Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06

The Department of the District o.
Columbia established new RECORD
when it closed the year 1928 with more
than SO per cent of its membership paio
up for the year 1929. A garrison finish
was made in the closing day of the year
and Department Comdr. Harlan WOOD
with the officers of his staff worked un-
ceasingly day and night until the last
of the returns were sent to national
headquarters in indianapolis, reaching
there the last day of the old year. Ac-
companying the reports were kilograms
to National Comdr. Paul v. McNutt and
National Adit. James F. Barton, ex-
tending best wishes for the new year.
Arrangements are going forward for
the annual department ball which VIII
be held in the New Willard Hotel We'd
nesday, January 80, with dancing from
$50 to / O'Clock. The local Legion
naires will be honored this year by the
presence of National Comdr. and Mrs.
Paul v. McNutt and Mrs. Boyce Flick
len. ir.. national president of the Amer
ican Legion Auxiliary. President and
Mrs. Calvin Coolidge head the list OF
patrons and patronesses again this year,
the same as last year. The affair is eX-
pected to be the most brilliant in the
history of the local department and the
decorative features will be unusually
attractive. The various post command
ers will have their post colorS desig-
mating the respective posts. which Will
add to the attractiveness of the scene.
AS chairman Of the patroness COM
.nittee. Third Vice Ccmdr. Emily j..
Carey is being assisted by Miss Marga-
Cos
Miss Ethel Baer and Mrs. Gertrude
Lowen.
With the starting of the new year,
Department Adjt Howard S. Fisk
invites the attention of members of the
local department to the five big activi-
ties of the American Legion launched
at the recent commanders and adJutants
conference which he attended at In
dianapolis and urges their support in
each instance. The activities are Junior
base ball, Boy Scout work. safety work,
emergency relief and national defense,
Definite plans for each of these activl-
ties have been worked out by the Ma
tional Americanism commission and
every post in this department should
swing into action immediately and make
this the biggest year in the history OF
the American Legion.
The first activity is national defense
and Congress now has before it the
naval construction bill carrying pro-
vision for Is cruisers and an aircraft
carrier Adequate appropriations will be
urged for the maintenance of the Army
and the Navy. the National Guard, the
Citizens Military Training Camps and
the Reserve Officers Training Camps
Aiding Boy Scout activities has been
part of the Legion's work for number
of years." continued Adjt. Fisk,
and has proven its worth as an all-time
Americanism project. Sponsoring Scout
troops, organizing Scout councils and
conducting Scout contests and compe-
titions are some of the ways in which
the Legion is aiding the Scout move
ment
when disaster has struck part of
the country in recent years the Legion
has always been first in the rescue
and relief work. In order that the Le-
gion may be ready to give relief serv-
ice in emergencies in every community
the last national convention directed
that efforts be made to organize an
emergency relief corps in every COM
munity where there are Legionnaires
No post can tell when disaster may
strike its community and it should be
organized so that it can spring to the
emergency
In conclusion he requests that every
assistance be rendered in the promo
ton of junior base ball this year Last
year the Legion gave $4,000 boys an
opportunity to play base ball in n great.
Nationwide competition, all of which
helps in making the boys better citi-
zens and good sportsmen throughout
the Nation
The installation of officers of the
U. S. S. Jacob Jones Post, No. 2, will
take place January IA at the Thomas
Circle Club, 1926 Massachusetts avenue.
at O'Clock
National Comdr. Paul V. McNutt will
be one of the speakers at the annual
banquet of the National Sojourners at
the Mayf1ower Hotel January II. The
drum and bugle corps of Victory Post.
No. 4, will be present on that occasion
and participate in the reception to the
national commander. In the ranks of
the National Sojourners are many MEM
bers of the American Legion and the
affair promises to be an interesting one,
according to Capt. George F. Unmacit,
u. S. A.. national secretary of the or
ganization. Reservation may be made
through Paul j. McGahan, Theodore
Cogswell. Howard S. Fisk, George F.
Unmacht, Raymond A. Burke, Thomas
D. Walsh. Wallace Streater and at de-
partnnent headquarters in the Transpor-
tation Building.
Victory Post, No 4. American Legion.
win meet in Woodmen of the World Hall
Tuesday at 8 pm. for its first meeting
of the new year. Plans for the new
year will be discussed.
The bugle and drum corps is plan
ming on enlarging the number of men
in the corps and would like TO enlist
more buglers or those wishing to learn.
The next social event will be a
chicken dinner. to be held at the North
east Temple January Is from to 8
O'Clock. Comrade Hess will have meet
ing of the committee for the smoker, at
which time several announcements will
be made.
Harlan Wood. department commander
of the American Legion of the District
of Columbia, has been advised of the
name of the horse the Legion and Le-
gion Auxiliary here will represent in
the Nationwide Kentucky Derby men,
bership race of the Legion The race
got under way January 2, each State
in the Union representing one of the
winners of the historic horse race
classic of the Bluegrass country.
The District of Columbia has been
assigned the field" which consists oil
three horses. They are: Aristides, win
ner of the first annual Kentucky Derby
run in 1875; Vagrant. winner of thu
second Derby, run in 1876. and Behave
Yourself, winner of the forty-Seventh
Derby. run in 1921.
Fifty-two horses. representing the
various Legion and auxiliary depart