Evening star., 1946-08-04
District Unit to Aid Veterans
Urged by Legion Convention
Harry Brown Named
Commander, MoIIoy
Wins Reelection

W ITO NS SGISNtsOu
Establishment of a veterans di.
vision within the District govern
ment to deal with problems of re-
turning servicemen was advocated
last night by the District Depart
ment of the American Legion as il
concluded its 28th annual conven-
ton at the Mayflower Hotel.
Earlier in the day the department
staged a colorful parade down Con-
stitution avenue which was wit
messed by thousands OF cheering
spectators.
The delegates last night also went
on record as opposing the charter
form of government for the District
as provided for In the McCarran
suffrage bill and also opposed a gen.
eral sales tax for the District.
Harry w. Brown, Commander.
Harry w. Brown, So, past com
r1lander of the George Washington
Post No. /, was elected District de-
partment commander for the com
ing year. Mr.. Brown won over
Frank D. Norton for the Office by a
vote OF 303 to 1877.
In another contest Joseph j
Malloy, national executive com
mitteeman of the District depart
ment since 1885, was reelected tc
his post, winning from Lee r. Pen
nington, past department com
mander, by a vote of 1923 to 1863
Others elected were Guy C. Nadeau
commander OF Cooley Mccullough
Post No. %, first vice commander
Chester A. Bennett, commander Of
Internal Revenue Post No. 80, sec
ond vice commander. and Joseph
Ryan, organizer and commander
of Holloran Murray Post No. SIS
third vice commander.
In urging that veterans divis.
ion be set up in the District Build.
ing, the convention declared that il
would involve the welfare of ap.
proximately 405,0 900 persons in the
District, which was said to be tht
number of veterans and their fam.
lilies here. The division would be
comparable on local scale to wha'
the Veterans Administrator is tt
the Federal setup, it was said.
Aided 1856 Gases i'm Year.
James A. DeForce, chairman oil
the advisory Council of the Welfare
Department of the District Legion
reported that his organizati lion hac
aided 1856 cases financially in the
year ended June 80, with each case
receiving an average grant of $1125
In addition $40 persons were aidec
with counsel and guidance from
trained personnel from the Welfare
Department. DeForce pointed out
that the Welfare Department is q
member of the Washington Com
munity Chest.
Citations for outstanding citizen
ship were awarded at the meeting
to the following: Mrs. Evalvn Walsh
Mclean, Mrs. Agnes E. Meyer
Mrs. Martin Vogel, C. H. Ellingson
Orrin ]. Davy and Clifford H
Newell
In opposing the principle OF
the McCarran bill, which calls fol
the appointment of a charter com
mission to draw up a city mana gel
form of government for submittaI
to the citizenry in referendum
to accept or reject the plan, tor
department. officials said that the
action should not be construed as
meaning that the District Ameri.
can Legion was against suffrage
for Washington. They said the con-
vention voted against the resolu-
ton because it didn't believe In
the charter form of government.
Defer Bonus Proposal.
The convention also asked that
veterans be given special preference
on civil service lists for Government
Jobs. A proposal that the District
government provide bonuses fol
veterans was deferred because Of
the almost bankrupt" financia
state OF the District.
Mr.. Brown. the new department
commander, lives at 215 Fourteenth
street Sc He is married and ha:
three children and four grand
children.
A native of Washington, Mr.
Brown has been employed by thu
General Accounting Office for tn.
past II years. He is a unit head O.
the GAO's contract service division
Mr.. Brown has taken an active in
terest in employees activities a
GAO and is treasurer of the GAG
Employees Association. He is alst
art editor of The Watchdog, tn,
GAO employees newspaper.
Mr.. Brown is veteran of Worlc
War I, serving overseas with th'
312th Machine Gun Battalion.
In yesterday afternoons parad
an estimated 1000 persons marched