Show LEGIONS LEGION'S STAND ON BONUS AND KLAN BITTERLY SCORED SCORE Business Man Thinks Something Is Radically Wrong When Legion Continues to Lose in Membership SAN SAl FRANCISCO Oct lS- lS Charles Charles San Ban o business man post poet national flee Ice e commander ot of tho the American legion bitterly scored tho the v all on tho the bonus and what hat he called a Its straddling of ot the Ku lu Klux 1 Klan question and spoke sloke f ot of Its continued loss loos of member member- membership membership ship In a caucus cucus here Sunday hleb was presided ovel over b by Han Han- Hanford Hanford Hanford ford J past national commander of the legion who ho was as loudly ap- ap applauded applauded by by he ie legion men pru- pru ent bald Ild ho he realized that ho he was courting his 0 own II destruction as a legion leader but added that his personal prestige was as secondary to tithe the then n el eldre elfare of o the national Kendrick has hIlS been men men- mentioned mentioned mentioned ns as ft a strong for national commander at ot the fifth flUh annual convention of ot the American Ameri- Ameri American can legion Which opens here Jre to- to today today today day the legion has hos been steadily los los- losIng loe losing fog Ing members since 1920 1320 told the tho caucus members and duro dur- during durIng Ing the tho last Ia t year the loss 1088 was ap- ap approximately ap approximately proximately proximally 38 28 The IM total membership today he ho said nas as about or liy li 12 y z per cent ot of the total service men in the tho coun coun- country country tr try G G WRONG This Thus indicates that bat something Is radically wrong with Ith the organ or else cisa With nith the tho things th the organization has been tn Ing to todo todo tido do he said sald It It Is evident that the things the legion has bas been ben do do- do doing doIng Ing for tor the last three years do not greatly Interest Its Ils member members It Is po possible also that the plan of or- or organization or Its opinion Is la such as forfeit the continued Interest ot of oIts Its members A radical ch change Is I necessary In tho the organization and Its operation and a different t type tp pe of ot activity must be bo undertaken by bythe bythe bithe the legion If It It Is going to hold the tho enthusiasm of Its member member- membership ship Mr Kondrick declared Mr Kendrick stated slated he favored the following changes That That the American Legion Weekly be abandoned and that thai In Its place a II Ih live he e newsy sheet bo 0 J established A plan should be bo whereby the national central or- or Organization or could get In Ln ImmedIate and direct touch with all till posts post of o the legion without going through the state organizations It Is fe never going coins to bo be possible tb to pick great leaders to for tho the legIon by political manipulation or by geographical designation It may democratic not the most thing to do but at least It Is by bi fir hI the more efficient to nomi- nomi nominate nominate nate by means of a nominating committee No 10 matter how hose ho strongly one on may be In favor or ot of o th the bonus he h must at the time same time edg dg that It Is la a In which which the tho general public and the legion legion itself ar are not unanimous us It was nas wasa as asa I a monumental error on the part of the legion lelon to get behind the I bonus bonne measure My suggestion Sugg la Is lathat that a resolution be passed h by I convention stating clearly and with dignity that the legion be- be be believes lIe a great Injustice lias has been boen done the ex man b by not providing an adjustment of ot hia Is compensation upon his return ll to n cl life that this obligation which existed at et that Ume time Hill Il continuo continue to I that the legion ho however was as not organized to obtain a bonus and andI that it Is la anxious to start the worK for which it was waa conceited conceded ell and I that it therefore leaves leav's in the hands of ot congress the matter of adjusted compensation and stands ready to abide by tho the decision of the tho people of America on this mat mat- matter matter ter that th no action or-action or action In regard to adjusted compensation will III be ba permitted In Inthe Inthe Inthe the ranks of ot tho the American legion That the American lesion legion no go on an record with th a declaration of ot pol- pol polIcy policy Icy that henceforth the only single thIng which It will be Interested In for Itself exclusively Is that whIch has to do with the care of the disabled I A resolution should he be proposed 1111 In this com contention making It un- un unconstItutional un unconstitutional constitutional for tor anyone an one to run runor fo for national commander who was WIlS employed at national headquarters durIng the year of such euch election IL KLIN N OPPRESSION In my opinion the tho legion should never straddle such auch matters as the Ku Klux Klan It It should come out unequivocally In condemnation of any such movement movement I do 10 not favor the legion actively combat combat- combating ting ing such movements as the tho Ku Klux Klan Klan Clan been because use to do BO so tends only to dignity dignify them by the strength of our antagonism This Th how how- how t t ter er does not prevent a II forceful denunciation on the part of the tho legion and when this is done no noi i further action should be taken roil ron D T W With V th the stage cleared of ot tt the bonus activities with a II pledge of sen Ice to the tha public as a whole hole ht the matter m of our dis- dis disabled dis disabled comrades T Ith friendly co- co cooperation cooperation operation co-operation operation offered the DIsabled American Veterans ot of tho the World War and with a II warm arn opera co cooperation cooperation cooperation tion offered to the tho war porkers ot of the country the th legion might be beable beable beable able to present a strong and most Influential front to the nation In such matters as lS social erIce ben er Ice Im Immigration migration preparedness Ameri Ameri- Americanism Americanism peace programs and t gre gretI greter er I greeter greet greet- er purity in politics r I |