spent the afternoon watch
ing the production of the nearly one
million copies as they were being dis
tributed and mailed to every section OF
the world.
The conference was featured in the
closing hour with an address by Ma
tional Comdr McNutt, in which he
stressed activity on the part OF the
American Legion in backing the naval
building program as outlined by PreSl-
dent Calvin Coolidge on Armistice night
al the washington Auditorium, in this
city. to the end that the United States
NAV fulfill its standard in the 5-5-3
ratio agreement between England, Ja-
pan and the United States. The ma
tional commander pointed out that the
United States was the only one OF the
three great powers that had lived up
to the spirit and letter of the agree
nent and naval disarmament confer
ences of Washington and Geneva. AL
though the American Legion STANDS
firmly behind its policy of an adequate
national defense, it is as well deeply
interested in all steps toward peace
he concluded.
The entertainment provided for the
visiting commanders and adjutantS con-
sisted of a Soviet" dinner and BAN
rNlet bv the Forty and Eight the clos
ing night. National officers addressed
ali of the conferences and the social
affairs during the three days OF the
conference.
Vice Comdr. Walsh and Adjt Fisk
were highly gratified at their reception
at the conference, and incidentally pc
came acquainted with many OF the
commanders and adjutantS from the
States. They spoke of the conference
rs being not only interesting, but edu-
cational as well, and they have brought
back to this department lntormatlon
which will be of value to the posts.
their officers and members OF the rank
end file as well.
The American Legion department
hdiutants and commanders of all the
10 States, the District of Columbia ana
several departments outside the bound
aries of the United States have re-
turned home with the outstanding
Legion objectives for the coming year
impressed upon them by the annual
conference that ended last week at
national headquarters at indianapolis,
Ind.
Dan Sewers. national Americanism
director, emphasized the best Legion
method of treating Communists.
The individual Communist thrlves
on public opposition" he said. They
progress when made martyrs"
Sewers advised that the constituted
authorities be notified Of such meeting
Then stop the meeting only when an
bvert act in the misuse Of free speech
Is committed having the Communist
arrested and prosecuted. He quoted the
United States Supreme Courts opinion
that a State may exercise its police
power to punish those who abuse free
peech.
Miss Emma Puschner, national direc-
tor of child welfare. outlined the big
effort that will be made to have ade-
:uate child welfare laws enacted by the
various State legislatures. Forty-four
will meet early in 1929 and she appealed
10 the adjutants and commanders TO
mobilize the strength of their depart
hents behind the movement for i'm
proved child welfare laws
The national legislative program OF