Evening star., 1946-09-29
District Legion
Group Is Due
On Coast Today
Delegates Grumble
At Cog Imposed
On News Releases
By George Beveridoe

EN- ROUTE TO SAN FRAN
CISCO, Sept % - Washington'S
delegation to the 2sth national con-
vention of the American Legion is
scheduled to arrive in San Francisco
about noon tomorrow.
Many of the District delegates,
fearful of crowded hotel conditions
in the convention city were making
plans tonight to live next week in
their compartments aboard this
train which will be held in San
Francisco through the convention
for the return trip to the Capital.
Meanwhile, there was some grum-
bling about gag rule against
unofficial release of any news of a
controversial nature" by Washing-
ton legionnaires.
Must Clear News.
A mimeographed communication,
signed by the District Departments
publicity chief, George W. Lee, who
saw this train OFF Wednesday and
remained in Washington, imposed
this restriction:
I'm no event is any member of this
department authorized to release
news copy of controversial nature
referring to the American Legion or
any of its posts to the city desk Of
any newspaper or publication for
daily use unless it has first been
cleared through the vice chairman
of the Department of Publicity and
Public Relations Committee In
charge of press relations"
Delegates aboard the train en1-
phatically denied knowledge of any
controversial" matters-at least
concerning the within
their department.
Resolutions Prepared.
Among noncontroversial depart
mental matters is the groups WELL
rounded slate of resolutions. sched-
uled for consideration when the COM
vention opens it's five-day business
sessions Monday morning.
One of the motions would urge
that the Civil Service Commission
be required to establish registers
and re-employment lists of veterans.
to prohibit employment of all per-
sons except "10-point preference"
veterans until the lists are exhausted
and to keep standing lists of all va
cancies in the Federal Government.
Another would ask accreditation OF
full retirement benefits with no re-
ductions or refunds "of any nature"
for time spent in service by fed
orally employed veterans.
| Another resolution would urge
that cars for leg amputee veterans
Of all wars be granted on the same
basis as eligibility of World War II
men-a move feared by Veterans
Administration officials after the
recent cars for amputees' bill be-
came law. ..s..-
Seek Job Training Changes.
|; On other recent veterans legisla-
ton, a district resolution will ask
the convention to urge immediate
congressional repeal of subsistence
allowance ceilings and two-year time
limitations established for on-the-
job training programs.
Other motions would:
Andorse establishment of a vet
Grams employment and economic de-
velopment corporation, call for q
national war memorial auditorium
in Washington, urge congressional
appropriations to make Arlington
Farms available for veterans hous.
ing. bar persons supporting ''prin-
ciples subversive to the American
way of life" from membership in
the Legion; urge cessation of ship
ping American goods or extending
credit to Yugoslavia; urge establish
ment of a permanent Fair Employ
ment Practice Commission and to
urge that the first order of busi-
ness on veterans legislation by the
new Congress be to ask national
service life insurance benefits for
permanent and total disability.
Form All-Legion Train
A heavy topic of discussion among
delegates throughout train. passing
through western Craze lands. has
been the large herds of cattle and
empty stock yards-seen during the
trip while reading Washington re-
ports of the meat famine.
At Ogden, Utah, today tie Dis
trict's three delegation cars and
five from Ohio joined six others,
principally carrying Alabama dele
gates-to make an "all legion" train
from there to the destination
Due to arrive in San Francisco
just in time for pre-convention ac-
tivities, the delegates plan to at
tend memorial services at the
Golden Gate Park shell at pm.