Show j i II IIi i IN WITH T THE POSTS OF F THE NATIONAL T AS ASi SERVICE ER E i MEN i 1 p y Copy for This Department ent Supplied by National j of t the he American Legion OFFICE OF THE COMMANDER AT NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS f t x L a r y U v I V i h Lemuel Bolles National Adjutant of the American Legion Conducting a aStaff aStaff aStaff Staff Meeting of Heads of the he Dl DI Different Divisions in theOffice the Office of Franklin Frank Frank- lin DOlier DOller National 1 Commander at National Headquarters Indian Indian- apolis 0 PATRIOTIC organization In Inthe NO the history of the world has had such remarkable gr growth as the American Legion and It is going forward with a speed that Indicates a membership of before the end of the pr present sent yea eD The Grand Army of the founded following the Civil v v jr r reached its peak In 1000 when We rhe roster showed a half million members With to draw from it Is pre pre- pr pre predicted dieted th that t with the present campaign for per percent cent Americanism the roster of the American Legion will be benboe above e the mark by 1921 1021 The Grand Army of the Republic I has hns played an important part In fn the life of the republic Once or twice politics threatened Its total disruption disruption tion particularly In the year preceding In ing ng the election of Gen John A A. A Logan Logan Lo Lo- Logan gan as commander In n chief General Logan Jogan suc in stead steadying the boat The disaffection grew out of reports that men with bad Civil Ci war were receiving preferment in n appointment appointment appoint appoint- m ment nt to political offices To Maj Benjamin F F. Stephenson of ot Ill belo belongs belongs' S the h honor nor of ot founding the Grand Army of ot the Re Re- public In the year following th the close close- of the Civil CI war Major Stephenson called together a n handful of veterans at Decatur and established i the first post Only one charter mem- mem b ber r of the Grand Arm Army still is living Capt R. R A A. A Smith of Lake City Ia la Major Stephenson In council with some of his comrades drafted a secret ritual It was a wordy oratorical affair af- af fair and was revs revised d In later years The rhe ritual was s so pretentious that it was hard to find printers who could set fret the type but Major Stephenson finally rounded up Isaac Coltrin and Joseph Prior printers who served in is Inthe inthe the the Ur Urion ion army and and entitled to know the contents of ot the ritual when they Joined the Grand Army i i Twelve men constituted the first post and the hall In n which they met still Is s a hallowed landmark In Decatur Deca Deca- tur The Grand Army rm at nt first wn was a n sort of vI vigilance lIance co committee that sought out persons given n to dl disloyal lo nl utterances utterances ut ut- term and soon had them marked for punishment If f they did not nat de- de Fist hist The men of the Grand Army demanded demanded de de- mande a hun hundred red per per cent Americanism American AmerIcan- ism just as the American Legion makes it plain that only one flag Old Oid Glory will be he tolerated In n this land of ours On through the years the Grand Army has stood for th this same prInciple principle principle prin prIn- ciple of patriotism but death has been removing its comrades comrade at a n rapid rate and md the ranks have diminished until now only a few more than re re- main The American m Legion was born In France and it t was fitting to have have it Ito so o o. o for in nth Flanders fields repose thousands thousands thou thou- sands of American soldiers who died that the principles of American freedom freedom free free- dom might liv live On February 15 1919 1019 fv nt American officers who had assembled In Paris to discuss conditions conditions con con- conditions in n the American expeditionary forces met at the Inter Allied club and there talked of the formation of an war organization that would look to the well being of the men of of the Fei both on n land and sea The decision was made at this conference conference conference con con- ference to start an nIl war the organization or or- cl while the men were yet In France Thus they would go back to America with their minds and hearts centered on protecting the principles they had fought for And Ana they came carne home to find that the great gleat army of men In American training camps were ready too They had not crossed the sea Rca but they were willing to go and were equally willing to participate In Ini int t i ny ny- movement that meant a bigger t America The twenty men who met In to confer- confer once February 15 1919 In Paris agreed tit itt that time to call a caucus of or men r representing every branch of ot war service service ice ce and the caucus assembled In Paris larch arch 10 15 continuing for two days I The men who gathered at that eventful eventful event event- ful meeting did many Important things i Including the selection of a home forthe for forthe forthe the new patriotic organization n. n They rhey called it H the American Legion Legon and anti under that name it will trill go down In to Inthe n the lire patriotic history of the lire United States The caucus also named a committee of fifteen to work worl in the United States and to plan for a national meeting within a year ear This committee came home and a caucus was arranged for forat forI at St. St Louis May 8 S. I The rhe St St. Louis Lous meeting was a t tion ion There several hundred men who had served ser their countr country at home and abroad met and forgetting both creed and politics worked to Inject the principles prin of ot Americanism In one great movement mo the American Legion Legon At th this s meeting a Joint executive c committee com corn wa was formed by men of 34 states with units In n the Legion This committee committee com com- formulated a n basis for permanent permanent perma perma- nent organization and agreed that a n constitutional convention contention of the Legion Le Le- Legion gion glon wo world word d be held In Minneapolis l In November An organization committee commit commit- tee of five was appointed to complete plans for the Minneapolis l meeting This committee was composed of ol I Henry D. D Lindsley of Texas Bennett Dennett C. C Clark of Missouri Franklin DOlier DOlIm 0 o of f Pennsylvania Dr Richard Derby ol ot j New York and Eric Fisher Wood of ol j PeI Pennsylvania ns I l Mr r. r Lindsley was chosen chairman of the committee and beca because became se of that service and his subsequent subsequent sub sub- sequent work as chairman of the Minneapolis Min neapolis convention the title of first commander of the American Legion was conferred on him Mr Wood was I named the lie secretary One important j I step taken at the St. St Louis Lous meeting was that of asking the congress of the United States for a charter This request was to Luke Lea and Thomas W W. Miller The measure was Introduced in both houses June 27 last year It passed the house of representatives August 27 and th the senate senate sen sen- ate September 5 President Wilson signed the charter September r la 10 completing completing com com- the work of granting a charter the first ever granted to an organization organza tion of ot the nature of the American Legion The legislative committee of ol the Legion also placed before the congress congress congress con con- gress man many other important legislative legislative legisla legisla- tive matters Including bills covering land grants for former farmer service men bills dealing with the question of the deportation of alien slackers and other matters of interest to men of ot the Le Le- gion glop Important steps taken at the St S1 tours Louis meeting provided for or the openIng opening open open- ing n of ot national headquarters In NewYork New NewYork York and for the publication of a weel weekly ly periodical that would be of interest In In- terest to former service men Plans also were made to have three well well- known men of the legion egon visit different parts of the country country- to further the interests In Interests in- in n- n of the new organization The Themen men mea chosen were Theodore Roosevelt Jr Tr John P P. P J. J Herbert and John W. W Inzer These made tours of the country country coun coun- try to advance alvance the organization of local posts When the lire American Legion Le Le- gl gion glop Tl met In Minneapolis the membership member membership ship had passed the mark and It If was predicted that tint the million mark maric would be reached In a few months There now IlOW are more than Amerlean Amer mer lean cnn Legion posts in the United States Alaska AlasIa Cuba and Hawaii Franklin DOlier DOller of Pennsylvania Is the new commander of the American Legion Ifs II with other new officers of the Legion eglon ha have opened headquarters offices of the re Legion lon In Indian apolis And Indianapolis and und Indiana feeling a n joint pride in the honor paid paU the state by hy the American Legion we weLcomes wel wel- comes them When they came the they 1 heard beard that Indianapolis was preparing to erect a memorial to her fighting i sons sous that will serve e not only as ns a home for the American Legion but for other patriotic bodies Including tl the e veterans of of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Spanish American war |