Show lite j N i f 1 IN i WITH T THE POSTS OF THE I NATIONAL A AI I AL SERVICE S E I II j I I MEN i Cow Copy for This Department s Supplied by Nebo i 3 v Headquarters of the American legion OFFICE OF THE COMMANDER AT NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS JI I a af J a r rC C h Lemu Lemuel 1 Bo Bolles lies National Adjutant of the American Legion Conducting a aStaff aStaff aStaff Staff Meeting of Heads of the DI Different Divisions In the Office of Franklin Frank Inn lin DOlier DOller National Commander a at National Headquarters Indie Indi I O 0 PATRIOTIC organization Inthe In No N the thc history of f the thc world has had C- C ni C J growth as s the American Legion and It Is going forward forward with a speed that Indicates ates a membership of J before the end of the present yen yea The Grand Army of the founded following the Civil rr r reached Its peak in 1000 when the rhe roster showed a half million members With to draw from It Is predicted predIcted pre pro d eted that with the present campaign for per cent Americanism the roster of the American Legion will be above the mark marl by 1921 1021 The Grand Arm Army of the Republic has pla played ed an Important part In the life Ufe of the republic Once or twice politics threatened Its total disruption disruption disruption tion particularly In th the year preceding precedIng preceding ing the election of Gen John A. A Logan Logan Logan Lo Lo- gan as commander In chief General Logan suc succeeded in steadying the boat The grew out out of oY reports that men with bad Civil war ar records were receiving preferment In appointment appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment to political offices To MaJ Benjamin F F. F Stephenson of Decatur Ill belongs the h honor nor of founding the Grand Army Of the Re Re- public In the y year ar following the close close- cI se of the Civil war Major Stephenson called together a handful of veterans at Decatur and established i the first post Only one charter member member mem mom ber her of the Grand Army still Is living apt Capt R. R A. A Smith of Lake City Ia la Major Stephenson In council with some bume of his comrades drafted a secret ritual It was a wordy oratorical affair af at- af- af fair fah- and was revised In later late years The he ritual was so pretentious that it was hard lIard to find printers wh who could set et the t type pe but Major 1 Stephenson finally rounded up Isaac Coltrin and Joseph Prior printers who served In Inthe Inthe inthe the Ur UI lon fan army and entitled to know the conte contents of the ritual when they ll th the Grand Army I f Twelve men constItuted constituted the first post and the hall In which the they m met t still Is a n hallowed landmark in Deca Deca- tur The Grand Army at nt first was a sort fort of vl vigilance lIance committee co that sought out persons given to dislo disloyal al utterances utterances utterances ut ut- ut- ut and soon had them marked for punishment If the they did not de de- Mst list The men of the Grand Army demanded demanded de der a hundred per cent AmericanIsm American- American Ism just as the le e American Legion makes It plain that only one flag Old Glor Glory will be tolerated In this land of ours On through the years the Grand Army has stood for this same prInciple principle principle prin prIn- ciple of patriotism but death has been removing its comrades at a rapid rate and Ind the ranks s have diminished until now only a few more than re re- main The American Legion was W-IS born In France and It was fitting to have It so to 0 for in 10 Flan Flanders ers fields repose lepose thousands thou thou- thousands sands au s of American soldiers who died that the principles of American freedom free free- I dom om might live HYe On February 15 1919 1910 t vEnty American officers who had be been heln ii assembled In Paris to discuss conditions con con- con In the American expeditionary forces Threes met at nt the Inter-Allied Inter club and there talked of the formation of an war after organization that would look to the me well being or of me Ule men of or the service both on land and sea l The decision was made at this conference conference conference con con- ference to start an no war the or or- organization while the thc men were yet ef In 1 France ranee Thus they would go back to America with their minds and hearts centered on protecting the principles they had bad fought for And they came home to find that the great army of men In American training camps were r ready a too They had not crosse crossed the sea but they were willing to go and were equally willing to participate In inI I my ny movement mo that meant a bigger t ronger America The twenty men who met In conference confer- confer Ponce once February 15 1919 In Paris agreed nt tit that time to call a caucus of men meu representing every branch of ot war sery- sery service ice ee and the caucus assembled In Paris web torch 1 15 continuing for tor two days daYl I liemen le men who 10 gathered at that eventful eventful event event- I 1 ful meeting did many Important things I Including the selection of a home for fort forthe forthe t t the 1 new ne patriotic organization They called It the the- American Legion and under that name game It will go down In Inthe Inthe inthe the the patriotic history of the United States The caucus also named a committee of fifteen to work in the United States and to plan for a national meeting within a year This committee came home and a caucus was arranged for forat forat forat at St. St Louis May 8 The St. St Louis meeting was a tion There several hundred men who had md served their cou country ry at home and broad abroad met and forgetting both creed and politics worked to Inject the prin of Americanism in one great the movement the American Legion At Athis this his meeting a n joint executive committee committee com was formed by men of 34 31 states with units In the Legion This Tills committee com corn formulated a Sl basis for tor permanent perma nent vent organization and agreed that a 8 constitutional convention of the Legion Legion Le Le- Le- Le gion glon won wo wod d be held in Minneapolis l in November r. r An organization committee commit commit- tee ee of five was appointed to complete plans for the Minneapolis l meeting This committee was composed of bury D. D Lindsley of Texas Bennett C. C Clark of Missouri 1 Franklin DOlIer DOlle of Pennsylvania Dr Richard Derby of New York and Eric Fisher Wood of Pennsylvania Mr 1 Lindsley was chosen chairman of the committee and because of that service and his subsequent subsequent sub subS sequent work as chairman of the Minneapolis Min lIn neapolis convention the title of first commander of the American Legion was conferred on him Mr 11 Wood was named the secretary One important step taken at the St. St Louis meeting was that of asking the congress of ot Ithe r I the United States for a charter This Timis request was to Luke Lea and Thol Thomas as W W. Miller l The measure was Introduced In both houses June 27 last year ear It passed the house of representatives August 27 and the senate senate sen ate September 5 President Wilson signed the ale charter September 16 10 completing com com- completing the work of granting a charter the first ever granted to an nn organization tion of of the nature of 01 the American Legion The legislative e committee of the Legion also placed before the congress congress congress con con- gress man many other Important legislative legislative legislative legisla legisla- tive matters Including bills bUls covering land grants for former service men bills dealing with the question of ot the deportation of alien allen slackers stackers and other matters of interest to men of the Le Le- gion Important steps taken at nt the St St. Louis meeting provided for the opening openIng open open- Ing of national headquarters In New NewYork NewYork NewYork York and for the publication of a n weekly periodical that would be of Interest Interest In In- terest to former service men Plans also were made to have three well well- known men of the legion visit different parts of the country to further the Interests Interests interests In In- of the new organization The Themen men mea chosen were Theodore Roosevelt noose t Jr John P. P J J. J Herbert and John W. W Inzer These made tours of the country county coun coun coun- try ty to advance the organization of local posts When the American Legion Le Le- clon glon met mot lu In Minneapolis the th m member ship had passed the mark and It was predicted that the million 1 mark would be reached In a few months There now are more than American American Amer Amer- ican Legion posts In the United States Alaska Cuba and Hawaii Franklin DOlIer of Pennsylvania Is the new commander of the American Legion HA Un with other new officers of the Legion have opened headquarters tel'S offices of the Legion In Indian Indian- apolis And Ana Indianapolis and Indiana 1 feeling a joint pride In the honor paid the state stute by the American Legion welcomes wel wel- welcomes comes them When they came they heard that In Indianapolis was preparing to erect a 1 memorial to her fighting sons that will viii serve sene not only as a home for the American Legion but for tor other l patriotic bodies Including the veterans of the Grand Gran Army of the Republic and amid the ilie American Spanish war |