Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-26
Drive for UNIT to Be Top Legion Goal Annual Report Says
Legion 10 Push UNIT
As Top Goal, Annual
Report Declares
By George Beveridge


Gated today that a strong drive
for universal military training
will be one of the Legion's
primary aims next year to
strengthen the Nations defenses.
The retiring commander made
q strong personal plea that Con-
gress act next year on a UNIT.
program, in an annual report
released today which rounded up
Legion activities during his past
year of leadership.
Mr.. Connell told his fellow
Legionnaires they could look
back upon "a record Of service
on every major front" during the
year.
Some OF. the Legion's most inn
portant contributions, he said,
were moves to halt cutbacks IN
veteran programs, particularly
In the disqualification and hous-
ing fields. Many OF the points
noted by the commander win be
covered in resolutions to be
acted upon by convention ses-
sions which open here Monday.
Long a Legion Goal.
In the field of national secur-
ity, UNIT for years has been a
major Legion goal. Three sepa-
rate reports bearing on. UNIT
from former Assistant Defense
Secretary John A. Hannah, the
National Security Training Com
mission and Defense Mobilizer
Arthur s. Flemming have been
sent by President Eisenhower to
the National Security Council
for study. -
Pending recommendations of
the National Security Council,
which will be pasedf on the
three reports" Mr.. Connell said,
''the American Legion has very
wisely conserved its funds and
confined its efforts to keeping
alive interest in the, principles
of universal military training so
long advocated by it's
st am hopeful that the new
Congress will take fayorable &C
ton on a program embodying
the features of UNIT advocated
by the Legion"
The features" he said. main
" embody the three principles
OF universally, civilian control
to insure moral safeguards and
reliance for manpower strength
on 1.-The civilian soldier and a
large reserve in contrast to a
large regular establishment"
Opposes. China in U. N.
In the field of foreign rela-
tipns, the commander warned
that the free world cannot af-
ford to permit" Red China's am
billions to be fulfilled. The two
greatest threats. he said. are
Chinese hopes tos..force her adj
mission into the United Na-
tions" and recent pronounce
ments of her war lords" threat
ening a Forlnosa attack on the
Chinese Nationalist. %
But the challenge of other "po-
tential trouble spots everywnerev
also must be met "courageously
and fearlessly-and above all
intelligently," Mr.. Cornell said.
The most signal victory Of the
year affecting veterans bene-
Is. the commander said, was the
defeat of American Medical As
ISOLATION efforts to deny Veterans
administrator disqualification to
veterans with non-service-con-
nected illness. The battle, grow
ing in intensity since the late
lD40s, reached its peak last year.
s'I threw the whole force Of the
American Legion into the fight
to retain these privileges, de-
stroying fallacy with fact" Mr..
Connell said.
Retention of the long-standing
law permitting such hospital
care was "a tremendous victory
for the American Legion" he
said. But he warned that ut is
not conclusive, since the opposi-
ton has not thrown in the
towel"
Cites Expanded Benefits.
The defeat Of other encroach-
ments on veterans programs fol-
which Mr.. Connell gave the
Legion major credit included
Congress refusal to boost Gl
home loan interest rates and to
merge the VA home loan pro-
gram with the Housing and
Home Finance Agency. The
latter agency directs virtually all
Federal housing programs except
veterans.
In the way of expanded bene-
fits, the Legion chieftain said
his group led the fight for two
bills passed by Congress lncreas-
ing pension rates for disabled
veterans with both service
connected and non-service.
connected ailments. The bills
are awaiting the Presidents
signature. @
Mr.. Campbell said the Legion
has enjoyed excellent relations
with Veterans Administrator
Harvey Higley. He said he ha.
told Mr.. Higley Of Legion con.
Germ, however. that Legion-spon.
sored legislation docs not al.
ways have whole-hearted VA sup
port"
Highlights in the Legion''
Americanisim program. the repor
said, included expansion of it
"Back-to-G God" program, OPENING
of a "countersubversive" office IL
Washington and expansion o
post activities in the fight agains
subversion.
.Rescue Squads" Formed.
Aside from UNIT. Mr.. Connel
said, National Security Commits
sion activities included forma
ton Of nearly 1000 "rescu