Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-21

The eleventh annual convention Of
the American Legion will be held in
Louisville September 80 to october 3,
inclusive.
Every State and Territory of the
United States will be represented. to-
gether with outlying regions such as
Panama, Hawaii, Alaska, the Philip
pines and some countries Of Europe,
where there are enough American vet
Grams still living to maintain Legion
post. An attendance of 100000 vet
Grams is expected in Louisville.
These delegates will represent some
II 900 Legion posts and total paid-up
membership exceeding 764,000 veterans.
There will also be delegates from the
various countries of the allied and asso-
ciated nations, representing their own
national organizations of veterans OF
the World War. united with the Amer
lean Legion in world organization
known as the Federation Internationale
des Anciens Combat Fidac" for
short, being the abbreviation made up
of the initials of each word OF the full
name in French. This international
"Fidac" counts membership exceed
ing 100000 veterans and is the great.
est influence for the preservation OF
world peace that has ever existed. For
it may be confidently counted that the
"militarists" who rally round the
flag" when danger threatens their
countries are the true pacifists de-
voted to prevention of dangerous crises
and for the perpetual maintenance OF
peace and safety of their homes ana
families. They. above all others, know
what war means.
Very closely associated with the
American Legion Of men is the Ameri-
can Legion Auxiliary, made up Of the
women of the families of the veterans,
including women who themselves were
in active service, either in the Army
or Navy-as yeomanettes, etc. THIS
does not, in either caSe-male or fe-
male-include the welfare workers OF
the camps, unless they were also re-
lated to some soldier or sailor in active
service-wives. mothers or sisters. The
Auxiliary numbers more than a quarter
of a million patriotic women. Hence,
the combined membership of the Legion
and Auxiliary constitutes more than
million, and as the membership Is
growing, it will soon reach the mark
Of million and a quarter total.
Compared with the Grand Army of
the Republic in its prime, the American
Legion today has practically double the
number of members that the Grand
Army ever had. The veterans Of the
Civil War reached the peak OF their
membership in 1890-about 100000.
That was IS years after the war had
closed. If the same ratio follows Tor
the American Legion aside from the
Auxiliary, it should achieve its peak
in 1943. with a membership then Of at
least 1.250.O0O. It was several years
after the Grand Army had been or
ganized before it really aroused much
interest among the masses, either OF
veterans or civilians, but in the last
decade of the century it became most
potent in its influence upon patriotic
sentiment and welfare Of the country.
One of the strongest means OF nrlng-
ing the sections of the country TO-
gether proved to be the mutual appre,,
citation Of the veterans OF the Blue ana
the GRAY for each others proves, and
in recent years it has been familiar
sight to find prominent Confederates
affiliating with the Grand Army OF
the Republic.
the American Legion in wiping out all
sectional differences, such delayed and
limited development was OF minor value.
for the Legion includes the South no
less than the North; there is no divtd-
as Americans, consequently the Ameri-
can Legion is, at once, the most ef1ec-
tive influence that has ever existed In
uniting the whole country.
The very recent discussions which
have risen as to the desirability OF a
Joint reunion of the G. A. r. and the
Veterans of the Confederacy, in uniting
the country, have no counterpart In the
meetings of the American Legion, In
which there is no North and no South,
but one country. The G. A. r. veterans
protest that they cannot unite with
the Confederates until the latter as
card their sectional flags and rally
round the Stars and Stripes alone.
In the Legion that is exactly what is
done. whether by New Englanders or
sons of former ConfederateS. so that the
healing of the national wounds will
indeed come through the balm OF
American Legion Observation-Disclosures
all, It seems as natural Tor UnlonlstS
to resist compromises OF their union
spirit as it would be for Fridacs to pro
test against acceptance Of Germans into
their organization so long as their for
ner opponents came singing 'Deutsch-
land Ueber Allies" but brave veterans
respect bravery and SympathiZe with
heroic suffering, even of their erStWhle
enemies" whenever they can meet
without reviving former controversies.
give lie Legion Americana" "Vive les
Fidacs" Long live the brave South as
loyal part of the Union!
u X y
1t is especially significant that the
preamble of the American Legion is
Expressed in words that ring with SOL
enn patriotism of the highest type.
THAT preamble Credited to the late
Col. E. Lester Jones Of the Coast and
Geodetic Survey is the quintessence OF
the spirit of the American Legion, and
as such it contradicts the too common
notion of the public regarding the OBJ
jectives and the character of the or
ganization
There have been some unfortunate
misjudgments regarding the Legion.
One which hampered it in its early
days was that it had been formed for
political Office for its originatorS. That
has been so abundantly disproved In its
first decade that it is no longer as
sumed, in any way. The more persist
ent misjudgment attributes selfish
greed by the masses Of members seek
ing bonuses" but as all bonuses have
either been awarded or are now OUT
lawed and the strength of the organi-
cation persists in growing year after
year, that prejudice is dying out.
There remains the lingering idea that
TeOiornaireS are mostly "doli0hbovg :"