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Show AMERICAN LEGION ARTICLE TELLS I WHY EVERY ELIGIBLE MAN SHOULD j 1 JOIN POST; OBJECTIONS ANSWERED; Herman Baker post of the American Legion Is In the midst of a campaign to sign up as members all eligible ex-servico ex-servico men. Reasons why all eligible men should join the legion are contained In an article in a recent issue of The American Ameri-can Legion Weekly. This same article answers tho principal prin-cipal questions which persons ask when they are asked to affiliate with the national organization. The text of the article which deals with the questions and answers follows: fol-lows: Every booster also will run into men who honestly think that they have a genuine argument against joining join-ing the Legion. There are not so many of these arguments, but some of them are oft-recurring and deserve a place and an answer, right here. It has been said that tho Legion is not doing, or has not done, any thing for tho ex-service man. The answer: The Legion has obtained from congress con-gress an increase of base pay for the war's disabled. The Legion, through its service department de-partment at National Headquarters, and through War Risk officers in every state, co-operating with the War Risk Insurance Bureau, has adjusted claims for compensation for disabled men and for tho dependents of men who died in service. Shows Upi Board. The Legion first disclosed tho fail- tional Training to do its duty toward the disabled. It brought about Congressional Con-gressional Investigation and reform. Through the national vocational officer, offi-cer, at headquarters, and through state vocational officers, it has devised a plan of co-operation with the board ' that promises to solve speedily the vocational rehabilitation problem. The Legion helped to obtain preference prefer-ence for ex-service men and women and the widows of ex-s"ervico men in civil service appointments, as well as special preference for disabled men. The Legion drafted and put before congress the fourfold optional plan for compensation, which calls for a choice of farm lands, home aid, vocational voca-tional training or cash compensation. The Legion co-operated with nation al, state and private organizations to get adequate, suitable and remunerative remunera-tive employment for tens of thousands of former service men. The Legion on May 30 will decorate the graves of every comrade who sleeps overseas. It has also been argued that the Legion has done ribthing for tho country coun-try as a whole. The American Legion today is the most powerful force in this country for 100 per cent Americanism. Since its inception it has met crisis as they have arisen, without flinching. In numerous instances, of disorders and disasters, the Legion and Its members have stood with the constituted authorities au-thorities of laV and order. It has been said that the Lesion is opposed to union labor. Legion and Labor. Samuel Gompers has said that there exists no reason why a union man should not join the Legion. There aro dozens of posts throughout the country composed exclusively of union men. In other posts, union men are comrades of men who are not organized. organ-ized. There is no quarrel between labor la-bor and the Legion. It has been said that the Legion attempts to interfere with the rights of citizens. There is no case on record where the Legion has interfered with the exercise of the rights of a citizen who acted within the law. Opponents declare that the Legion is a military organization.- Membership In the Legion does not in any way effect a man's liability for military service. Because he belongs be-longs to the Legion is no reason whv a man will be called for duty in putting put-ting down riots, guarding property or service. In those cases where posts have acted in time' of stress their members decided to do so as individuals individ-uals and the decision was in no way binding on other individuals. It Is asserted that the Legion Is a political organization. The Legion successfully has fought sporadic efforts of groups of men to line up Legiou members for some party or some person. Membership in the Legion does not affect a man's political status any more than It affects af-fects his military liability. The absurdity ab-surdity of such a charge is shown by tho very roster of the Legion, where j men of all political creeds and shades of opinion are represented. Every member of the Legion retains his personal right of suffrage.' The Legion has no favorite sons and no polical axes to grind It is dominated by no group and no special interests. The Legion will make no attempt to swing "the soldier sol-dier vote" to any candidate or any party. It would bo idle to attempt such a thing. Legion members are oxpected to be active in politics, just as, any loyal American is expected to use his ballot for good, government Legion Not Selfish. It has been said that the Legion acts in the selfish interests of Its members. Tho Legion never has asked whether wheth-er a man or a group of ex-service men, who needed help, were members of tho Legion. In fact, most of the disabled and needy it has aided wero not Legion members at tho time the, Legion aided them. Sometimes Individual posts and groups of members condemn or approve ap-prove by resolution some thing or person per-son not approved or condemned by the Legion as a whole. This simply shows that the right of resolution of individual individ-ual posts is pararnounL |