Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-03
Girl Scout Official
AngriIy Protests New
Attack by Legion

Attack by Legion
The Girl Scouts of America
flashed back angrily today at
the American Legion, which
adopted a resolution at its con-
vention yesterday giving quail
fed Endorsement to a recent at
tack on the Girl Scouts by the
Illinois Department of the Le-
gion.
The Illinois department had
charged the Scouts with insert
ing "un-American propaganda"
in their handbooks.
Last nights Legion resolution
was softened somewhat to COM
mend remedial action taken by
the National Office of the Girl
Scouts"
But it also urged that Scout
leadership "go further and adj
wise the American public as to
whether or not those responsible
for inserting the recognized UNI
American propaganda are still
directing policies of the Girl
Scouts"
President Replies.
"They thought they could
pacify us by throwing in that
phrase about commencing" us,
said Mrs. Roy F. Layton, Chevy
Chase, national president of the
Girl Scouts.
1--WE are not pacified. We de-
serve nothing less than un-
qualified Endorsement and sup
port from the American Legion.
The Illinois charges were un-
warranted and uncalled for in
the first place."
Mrs. Layton said she was bitter
because the Girl Scouts had been
refused a hearing on the charges
before the Legion's Americanism
Commission.
Asked Chance to Appear.
Three weeks ago when the
Illinois Legion first made its
charges I asked for two things"
she declared. "a chance to talk
to the national commander and
a hearing before the American
ism commission.
sweet-talked out of
both of them. I was assured
there was nothing to worry
about. that nothing would hap
pen about the Illinois charges
at the convention.
'"They promised to get in
touch with me if anything at
all was to be done.
Had No Information.
Then they went ahead and
did this. without even letting me
know a thing about it. until I
read in the paper Wednesday
that the resolution had been
passed by the Americanism Com
mittee.
1.-The original resolution was
even worse than the one they
finally passed. 1t was shocking.
But we don't like this one either.
We don't know why we were on
trial in the first place.
"I just defy any one to find
more American organization than
the Girl Scouts of America"
Mrs. Layton said the Scouts
would have more to say on the
question when they saw. final
text of the resolution, which
was just written on the corner
of a piece of paper, as finally
passed"
ConneI Defends Legion.
In response to Mrs. Layton's
irate blast, Arthur j. Council,
outgoing president of the Le-
gion, said he thought that "the
leadership of the Girl Scouts
haven't attempted to get a clear
understanding of the feeling OF
our organization.
Gall organizations. including
the American Legion, could be
infiltrated, and it seems to me
that it might be well for the
Girl Scout leaders to see who in
their organization was respon-
sible for the changes in their
handbook, that ought to be
blamed rather than any indi-
vidual in the Legion"
Mr.. Connell added that he was
sorry the Girl Scout organiza-
ton did not have the oppor-
tunity to appear before the Le-
gion's Americanism Commission.
IT certainly had asked our di-
rector of Americanism to give
them every opportunity. al
though that was an usual re-
quest from me-" he said. I'm the
spirit of fairness I went really
overheard in urging that they be
given the chance to tell their
etarxy -