Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-27
DENIES LEGION VOTE
ON DRY QUESTION
D. C. Department Adiutant
Says Action Was Against
LaWleSsneSs.

The stand of the American Legion
at the Detroit convention was not on
a wet-and-dry question, c. w. Brown
ing, adjutant for the Department of
the District of Columbia, American
Legion, and a member Of the Resolu-
tions Committee at the recent conven-
ton, said yesterday upon his return
from Detroit.
The legionaires, he insisted. consider
that tire United States is facing a
national emergency due to lawlessness
and corruption. and that this is trace
able directly to the eighteenth amend
ment and the Volstead act.
Hit Eighteenth Amendment.
Mr.. Browning, who Is post COM
mander of Victory Post. No. 4, here,
said the Committee on Resolutions at
Detroit, on which he served, was rep
resentative of every State in the Union
and was unanimously of the opinion
that the present state of disrespect for
law, lawlessness, intemperance and cor
ruption was due to the adoption of the
eighteenth amendment to the Consti-
tuition of the United States and its
enforcing enactments."
Mr.. Browning added that at was
for this reason that all resolutions con-
sidered by the committee contained
L1lS statement OF 1dCL.
THE question before the committee,
and largely before the convention, how
ever. was whether the American Legion
should consider matters affecting the
Nation as whole and of national
import
"Giving due conSidera ton to the Con-
stitution of the United States. the con-
stitution of the American Legion and
the obligations taken by every legion
naire, together with the request of the
President of the United States that
national matters be placed before those
of veterans interest. the committee and
the convention decided that such action
was the duty of the Legion.
The Legion, having decided this
question of national welfare, then con-
sidered the action it should take. The
Legion could only ask Congress to con-
slider the question, and Congress could
only act by action of the people. Just
as the legionnaires throughout the
several States and territories must de-
eide policies and questions of the
American Legion, so must the American
people IN the several States and ter
ritories be consulted on such matters.
Having been consulted through such
medium as the Congress in its wisdom
may decide, it then becomes the duty
of the Congress to act as representa-
tives of the will of the people.
THE entire deliberations of the COM
mittee and the convention were in sin
certify, sobriety and with the foremost
thought of the welfare of these United
States.
Other accommodations.
I'm addition, the American Legion
recommended other important factors
for the welfare of the Nation during
the emergency-it recommended ade-
quate national defense, both Army and
Navy; provisions for reduction in un-
employment, and rejected matters
which did not concern the general well
fare of the whole community.
Attacks which have been made upon
the Legion by fanatics and pacifsts
who would sell their birthright for pub
licity and sacrifice their country to
dream of idealist fanaticism, and
surrender the flag Of the United States
to any banner under which they may
be masquerading, are uncalled for, un-
just and without foundation of fact"