Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02

Oflcials of the Department of the Dis
trict of Columbia, the American Legion,
will be guests of George Washington
Post, No. /, the pioneer post of the
American Legion, on the occasion of the
eleventh anniversary celebration to be
held in the club house of the post, 1441
Rhode Island avenue, next Friday eve
ming, when an appropriate program will
be rendered.
One of the features of the evening
will be the unwilling of a bronze tablet
to the memory of E. Lester Jones, the
first commander of the post and the
first commander of the Department OF
the District of Columbia. AS one of the
organizers of the first unit, he had the
distinction of being the first post and
FIRST department commander in the his
tory of this veterans organization. His
death occurred last April, being buried
in Arlington Cemetery with full military
honorS.
On March 7, 1919, at the suggestion
Of Past Dept Comdr. Jones, who was
colonel in the air forces throughout
the World War in France, there was
held in the auditorium of the Cosmos
Club in this city a meeting, which was
ATTENDED by over $50 veterans, COM
misSioned and non-commissioned of the
Army, Navy and Marine Corps At this
meeting E. Lester Jones was elected
commander of the first Unit of the ma
tional organization. The name adopted
at that meeting was Gen. Pershing Post,
No. /, but when the temporary conSti-
tuition was adopted at the caucus held
In St. Louis, Mo-, May 8, 9 and 10. 1919,
there was provision that no post
should be named after a living person
and consequently on May 10, 1919, the
name was changed to George Washing
ton Post, No. !.
1t was at this same meeting on May
1888, at the Central High School
that E. Lester Jones was unanimously
elected department commander and au-
thority already having been received
from national headquarters to proceed
to organize the first department in the
history of the American Legion. He
was succeeded by John Lewis Smith as
commander of the post and later he
became department commander. To
the deceased commander is due credit
for the present preamble in the ma
tional constitution, because through his
efforts the preamble was drafted and
presented at the caucus in st. Louis,
adopted and with very slight changes
since that time. Col. Jones headed the
District delegation when 1t attended the
st. Louis caucus and was also chairman
first national convention held in Min
neapolis. Mimi, November 10, IL and IL,
1919. He was one of the incorporates
named in the act of Congress passed in
1919 authorizing the American Legion
and the foundation laid by him, with the
assistance of others in those early days,
has on numerous occasions brought
forth praise and commentator from
officials of the national organization at
Indianapolis.
When Col. Jones was elected COM
mander Of Gen. Pershing Post, No. /, he
selected as his adjutant Howard S.
Fisk, who likewise has the distinction
OF being the drst post adjutant in the
United States. He served in the same
capacity for George Washington Post
and when the first department was
formed Col. Jones appointed him de-
partment adjutant, being the first one
he was again appointed department
adjutant by Dept. Comdr. Harlan Wood
and reappointed last year by Dept.
Comdr. l.. e. Atkins and is serving in
that position at the present time. AS
one of the founders and charter mem
bers he will be present at the ceremonies
Friday night. having attended every
anniversary in the history of George
Washington Post.
The Department Of the District Of
Columbia has started on its upward
climb in the national membership con-
test and last week jumped from forty
sixth position in the race to thirty-ninth
position. The local department has 60.52
per cent of the quota allotted to 1t by
national headquarters and with the in
tensive campaign for new members,
which started yesterday under the lead
~ ~ n Cw~SA Il
every possibility that the District will
forge rapidly ahead this year as it did
last year.
OF interest to local legionnaires was
the announcement from national head
quarters that the half-million mark in
membership was passed several days ago
and the new mark is 600, 900. Last year
the total membership was within few
thousand of 800, 900, which is the ulti-
mate goal for next year. The records
at national headquarters show that the
membership for this year is Just 81 days
ahead OF last year and National Comdr.
Q. L. Bodenhamer is gratifled at the fine
showing. 1T Is not our purpose to seek
huge total at the end of the year"
says the national commander, but to
get the membership out Of the way early
in the year in order to clear the decks
for the Legion program of service. This
service work and other activities Of
Legion posts will have the membership
problem disposed of a month earlier
than year ago and thus have that
much more time to devote to accom-
plish other things before the next ma
tional convention is held in Boston,
october 6 to 8. The rapid growth of
the 1880 membership is laid to the fact
that the veterans throughout the United
States wish to show, through their
membership in the Legion, their sup
port Of the Legion legislative program in
Congress. Two Of the major detectives
of the Legion in Congress Is the ade-
quate care of disabled veterans and the
adoption of the ReedWainwright reso-
luton, providing for competent COM
mission to consider the principle of uni
versal service in time of war and adopt
plan for its operation"