DIGEST OF MINUTES

National Executive Committee Meeting

National Headquarters The American Legion

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA November 18, 19, 20, 1948

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

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INDEX Page American Legion Auxiliary, Greetings from Mrs. Hubert A. Goode, President 5 Appointment of National Officers 93 Appointments of Subcommittees 9 Call to Order 3 Citation of Appreciation and Recognition to Thomas M. Owen, Jr.. . 130 COMMISSIONS, Reports of: Americanism James F. Green, Chairman 56 Child Welfare David V. Addy, Vice-Chairman 44 Convention Commission Vincent A. Carroll, Chairman 68, 92 Economic Lawrence J. Fenlon, Chairman 64 Finance Sam W. Reynolds, Chairman 59, 78 Supplemental Report 63 Foreign Relations Anson T. McCook, Chairman 11 Internal Affairs B. C. Hilliard, Chairman 88 Special Report on Personnel Problems 90 Legislative Lynn G. Peterson 13 Public Relations George A. Bideaux, Chairman 59-77 Publications Vilas H. Whaley, Chairman 60 Rehabilitation W. Rex McCrosson, Chairman 123 Security Lewis K. Gough, Vice-Chairman 99 COMMITTEES, Reports of: Agriculture 66 Bond, Special Committee 40 Civil Defense 100 Constitution and By-Laws 89 Emblem 81 Employment 67 Endowment, American Legion 63 Graves Registration and Memorial 90 Housing 66 Membership and Post Activities 90 Merchant Marine 103 Trophies, Awards and Ceremonials 89 Universal Military Training 101 Veterans’ Preference 66 Confirmation of Cancellation of Post and Squadron Charters 42 Convention dates and place 92 Eligibility of National Officers 99 Final Report of Convention Corporation Joe H. Adams, President 40 Forty and Eight, Greetings from Harold J. Riley, Chef de Chemin de Fer 6 Introductions 131 Judge Advocate, Report of 7 National Commander, Remarks of: Opening 4 Closing 132 New Orleans invitation 93 Painting of President Truman 123 Project to Finance the Repair of Saint Die Preventorium 121 RESOLUTIONS: Page APPROVED: Abolition of Postwar America Committee 109 Agricultural and Conservation Committee 10^2 Amend charter to control use of emblem 87 Authorization for Alexander Gardiner and/or Frank Lisiecki 63 Change the National Legionnaire 76 Clarification of convention mandates 119 College Campus Posts 131 Contest rules for 1949 National Convention 73 Continuance of National Medical Advisory Board 130 Demonstration of service at graveside 97 Distinguished Service Medal Award to President Truman.... 123 Dividends from Democracy Program 122 Eisenhower-type jacket have button or zipper front 86 Establishment of Personnel Practices 94 Expulsion of Karl H. Frederick from Bermuda Post No. 1. . .. 118 Foreign Departments and Outlying Posts 98 General John J. Pershing Honor Award 96 Legion Publications Contracts 62 Liaison Committees 108 Mancel B. Talcott Trophy 93 Maritime Service under Navy in wartime 105 Memorial: Arthur G. Bouton, New York 120 Horace C. Parrish, Michigan 120 Christian Pfeiffer, New York 120 James A. Raper, Indiana 120 Harry J. MacSherry, Nevada 120 Brown W. Wilson, North Carolina 120 National Convention Registration Fee 72 National Initiation Team Contest 73 National Rehabilitation Conference 130 New Headquarters’ Building in Washington, D. C 55 Optional material for Legion shirts 83 Pacific War Memorial 122 Participation in the 1950 White House Conference on Child Welfare 51 Pocket-size laminated calendar to be used as a membership stimulant 95 Prima facie eligibility to out-patient and hospital care 129 Service Officers’ Manual ■ • 129 Surety Bond Plan for persons handling American Legion Funds 97 Universal Military Training 106 REJECTED: Rating Schedule Committee 129 Study of fiscal policies and financial outlook of the National Organization 98 NO ACTION: Uniform Poppy Day 122 REFERRED: Distinguished Service Award to Major General Frank Parker 106 Roll Call 3 Special Order of Business 74 SUBCOMMITTEE, Reports of: Appeal of Massachusetts Post 117 Appeal relative to Expulsion by Bermuda Post 117 Committees 132 Enlarging National Headquarters 52 Legislative Program 118 Reorganization 106 Revising Rules of National Executive Committee 109 Resolutions: Preliminary 10 Final 122 Study American Legion Magazine and National Legionnaire.... 59,74 World War II Consultants 44 DIGEST OF MINUTES National Executive Committee Meeting The American Legion

THURSDAY MORNING SESSION November 18, 1948

The opening session of the National Executive Committee of The American Legion, held at National Headquarters, Indianap- olis, Indiana, November 18, 19, 20, 1948, convened at 9 :20 o’clock, Thursday morning, November 18, Perry Brown, National Com- mander, presiding. National Adjutant Henry H. Dudley acted as Secretary. Invocation by the National Chaplain, Rev. Thomas Grice, California. Roll call by the National Adjutant showed the following- present : National Commander Perry Roane Waring, Tennessee Brown Warren H. Atherton, California National Chaplain Rev. Thomas John Stelle, Illinois Grice Paul H. Griffith, Pennsylvania Past National Commanders: James F. O’Neil, New Hampshire John R. Quinn, California National Vice-Commanders: Milo J. Warner, Ohio Walter E. Alessandroni, Edw. N. Scheiberling, New York Pennsylvania Louis Johnson, West Virginia Edward J. Kelly, Connecticut Harry W. Colmery, Kansas James Lane, Alabama Raymond J. Kelly, Michigan Leonard W. Moody, Arkansas Lynn U. Stambaugh, North Dakota Committeemen Alabama—George L. Cleere Delaware—George Ehinger Alaska—Frank Nash (Alternate) District of Columbia—Owen C. Arizona—John R. Stille Holleran Arkansas—Hendrix Lackey Florida—E. Meade Wilson California—Edward W. Bolt France—Sedley Peck (Alternate) Canada—C. M. Simpson Georgia—Guy O. Stone Colorado—Leo Crowley (Alter- Hawaii—Orvel T. Shonk nate) Illinois—Leonard W. Esper Connecticut—Arthur J. Connell Indiana—George N. Craig 3 Iowa—G. M. Brown Ohio—Don W. Schoeppe Kansas—Walter Reed Gage Oklahoma—Dr. A. B. Rivers Kentucky—G. Lee McClain Oregon—Herschel Taylor (Alter- Louisiana—J. E. Snee nate) Maine—Hector G. Staples Panama—Leroy Schick Maryland—Harry S. Allen Pennsylvania—Harry K. Stinger Massachusetts—Tracy Dibble Puerto Rico—Charles H. Julia Michigan—Lawrence C. Knox Rhode Island—George Andrews Minnesota—Roy T. Anderson South Carolina—James F. Daniel, Jr. Mississippi—H. Kirk Grantham South Dakota—Carroll H. Lockhart Missouri—William B. Stone Tennessee—Halbert Harvill Montana—E. O. Orleman Texas—H. Miller Ainsworth Nebraska—John E. Curtiss Utah—F. J-. Springer Nevada—Thomas W. Miller Vermont—H. Nelson Jackson New Hampshire—James W. Doon Virginia—F. Clinton Knight New Jersey—Wm. G. McKinley Washington—Jack M. Baldwin New York—Leo V. Lanning West Virginia—Dr. P. E. Kercheval North Carolina—Robin S. Kirby Wisconsin—Wm. R. Kenney North Dakota—Wm. Stern Wyoming—Ward W. Husted

Reading of the minutes of the two preceding meetings was suspended.

The Secretary read a communication from Joe Kirkpatrick, member of the committee from New Mexico, who was unable to be present; and a communication from Oscar Rohlff, Wyoming, former member of the committee.

Opening Remarks of the National Commander I think, just for a moment or two this morning, if we can orient our- selves by meeting the new members who are here, it will help. First, I would like to introduce the official family. It so happens that my name is Perry Brown, and you have made me National Commander. Jim Lane from Alabama, Vice-Commander; Leonard W. Moody, from Arkansas Vice-Commander. James Annin, from Montana, was obliged to return home on account of a death in the family. Edward J. Kelly, Con- necticut; Walter E. Alessandroni, Pennsylvania. Now will the new committeemen stand for a bow as your name is called? These are the new men who are here for the first time, with perhaps one or two exceptions. Alaska, Frank Nash, alternate for Walter B. King, who is absent; Arizona, John R. Stille; California, Ed Bolt; Colorado, Albert F. Cruse is absent, and his alternate, Leo Crowley, is here in his place. Delaware, George Ehinger; District of Columbia, Owen C. Holleran; Idaho, Bert Weston is absent, and his alternate is also absent. Kansas, Walter Reed Gage- Maine, Hector G. Staples; Maryland, Harry S. Allen; Mississippi, H. Kirk Grantham; Ohio, Don W. Schoeppe; Philippine Islands, Marc A. Stice, absent, also his alternate. Tennessee, Halbert Harvill; Texas, H. Miller Ainsworth. Then may I again introduce—although he was introduced to you earlier and you all know him and love him Tom Grice, your National Chaplain. It was suggested, because some 16 of you are here for the first time and about 22 of you are here for the second year, and because of repeated 4 requests that have come to me that you would like to know more about what makes these divisions of yours click, and why they are there, it has been suggested in the reports from the commissions, whether it be through the chairman or whether it be through the director, that they present to you something of the background as to the reason why that division exists—a little of its history—and bring you up to date, so that it might help you apply the mandates of the Miami Convention here at this meeting. Now, to some of you old men here, that may be an old, old story, but please remember that over 30 of you are here as newcomers and only a part of those have been here for one year. I recognize, of course, that the Finance Committee will make its report later on in the day, but this is the time for you men to find out what makes this thing click. If you want to find out how much each man on the staff gets, ask them while they are here. Ask them, so that you understand what each division does and what it costs you, so it may help you balance your thinking at the time when they make their request for your approval. Now, may I present to you the Honorable Jimmy O’Neil, immediate Past National Commander? i.iud We have had rather an interesting way to handle Past National Com- manders; we have taken them on the top floor of a high building and the next day we pushed them out of the window and said “Good-bye.” It occurs to me that a man who has been Commander of this organization for a year has too much valuable experience and too many things which he has in his mind, so that if there was some continuity of his experience and studies in the following administration, it would be a very valuable asset to an organization such as The American Legion. In view of this, I am asking Jimmy O’Neil, immediate Past National Commander, to be with me on every occasion possible and to help me through his experience in doing a better job for you. To you, Jimmy, I want to thank you again for being here and helping me. Sometimes I wonder if we have any conception of what the women of this organization do towards carrying out the mandates of The American Legion. We have become so involved in our own problems that we fre- quently forget that if it were not for the Women’s Auxiliary we wouldn’t be anywhere as far along as we are. I am blessed and the Legion is blessed to have one of the outstanding women of that fine organization— its President. I have observed her work over a number of years. She was the great driving force in getting petitions filed to present UMT to the Congress. She did and the Auxiliary did a far greater job in that direc- tion than the Legion has ever done. I am very happy this morning to present to you Mrs. Hubert A. Goode, National President of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Greetings from American Legion Auxiliary Mrs. Hubert A. Goode, National President of the American Legion Auxiliary, was escorted to the platform and addressed the committee as follows: Mr. Commander and Members of the Executive Comittee: I assure you it is with mixed emotions that I stand here this morning. Many years ago, in 1941, I made my first visit to this room and little did I dream that perhaps another time I would be standing here as the Na- tional President. Weeks ago your Auxiliary selected me to guide the organization dur- ing the coming months. 5 I assure you it is an honor, but with honor comes also a great re- sponsibility and obligation, and the sun never rises on a new day that I do not pledge that no act of mine or no word shall cast reflection on this great organization, for we believe in you and we believe that your ac- tivities may well make the difference between the unimaginable destruc- tion of a new and unlimited war, or an enduring progress of a great peace. I come to you this morning not to talk about our program, because your program is ours. I was challenged one time a few years ago by an Executive Committeeman who sits here today when I made the statement that as an auxiliary we never created, sponsored or promoted any pro- gram but the one outlined by The American Legion, and that is true. And so today I say to you of The American Legion, your responsibility is greater, but we believe in you because we have seen you in action and we realize that your program is based not upon superficial standards or political schemes but on sound human relations. And so, this National President wishes today that in all of your deliberations you may be divinely guided; that you may have understanding hearts and unity of purpose, so that we may go forward in this service program of The American Legion. And this National President asks only that we will be privileged to walk by your side through the coming months, contributing to the accomplishment of your aims and purposes. So today I realize more than ever before that I speak for the Ameri- can Legion Auxiliary, that I am the Legion Auxiliary, and I hope that each of you in your own Departments will have confidence in the women of your Auxiliary. Mr. Commander, it will be my high purpose this year to carry forward your program, so I say to you, we are yours to command.

Forty and Eight Harold J. Riley, Michigan, Chef de Chemin de Fer, addressed the committee as follows: Mr. Commander and Members of the National Executive Committee: I am on the program this morning to bring the greetings of the national organization of the Forty and Eight. I am exceedingly happy to do that at this time. At the same time, I would like to pledge to this body and to our National Commander our wholehearted and enthusiastic support of all Legion programs. . We have already started to work on Legion membership, for X believe as I am sure you do—we must have, at an early date, a large member- ship if we are to be effective in backing up our Legislative Committee in its appeals to Congress. I well remember what happened last April 26th, 27th and 28th when the National Security Commission met in Washington in order to be able to bring a constructive report to the May meeting of this body. Granville Ridley, Monsignor Smith, Reverend Mortimer and Dr. Van Dyne, the members of the executive section of the UMT Committee, spent three days contacting members of the House and the Senate. They reported to us that everywhere they got the same answer: “If we had known what was in the bill, we would have gotten it out of the Rules Committee. Gentlemen, someplace along the line we fell down and as a result we have this draft, which nobody likes, instead of UMT, which everybody now agrees is the only way to adequately build the military needs of the country over the long pull. . That must not happen again, and a large and informed membership is the one way to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 6 I have been somewhat disturbed since my arrival here by the ugly rumor that the Forty and Eight does not intend to participate in the Legion Child Welfare Program. I don’t know where the rumor started and I guess it doesn’t make much difference. Most of you men belong to the Forty and Eight, and I believe that you will agree with me that from its inception Child Welfare has been one of the primary objectives of our organization. In order to stop these unfounded and ridiculous rumors, it is my pleasure to hand over to the National Commander our usual contribution to the Legion Child Welfare Program, a check in the amount of $50,000.

Commander Brown thanked Chef de Chemin de Fer Riley, and all members of the Forty and Eight, for the contribution of $50,- 000 to the Legion Child Welfare program.

Report of the National Judge Advocate The following report was presented by Ralph B. Gregg, Na- tional Judge Advocate: Mr. Commander, Members of the National Executive Committee: It is difficult for the National Judge Advocate to make a complete report of his activities without repetition, due to the fact that many matters with which he is concerned throughout the year will be reported to this com- mittee by the chairmen of the various commissions. There are, however, some matters which I wish to bring to your attention currently in con- nection with litigation in which the Legion is interested either from a standpoint of principle or is actually a party litigant. I have previously reported to you in the Reiter case and the Duncan- Paris case, both of which are now pending in the Supreme Court of the state of New York. Reiter, who is an admitted Communist, is contesting the right of his Post to expel him from membership on the theory that Communism is a political belief and the Legion has no right to expel a member under such circumstance. The trial court in this case has previously ruled that the Legion has the right to expel any member whose beliefs are obnoxious to its prin- ciples and policies. This viewpoint has been confirmed by the Appellate Division. The case is now remanded back to the trial court for a hearing on the facts. We believe, in view of the fact that the law in the case has been established, and the fact that Reiter has admitted that he is a Communist, no controversial issues not already determined can or will be presented. It is possible that this case ultimately may reach the Supreme Court of the United States and, if so, this will give us an opportunity of determining the rights of admitted Communists to conduct subversive activities within The American Legion. The Duncan-Paris case involves the right of the National Executive Committee, on the recommendation of the Department, to cancel a Tem- porary Post Charter as distinguished from a Permanent Charter, without a hearing. Although this right is retained under the provisions of Tem- porary Charters, the National Executive Committee did, in this instance, provide a hearing, but the Post instituted action before this hearing was concluded. This case will also be heard on its merits within the near future. The Legion is indebted in a great measure to Samuel M. Birnbaum, Judge Advocate of the Department of New York, and his associates for the able work they have done in the preparation of briefs and the presen- tation of the cases in oral argument. 7 The Legion is also interested in a certain criminal proceeding which is now pending in the Federal Court in the Eastern District of Pennsyl- vania, wherein the Dettra Flag Company has been indicted for violation of Public Law No. 663, which was adopted by Congress in 1940 at the request of The American Legion and which provides that no person, firm or corporation shall use the emblem of any veterans’ organization incor- porated by Congress on any colorable imitation thereof, in connection with or appended to any article of merchandise for sale, without first complying with the regulations of such corporation. The Dettra Flag Company, according to the evidence which Mr. James P. Murray of the Emblem Division has gathered, has violated this statute on a number of occasions by the sale of flags and banners bearing oui emblem. A motion to quash this indictment has been filed and will be argued before the court on December 1. The Attorney General of the United States has requested that The American Legion enter its appear- ance as amicus curiae and file its brief in opposition to the motion to quash, and I have requested and received copies of the indictment and motion. Unless there is some objection on the part of this committee, this procedure will be followed. At the recent national convention held in Miami, Resolution No. 520, which had been submitted by the Wisconsin Department, was adopted after modification and reads as follows: “Whereas, The Federal Government has succeeded in investigating, arresting and indicting subversives in this country, but the Attorney General of the United States has failed to prosecute such subversives successfully because he has unnecessarily conceded points of law, such as (for instance) that there is a burden on the prosecution to prove that there is a ‘clear and present danger’ of the subversive conspiracy succeeding; now, therefore, be it “Resolved, by The American Legion, in national convention assem- bled at Miami, Florida, October 18-21, 1948, as follows: That the question of legal representation in any case against Communists, by The American Legion as a friend of the court, be referred to the Judge Advocate for study and appropriate action.” The “clear and present danger” doctrine referred to in this resolution was adopted by the Supreme Court at a time when Communism, as we now know that philosophy, was not a threat to the American way of life. It was not difficult to determine, in any given instance, the radical policies of various organizations opposed to our form of government, as they usually expressed themselves openly. However, the subversive movements and activities of the Communists have become so complicated by the various so-called “front” organizations that they have become a serious threat to our internal security. Although the “clear and present dangei may not be legally apparent, it is nevertheless present. I have always been firm in my belief that the Legion should, at the earliest opportunity, attempt to obtain a modification of this doctrine as it applies to subver- sive groups. Another doctrine announced by the Supreme Court which has ham- pered the Americanism activities of The American Legion is the principle which was adopted in a comparatively recent case to the effect that guilt by association is not recognized in American jurisprudence. The ladicals throughout the countx-y have been on the alert for the past several years in connection with Federal cases involving both the ‘ clear and present danger” doctrine and the “guilt by association’ principle, and we find that, in many instances, resolutions which have been adopted in the interest of a sound Americanism cannot be put into practice because of these principles. I recommend that we be careful in selecting the cases which will be 8 used as tests of the applicability of these doctrines. I believe, however, that there has been no more opportune time in the history of The Ameri- can Legion to advocate a modification of these principles. The National Executive Committee should be the final authority in determining when, where and in what cases any such tests should be made, and you will be kept informed on this subject. Before closing, I should like to report briefly on the method of handling opinions which has been in existence for the past several years. Throughout the course of a year, the Judge Advocate’s office will send out approximately 1,500 opinions in answer to questions which have been submitted for decision. Many of these are propounded by individuals, and in each instance copies of the opinion transmitted are sent to the Department officials and to the National Executive Committeemen, so that each may be acquainted with the decisions made relative to any question which has arisen in his respective Department. In some instances, the Departments have requested that all questions be transmitted back to the Department Judge Advocate for determina- tion, and if the Department then wishes a decision to be rendered by the National Judge Advocate, it will be referred to him for this purpose. The desires of the Department in every instance in this respect have been complied with. Unfortunately, in some cases, individuals who are dissatisfied with the Departmental decision will refer the question in dispute to National Headquarters for determination without advising that an adverse decision has been previously rendered by the Department, and ofttimes fail to submit all of the salient facts upon which the opinion, if accurate, must be predicated. I am hopeful that some plan can be effected with the Commanders and Adjutants so that these imperfections may be eliminated, and this problem will be submitted at their conference for discussion and deter- mination. At various times in the past few years, certain Departments have indicated it might be well for the Judge Advocate to prepare a pamphlet setting out the rulings of eligibility for membership for use by the Posts. During the war, we did prepare a Discharge Chart containing copies of all available discharges, with the necessary information, so that eligibility could be determined without difficulty, and this chart has been widely distributed. In all instances involving eligibility questions, we first ob- tained accurate information from the service branch involved before rendering an opinion, and all of this underlying information is available, although it would require a great deal of time and considerable expense to present the same in pamphlet form, so that it would be easily under- standable as a Post guide. The question, however, of publishing this material is one which is ultimately due to be decided by your committee. In conclusion, I want to take this opportunity of expressing my sincere appreciation to all Department officials and to the members of this com- mittee for the many courtesies which they have extended to me during the past year.

Appointment of Subcommittees The appointment of the following subcommittees was ap- proved: Resolutions E. Meade Wilson, Florida, Chairman. Joe Kirkpatrick, New Mexico. Jack M. Baldwin, Washington. Lawrence C. Knox, Michigan. James W. Doon, New Hampshire. 9 Committees James E. Snee, Louisiana, Chairman. Arthur J. Connell, Connecticut. Harry K. Stinger, Pennsylvania. Dr. L. W. Esper, Illinois. Thomas W. Miller, Nevada. Legislative Program George L. Cleere, Alabama, Chairman. James F. O’Neil, New Hampshire. Edward A. Hayes, Illinois. John R. Quinn, California. Don W. Schoeppe, Ohio. Carroll H. Lockhart, South Dakota.

Preliminary Report of Resolutions Subcommittee The following preliminary report was presented by E. Meade Wilson, Florida, Chairman of the Resolutions Subcommittee: Mr. Commander and Brother Members of the National Executive Committee: You should find on your desks a Digest of Resolutions and also the Register. Now, the Register consists of matters received for the attention of the National Executive Committee, but first referred by the National Adjutant to the various commissions or committees for prior consideration by them. It is a check list for the information of National Executive Committeemen from the respective Departments, so they will know of the referrals of matters which originate with their respective Departments. Thus, this Register should only contain items originating within a Department. Some other items, you will note, are included. We are still in the stage of experimentation in the matter, but it is hoped that the Subcom- mittee on Revision of the Rules of the National Executive Committee, now meeting, will clearly define all the loose parts. As referrals are reported out from the commissions or committees— and, we hope, by Register number—to the National Executive Committee in their reports or through the Resolutions Subcommittee, the action is noted under “Remarks.” Those acted upon and received to date are thus indicated in the Register. Those being reported on at this time may well be penciled-in by by each member as they are reported. At the May meeting, these late disposals will be recorded in the Register. Your Digest of Resolutions are those that have emanated from various commissions that are now or have been in session and have been brought before us with their recommendation of approval. Those that have not been approved by these various commissions will be reported upon by them at the time they make their report. We are purposely omitting at this time the reading of the Memorial Resolutions in order to afford opportunity to some of you who may have forgotten about some fine comrade within your Department who has passed away whom you wish to put on this Memorial List. We will read this later.

Agricultural and Conservation Committee The following resolution, presented by E. Meade Wilson, Florida, Chairman of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was adopted: Whereas, The American Legion at its 1948 National Convention held 10 in Miami, Florida, changed the name of the Agricultural Committee to the Agricultural and Conservation Committee; and Whereas, An enlarged program and additional duties were assigned to the committee; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Commander be and is hereby empowered to appoint an Agricultural and Conservation Committee; and be it further Resolved, That said committee be composed of 10 members of The American Legion, three to be appointed for one year, three for two years, four for three years, and thereafter all subsequent appointments for three years. The National Commander shall annually designate the chairman from among the members of the committee; and be it further Resolved, That the membership of such committee shall be represent- ative of the major types of agriculture dealing with the production of crops, dairy farming, irrigation and water farming, livestock and poultry- raising, and also representative of forestry problems and the conservation of natural resources, and also representative of the problems and matters of knowledge dealing with the conservation and pollution of our water supplies; and be it further Resolved, That such committee meet at such times and places as may be necessary to explore and make recommendations concerning agricul- tural and conservation problems, credit and services incident thereto, and to disseminate the necessary information to the members of The Ameri- can Legion, that its membership thereby may be fully advised; and be it further Resolved, That this committee be assigned to the National Economic Commission for supervision and coordination.

National Vice-Commander Walter E. Alessandroni, Pennsyl- vania, assumed the chair.

Foreign Relation^ Commission The following report, presented by Anson T. McCook, Con- necticut, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Commission, was duly accepted: Your National Commander has asked for a brief statement as to the staff that each commission has. We have none. We rely on Leon Happell, and I am a pretty good office boy. I don’t think that Leon Happell, vice- chairman, is here. He was to read part of the report, but if it is agree- able, I will read it to you. The chairman and vice-chairman of the Commission on Foreign Rela- tions respectfully submit the following report: Our work upon the two resolutions which were referred to this com- mission by the national convention at Miami, on a School for Diplomats and on International War Veterans’ Alliance, has not yet been completed. Register Numbers 12, 28, 38 and 65 have been covered by previous reports or by national convention action. Register Number 11, on Federal World Government, has been carefully studied by a committee of which Vice- Chairman Happell is the chairman, and his report, in which we concur, is presented as part of this report. Since May of this year, a special committee, comprising Leon Happell of California, chairman; Charles A. Gonser of Washington and J. J. Barn- hardt of North Carolina, has been making an exhaustive study of the many world peace plan organizations, including the United World Fed- eralists, Robert Hutchins’ World Constitution, Streits Federal Union and Ely Culbertson’s Citizens’ Committee for United Nations’ Reform. The 11 task was very difficult. Volumes of printed matter and correspondence were received and studied by each member individually. The full effect of debate and exchange of ideas on the subject matter could not be had because no meeting of the committee as such has been called since its formation. We are of the opinion that some plan of uniting the world nations in order to insure peace is very desirable. We see eye to eye with several of the organizations on many phases of the subject. Nevertheless, having in mind the fact that we have previously recommended by resolution that the veto be abolished in matters of aggression and preparation for aggres- sion, which of course, includes the adoption of the American plan for control of atomic energy, it is our opinion that the interests of the Amer- ican people and the peoples of the world can best be served by our con- tinued and strengthening support of the United Nations. In the four weeks since the Miami Convention, the world situation has improved somewhat in the West, but has greatly deteriorated in the East. Communist-bred strikes in France have quieted down; but Com- munist-led armies have overrun North China and are sweeping south- ward. The European Recovery Program is beginning to create stability. Its future will depend upon the common sense, energy and reliability with which it is administered. The American Legion was a pioneer in sup- porting this far-seeing plan, and it is our duty to see that it moves for- ward steadily and efficiently to help disheartened peoples to withstand the force and trickery of Communism. We reiterate, however, that ERP is a two-way street. It does not imply unilateral aid by the United States, but cooperation between us and Europe. The recipients of our supplies must use them to increase their own production and strength; while the United States must see to it that this life-giving stream is not cut off by any cause whatever, lest confidence be impaired and resistance to Com- munism weakened. With our national elections in the past, it is more important than ever to prove to other nations that American Foreign Policy can be re- lied upon as firm, steady and free from politics; and that it is supported by a well-informed, wide-awake public opinion. The American Legion has always urged that our Government keep our people informed of all the essential facts in our foreign problems as they develop, both as a matter of right and as essential to morale at home and confidence abroad. The continuity and firmness of our Berlin policy is gratifying. We con- sider that that policy is the strongest defense against Communism in Europe, also that it is the most effective means of preserving peace if coupled with vigilance against any new upsurge of Nazi militarism. There is evidence that the Iron Curtain is gradually being penetrated. Nations under its shadow are being impressed by the steadiness of our policies. The improved “Voice of America” is proving markedly effective and its program should be strengthened still further. Also we Legion- naires can help by individual effort. Besides the writing of letters to friends abroad, such as proved so effective in Italy last spring, a novel and telling method has been found to be the sending of food packages. Conversations with Czechs, Poles and others indicate that a CARE parcel makes a great impression upon recipients and reaches also to their friends. Many Legion Posts are already making these packages, accompanied by a friendly word, a part of their Post program. We recommend this plan to our Departments and Posts as a humane and practical contribution to international good-will and the combatting of Communism. The Legion’s policy of strengthening the United Nations is becoming productive. Although elimination of the veto in cases of aggression has not yet been achieved, nor the American formula for atomic control 12 adopted, the refusal by the Soviets to cooperate is making it clear to the world that America is seeking peace while the Politburo is not. The situation in China is extremely critical. The Chinese people are close to the starvation point, and ruthless Japanese armies brought deso- lation during China’s long and heroic resistance. Now the Communists are telling these starving millions that Communism is their only hope against want and governmental corruption. It is from such evil soil that anarchy springs; and not only China but Korea and other parts of Asia are threatened. We reiterate the recommendation of the Miami Conven- tion that all practicable assistance be given to China. In particular we urge the sending of food, under strict American con- trol, to revive the spirit and bodies of a splendid people who at present are too weak to resist. The Chinese are thrifty, reliable, good-natured and appreciative, and are by nature the very opposite of Communists. We believe these sturdy qualities will prevail if given half a chance. But promptitude is essential if they are to be enabled to resist the Commu- nists who, claiming to come to them as friends, seek only to exploit them. The question has been asked us whether the dock strikes of the Pa- cific Coast were fostered by sympathizers of Communism for the purpose of aiding the Communists in China. What we know is that the Pacific Coast strikes synchronized with the Communist drive in China. And we emphatically feel it to be our duty to call public attention to the serious consequences if essentials are delayed in reaching their destinations. We regard food for China and materials for Europe as an important part of the world-defense against Communist aggression. We believe that our Pacific Coast ports are undergoing what is in effect a Communist block- ade; and we urge that instant steps be taken to break through the block- ade in order to permit an adequate flow of necessities to China. In all these serious problems we believe that The American Legion has chosen the right path. Therefore, “with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in.” Respectively submitted, ANSON T. McCOOK, Chairman, LEON HAPPELL, Vice-Chairman.

E. Meade Wilson, Chairman of the Resolutions Subcommittee, reported that there were no resolutions in connection with the above report.

National Legislative Commission The following report, presented by Lynn G. Peterson, Cali- fornia, member of the National Legislative Commission, was duly accepted: Comrade Commander and Comrade Executive Committeemen: You are going to have to suffer with me in the absence of your Chairman, Com- rade Colflesh, who had to leave last evening. We are now on the eve of a new Congress which will come into ses- sion early in January. We face this Congress with a total of 348 man- dates from the convention. Those mandates have been set out in this Legislative Bulletin, copies of which I am going to ask our Legislative Director to place on your desks, so that you will have them. I hope you will review them. Frankly, I question that you here even know all the things that were done at Miami and other places. I wish to call your attention, for exam- ple, to one that I noticed in this group of mandates which requests addi- 13 tional legislation, which will make criminal travel by a person in inter- state commerce in connection with his or her desertion of minor children under the age of 18. That is one of the things that our convention is ask- ing your Legislative Commission to make into law in our Congress. There are many others just like it. What that has to do with veterans I don t know, but it places a man in jail, anyway, for desertion. I think it has something to do with our criminal laws. There were resolutions passed in Miami in which they said they should have first priority. There were three different resolutions that said they should be first priority. How that is to be accomplished I don’t know, but that is your problem. You have a subcommittee of this commission which will report to you, and I hope they can work it out so they can direct your Legislative Commission to accomplish these mandates. On housing alone there were 53 resolutions introduced in the conven- tion and 50 of them were adopted. How you are going to reconcile them is going to be a problem you will have to work out. The Commander has indicated that he will probably create a small committee from your com- mittee, so that they can properly direct us. As you know, we of the Legislative Commission do what you tell us to do. That is all we can do. We attempt to do what the convention tells us to do. It might be interesting for you to know that we do have more veter- ans in the new House. We will have 218 as against 205 in the previous Congress. In the Senate we will have 50 as against 45. We anticipate that UMT will be a very hard bill to get adopted, but believe me, we are going to attempt to do it and do it as well as we can. We have had staff trouble in our Legislative Commission. We have had trouble filling the jobs with the amounts of money that we have available. Unfortunately, one of our assistant directors has had a coro- nary thrombosis just the other day and, of course, we will be without his services for some time to come. I don’t know how Jack Taylor is going to get away with it, but the Commander seems sympathetic and we will do the best we can. All we can ask in the meantime is that you assist us in not spreading ourselves so thin that we will cease to be effective. Certainly you can do that. I might say that the President, in his previous messages to Congress, has mentioned UMT and we are hoping that he will be favorable toward our veteran program. We hope that we can work it out, and with that I leave you. I ask you again to pay particular attention to the report of the sub- committee of the Executive Committee with reference to priorities, be- cause there is confusion existing between the resolutions which were adopted on pensions, and we don’t know which way to go. That is a problem that you fellows are going to have to straighten out for us. The bulletins to which the report refers are as follows: The 80th Congress will officially expire when it meets on Friday, De- cember 31, to adjourn sine die. This procedure is due to the fact that, in- stead of adjourning at the end of the Special Session on August 7, H. Con. Res 222 was adopted, providing for the recess of Congress until noon, December 31, or until recalled by the President pro tempore of the Sen- ate, the Speaker of the House, the Acting Majority Leader of the Senate, and the Leader of the House, acting jointly. The National Legislative Commission has heretofore reported on the progress and accomplishments of our legislative program during the 80th Congress. A large number of laws beneficial to veterans was placed on the statute books during the past two years. Much of the credit for this legislation was due to the splendid cooperation extended the National 14 Legislative Commission by the National, State and local organizations of The American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. The 81st Congress will meet on Monday, January 3. The Democratic Party will have control of both the Executive and the Legislative branch- es of the Government. With a comfortable majority in both the House and the Senate, the majority party will completely reorganize those two bod- ies, the chairmanship and majority memberships on all committees being assumed by members of the controlling party. This reorganization will be the principal business of the new Congress until the President is in- augurated on January 20, following which he will present his message with recommendations for Congressional action. Sixty-five resolutions calling for national legislation were adopted by the Miami National Convention last month. In addition, we have a large number of hold-over legislative mandates, some of which have been par- tially accomplished. These mandates cover a wide variety of subjects which your Legislative Commission must present to the 81st Congress. Bills to carry out these mandates are now in the process of preparation and will be introduced early in the Congressional session. For the guidance of the National Legislative Commission it has here- tofore been the practice of the National Executive Committee to estab- lish a priority legislative program. The Legislative Commission will, of course, follow any such program which you may promulgate but, as in the past, our activities will not be limited exclusively to the priority list. In view of world conditions the 81st Congress will be called on for many large appropriations for national security and European recovery. Additional funds will also be sought for increased social security bene- fits, Federal aid to education and other national projects. With these large demands being made upon the Congress, it may well be expected that all requests for sizable appropriations, including those for veter- ans’ benefits, will be carefully scrutinized. In addition to our efforts to secure new legislation, the National Legis- lative Commission has the responsibility of guarding against all efforts which might be made to curtail any present veterans’ benefits. In this tremendous task, it will be absolutely necessary that we continue to re- ceive the wholehearted support of the entire Legion and Auxiliary organ- izations. There are many new members of Congress who are not famil- iar with the legislative program of The American Legion and, while your commission will do everything possible to acquaint them, as well as the older members of Congress, with our program, the most effective work along this line can and must be done by their constituents back home. To accomplish the best results it is important that the entire member- ship of The American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary not only be acquainted with our national legislative program but be kept fully informed on progress made. The Legislative Bulletin, which is sent out weekly during Congressional sessions, has proved of inestimable value, not only in keeping the membership informed, but in securing their as- sistance on specific legislative proposals during their consideration by Congress. The Legislative Commission is endeavoring to secure the wid- est possible distribution of the Legislative Bulletin, particularly at the Legion Post and Auxiliary Unit levels. The assistance of all National, State and local officers of the Legion and Auxiliary in this connection is earnestly solicited. Following is a detailed account of The American Legion’s legislative program for the ensuing year: LEGISLATIVE POLICY Res. 759—Miami 1948 resolves “that all resolutions requiring national legislation shall be effective only to the date of final adjournment of the 15 Congress during which such resolutions were adopted by a national con- vention or the National Executive Committee, except that resolutions passed at the national convention or the National Executive Committee meeting immediately preceding the convening of a new'Congress, shall be effective until the adjournment of such new Congress. This resolution shall become effective at the date of the final adjournment of the 81st Congress. ADJUSTED COMPENSATION Applications—Filing Time Res. 223—New York City 1947 (Supersedes Res. 68—San Francisco 1946)—urges the President and Congress to amend existing laws so as to extend the time for applying for World War I adjusted compensation to January 2, 1950. Provisional Officers Res. 222—New York City 1947 recommends legislation to provide World War I adjusted compensation for provisional officers. The resolu- tion stated that the National Legislative Commission was responsible for two such bills being passed by Congress, both of which were vetoed by the President. AMERICANISM Aliens Res. 17—National Executive Committee, May 1943 resolves that hon- orably discharged United States World War veterans, with their wives and minor children, who can prove bona fide residence in a country friendly to the United States but who are not citizens of the United States, may re-enter the United States as aliens, without regard to quota, to take up permanent residence therein, subject to approval of the Im- migration Department and following investigation as to their loyalty. Communism Res. 113—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 64—National Executive Com- mittee, May 1948) gives full endorsement and approval to a bill similar to the Mundt-Nixon Bill of the 80th Congress, which bill provides that: (1) Leaders of the Communist Party would be subject to ten years in jail and a $10,000 fine unless the party is completely severed from any for- eign associations and drops any plan to establish a totalitarian dictator- ship under foreign domination in this country. (2) Convicted persons would lose their citizenship permanently and could be deported under certain conditions. (3) Members of the Communist political organiza- tions are forbidden to apply for Government jobs or for passports, and Government officials are not to employ or grant them passports. Penal- ties for violations of this section are two years and/or $5,000 fine. (4) The Communist Party is required to register every member by name and last known address for the 12 months preceding the date of enact- ment of the law. Registration will be under the supervision of the De- partment of Justice and demands an exact account of all funds and their source. (5) Communist-front organizations and individuals must register with the Justice Department, but need only file lists of officers and finan- cial reports. Membership lists, however, must be kept and will be open to Justice Department inspection. Responsibility for registration of Com- munist-fronts is placed on the officers, who would be subject to a $2,000 fine and five years. (6) All organizations registered must plainly label all Communist propaganda, including radio broadcasts, as emanating from Communist sources. (7) Communist-fronts would lose their present Fed- eral tax exemptions, and no contributions to any of the listed organiza- tions can be deducted from income taxes. 16 This bill passed the House but failed of action in the Senate. The Attorney General, during the closing days of the Second Session, gave an opinion that the bill was unconstitutional. Res. 393—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 473—New York City 1947) urges Congress to enact enabling legislation to outlaw the Communist Party in the United States. Res. 620—Miami 1948 recommends legislation to bar permanently all subversive persons from right of franchise or privilege of executive clem- ency. Res. 608—New York City 1947 opposes all forms of “isms” inimical to our American form of government, recommends the stamping out of un- American and subversive student organizations in both tax-supported and privately endowed colleges and universities and favors the utmost vigi- lance against Fascist and Communist individuals, organizations and publi- cations. Res. 622—Miami 1948 commends the action taken by Congress in cit- ing for contempt the script and scenario writers who refused to answer questions of the House Un-American Activities Committee as to whether they were or had ever been members of the Communist Party. Conscientious Objectors Res. 147—San Francisco 1946 urges Congress and State Legislatures to enact suitable legislation to prevent employment in a Civil Service job of the Federal, State or local subdivisions of the Government of the United States of any person or persons, excluding those whose service was in the non-combatant branches of the Armed Forces, who was or is a conscientious objector or who refused to serve his country in the defense thereof. Displaced Persons Res. 77—National Executive Committee; November 1947 re position of The American Legion on displaced persons—see Immigration-Naturaliza- tion-Deportation. Educational Program Res. 767—Miami 1948 commends the United States Office of Education for enunciating and developing a program of positive instruction on the advantages of the American way of life and recommends assistance and appropriations essential to its effective promulgation. Fingerprinting Res. 202—Milwaukee 1941 requests legislation to provide for the clas- sification and fingerprinting of every person in the United States over the age of 18 years. Flag Res. 292—San Francisco 1946 requests that Public Law 829 be amend- ed to provide “That men without hats stand at attention when colors are posted, retired or pass in review.” Res. 91—National Executive Committee, June 1946 requests that the following be added as an additional paragraph in Section 3 of the Flag Law (Public Law 829—77th Congress): “When the Flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a building with only one main entrance, it should be suspended vertically, with the union of the Flag to the observer’s left upon entering; if the building has more than one main entrance, the Flag should be suspended vertically near the center of the corridor or lobby, with the union to north when entrances are to the east and west, or to the east when entrances are to the north and south; if there are entrances in more than two directions, the union should be to the east.” 17 Res. 92—National Executive Committee, June 1946 requests that Sec- tion 5 of Public Law 829, pertaining to salutes when uncovered, be amend- ed so that it will read “Men without hats merely stand at attention, and that there be no reference to the manner in which aliens render a salute. Res. 93—National Executive Committee, June 1946 requests that Pub- lic Law 829, Section 4, be amended to provide that the Flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever; should not be printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins, boxes or anything designed for temporary use and discard; used as any portion of a costume or athletic uniform; and that advertising signs be not fastened to a staff or halyard from which the Flag is flown. The resolution also requests the law be amended to provide that the Flag or replica thereof should not be knitted, embroidered, crocheted or in any manner attached to or made a part of any cushion, handkerchief, bedspread or any other article of any kind being offered for sale; however, by an order of the Army and Navy Departments, it may be attached to service uniforms for identification purposes in a foreign country. Res. 94—National Executive Committee, June 1946 requests that Pub- lic Law 829 be amended to define the words “men in uniform” to mean wearing the uniform of any of the United States Armed Forces, the uni- form or headdress of veterans’ organizations, patriotic organizations or the designated wearing apparel approved by any branch of Federal, State or municipal Governments. This resolution also requests that Section 6 of the law be rewritten to read: “That when the National Anthem is played and the Flag is not dis- played, all present should stand and face toward the music. And when the Flag is displayed, all present should face the Flag. Those in uniform should salute at the first note of the Anthem, retaining this position until the last note. All others should stand at attention, men removing their headdress.” Res. 110—Milwaukee 1941 asks legislation to prevent desecration and mutilation of the Flag of the United States and to provide penalties there- for. “Flag Day” Res. 136—Miami 1948 urges Congress to pass legislation to officially designate June 14 as “Flag Day.” ■ Free Press Res. 122—Chicago 1945 demands complete freedom of the press and expresses opposition to any movement which would make the press an instrument of the Government. Immigration—Naturalization—Deportation Res. 33—Miami 1948 recommends legislation to make naturalization possible, without regard to race or national origin, for the natural par- ent, parents, or spouse of an honorably discharged wartime veteran of the United States Armed Forces, or to the parent, parents, or widow of, and without regard to race or national origin of a veteran who died in serv- ice, or as a result of wartime service in the United States Armed Forces. Res. 77—National Executive Committee, November 1947 gives the po- sition of The American Legion on the problem of displaced persons as follows; With reference to the position of The American Legion to the problem of displaced persons; be it 1. Resolved, That consideration of the matter of displaced persons be divorced from the general subject of immigration, that it be treated spe- cifically as an emergency matter, involving humanitarian consideration 18 and that anything that may be done in connection with it be the subject of special and limited legislation. 2. That the Legion reiterate its sympathetic and friendly attitude to- wards our comrades in arms of all countries involved and their imme- diate families; that the Legion advocate special consideration, if such be possible, for this particular group. 3. That the general issue be kept as simplified as possible; that spe- cial interest groups who, seizing upon a situation that normally appeals to the hearts and minds of good Americans, have, in the past, now do, and undoubtedly will attempt to add complicating elements to these mat- ters with the hope of confusing the issue involved and thus accomplish- ing their own ends—which ends the Legion opposes. 4. That, in the event the United Nations’ Organization adopts the pro- gram now advocated by the United States for the partition of Palestine, that all displaced persons who desire to find haven in Palestine be per- mitted, and aided, in doing so. 5. It is also recommended that the United States, giving priority to the comrades in arms group referred to above, permit the emergency im- migration to this country of those D: P.’s who were officially recognized and designated as such on January 1, 1947, less those who have already found haven, in numbers proportionate only to America’s fair share, based upon its membership and obligations in the International Refugee Or- ganization consisting of the following named countries: Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Liberia, Panama, Peru, Australia, Ar- gentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, France, Iceland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom, United States, but limited to a maximum number based on comparative popula- tions. 6. Since it appears to your subcommittee that there is a woeful lack of accurate understanding as to the number of persons involved—esti- mates of America’s share having been publicly stated, ranging from 100,- 000 to more than 400,000 in all, it is recommended that this uncertainty be definitely eliminated and that America get down to cases, and the exact minimum be determined and that the United States adhere to it strictly. 7. This being an emergency matter as distinguished from a normal immigration problem, your subcommittee recommends that all persons ultimately admitted to this country be carefully screened to meet, not only all of the existing immigration tests, but also to meet the minimum standards required through health and political involvement. Public Law 774 authorizes admission into the United States, within two years, of 220,000 displaced persons for permanent residence. This figure includes 2,000 Czechoslovakians who fled their homeland to escape Rus- sian persecution, 3,000 eligible orphans for whom homes in the United States are assured, and 15,000 displaced persons already residing in this country to be offered opportunity to obtain permanent status. Res. 422—San Francisco 1946 opposes any modification of the Nation- ality Act of 1940 unless the educational and other standards prescribed therein are raised instead of lowered. Res. 55—Miami 1948 requests that Congress immediately pass legisla- tion providing that any person renouncing his or her United States citi- zenship shall not be eligible to re-apply therefor. Res. 304—Chicago 1945 is a comprehensive program of immigration, naturalization and deportation and is as follows: Whereas, Certain foreign countries refused to receive their nationals found to be deportable under our laws; and Whereas, Remedial legislation appears to be impractical, we strongly 19 urge that an international conference, or convention, be held for the pur- pose of giving full faith and credit to the decrees of the United States Government ordering the deportation of aliens, particularly those con- victed of criminal deportable offenses; Whereas, The present administrative practice of granting lawful en- try through the process of pre-examination to aliens who have entered illegally or otherwise have not qualified for admission for permanent residence affords to such aliens an unwarranted preference over those who in good faith and reliance upon the fair administration of our quota laws, are awaiting their turn under the quota of their respective quota; and Whereas, This process of pre-examination is not in accord with the principle of the examination at the source; therefore, be it Resolved, That this administrative practice be discontinued and if, in the opinion of the administrative authorities this extra legal practice is in the best interests of the nation, legislative authority should be obtained and in that event we recommend that a minimum period of residence of five years be established as a pre-requisite for this extraordinary privi- lege, and that no alien who claimed exemption from military service should ever receive this extraordinary privilege; and Whereas, Naturalization is a privilege extended to aliens seeking the status of citizenship and contemplates that their admission should be mu- tually beneficial to the Government and themselves; and that the appli- cants upon admission should be citizens in fact as well as in name, we recommend the adoption of legislation that will provide as additional req- uisites for naturalization: (a) Ability to read English understandingly. (b) A uniform period of residence in the United States which in no case should be less than three years. (c) An unequivocal obligation to bear arms. Resolved, That immigration should be made truly selective and con- fined to the present, quota or such reduced quotas as may hereafter be established and that only such persons shall be admitted from any coun- try who may be found to be assimilable and well disposed to the basic principles of our American form of government and way of life; Resolved, That we support legislation designed to facilitate the admis- sion to this country of such nationals of other countries, racially eligible to citizenship, married abroad to members of our Armed Forces, upon application of the citizen’s spouse; provided that whenever it is found any such immigrants may be afflicted with excludable diseases or defects that are not quarantinable, notice of such immigrant’s destination to any com- munity shall be promptly delivered to the appropriate health authorities; and provided further that such alien spouses are otherwise qualified for admission; Resolved, That all war refugees who have been enjoying our sanc- tuary, haven and hospitality shall be returned promptly to the countries from whence they came. Since H. R. 3663 introduced by Rep. Gossett of Texas, now pending in the Congress, is so embracive of the Legion’s long established policy re- stricting immigration and its attitude toward the war criminal classes; be it Resolved, That we pledge our support for the enactment of this legis- lation. Resolved, That Article 75 of the Geneva Convention, which calls for the return of prisoners of war to their own countries be strictly enforced and that no exceptions be made by permitting them'to remain in the U. S. or otherwise facilitating their readmission. 20 Postwar immigration will receive the very earnest attention of the Congress during the current session; in fact, a special subcommittee of the Congress has been engaged since early summer in a survey, not only on the broad subject of immigration, but also on deportation and natural- ization legislation. Already available reports of their meetings indicate a coalition of various- types of organizations and minority groups whose particular functions appear to be the alleviation of the conditions of all oppressed persons and groups, and of assisting the aliens within the de- portable classes to avoid deportation, and in aiding and abetting the nat- uralization of aliens generally. Their primary interest is the aliens rather than the general welfare of their country. Some of the legislative proposals of these groups would increase im- migration; grant lawful entry to aliens now here in violation of our laws; confer citizenship on certain persons lacking the ordinary educational re- quirements; confer upon alien merchant seamen the same naturalization privileges now temporarily accorded our combat men in the Armed Forces and relax existing deportation laws. Previous convention mandates, to- gether with mandates of this convention, present basic ideals that would be contravened by proposed legislation already submitted to the subcom- mittees of the Congress. Having in mind the extreme importance of this subject matter; therefore, be it Resolved, That convention mandates on immigration, naturalization and deportation be placed in the category of major legislation. Res. 113—National Executive Committee, May 1948 requests Congress to pass legislation giving all Puerto Ricans, regardless of the time of birth, the status of native-born citizens of the United States. Res. 88—New York City 1947 recommends legislation granting full citizenship of the United States to citizens of Guam, together with the enactment of an organic law for the government thereof. Res. 177—San Francisco 1946—requests (1) that Congress enact stat- utes permitting all American Indians to become citizens of this country, with all rights of citizenship, (2) that all existing discriminatory laws against American Indians be repealed, and (3) that all existing treaty rights and privileges be retained by the Indians. Res. 65—Kansas City 1942 states that veterans are having extreme difficulty in establishing proof of their citizenship due to the lack of (or faulty) birth records and requests that Congress provide a more uniform method to establish proof of citizenship for those persons born in and under the laws of the United States. Res. 492—San Francisco 1946 opposes a State Department recommen- dation for the importation of at least 50,000 students from foreign coun- tries to study in the United States until our veterans are taken care of with respect to their educational needs. Res. 611—San Francisco 1946 opposes the readmission into the United States of anyone deported for un-American activities. Public Law 552—80th Congress, amends the immigration laws to deny admission to the United States of aliens who may be coming here for the purpose of engaging in activities which will endanger the public safety of the United States. Res. 270—Chicago 1944 requests that (1) any foreign-born resident who avoided the obligation of military service or who failed to make ap- plication for First Papers within three years from the date of his entry into this country shall be automatically subject to deportation, and (2) that all immigrants be barred from the United States from the date of cessation of hostilities until such time as (a) unemployment in this coun- try shall be dropped to less than 1,000,000, (b) all veterans shall have 21 been afforded the opportunity of gainful employment* and (c) all so- called members of imported foreign labor battalions, refugees, war pris- oners and/or those who have been given temporary sanctuary or employ- ment shall have been returned to the land of their origin, which should be accomplished without delay. The resolution, however, favors the ad- mission of foreign-born wives, husbands and children of American mem- bers of the Armed Forces and of the war establishments who may prefer to reside and work in this country. Mob Violence Res. 593—New York City 1947 (Reaffirms Res. 740—San Francisco 1946) places the Legion on record as denouncing mob action and requests that Congress immediately enact such laws as are required to guarantee the citizen his Constitutional rights and to punish violators in such a drastic manner as to eliminate mob rule. Recreation Program Res. 43—National Executive Committee, November 1946 requests leg- islation whereby the Federal Government, through the office of the Fed- eral Security Agency, provides assistance and guidance to communities upon request, in the preparation and development of recreation programs and projects. Tolerance Res. 130—San Francisco 1946 urges Federal and State legislation to outlaw and remove from society the Ku Klux Klan and all similar organ- izations. Un-American Activities Committee

Res. 461—Miami 1948 urges the enactment of laws by Congress to con- tinue the Un-American Activities Committee with sufficient appropria- tions for its work. U. S. Bill of Rights Res. Ill—National Executive Committee, May 1948 recommends amendment to the Federal Constitution by adding Article XXII of the Bill of Rights to read as follows: “No guarantee of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, or freedom of elections, by this Constitution, or by the Constitution of any State shall constitute a valid defense in court to a duly proved charge of promoting the overthrow of the Government of the United States by force.’’ Victory Day

Res. 707—San Francisco 1946 urges enactment of legislation to make August 14 a national holiday to be known as “Victory Day.” CHILD WELFARE Education, Federal Aid to Res. 778—San Francisco 1946 requests Federal participation in school support and legislation which adequately protects the schools from Fed- eral domination and secures the continued existence of local control of schools. Federal Aid Res. 796—New York City 1947 requests that the Federal Social Secu- rity Act and appropriate state laws be amended so that the states and Federal Government will participate, under appropriate auspices, in the payment of any required cost of foster family care for children who have no parent or relative able to care for them. Res. 797—New York City 1947 recommends that the Federal Social Security Act be amended so that aid to dependent children grants can 22 be made which will provide funds for the eligible relative who maintains the home and cares for the small dependent child when such relative is without adequate means of support for himself. Res. 798—New York City 1947 requests that Federal grants-in-aid to states for the purpose of assistance to dependent children be based in part on the economic capacity of the state, rather than at a fixed percent- age for all states. Federal Security Administrator Res. 813—San Francisco 1946 recommends raising to cabinet rank the Administrator of the Federal Security Agency. Minor Children Res. 794—New York City 1947 requests Federal legislation which will make criminal travel by a person in interstate commerce in connection with (1) his or her desertion of minor children under the age of 18; or (2) his or her failure to perform court order for the support of such mi- nor children. Social Security Benefits Res. 795—New York City 1947 would establish, in the Social Security Act, a definition of “continued absence from the home” as it pertains to assistance to dependent children; provide that such definition include de- sertion, and that a moderately short time, not to exceed six months, be fixed as the period of desertion which constitutes absence from the home for the purpose of receiving assistance to dependent children. Res. 799—New York City 1947 (Supersedes Res. 450—Chicago 1945) urges amendment of the Social Security Act to provide: “(1) that in the computation of average monthly wages for the pay- ment of Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance, all periods spent in active military service be omitted so that average monthly wages will not be re- duced by reason of time lost from covered employment during military service, and (2) that in the computation of Old Age and Survivors’ Insur- ance benefits each year or major portion thereof spent in active military service be presumed to have been a year of covered employment with earnings of not less than $200; or that the Social Security Act be amended in such other way as will effect the same result of not penalizing the vet- eran for time spent in military service as compared with the nonveteran.” Security Agency are continued. Res. 800—New York City 1947 urges the present coverage of depend- ents of deceased veterans of World War II under Survivors’ Insurance of the Social Security Act, based upon presumed average monthly wages of $160 minimum, which, under present law, expires three years after dis- charge, be made permanent, provided that present prohibitions pertain- ing to dual benefits from the Veterans Administration and the Federal Security Agency are continued . Res. 801—New York City 1947 recommends that the Social Security Act be changed to materially increase the base benefits payable for chil- dren under Survivors’ Insurance. Res. 802—New York City 1947 requests that the Social Security Act be amended to extend Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance coverage to pres- ently uninsured groups, not including public employes who are eligible for other survivors’ benefits. Res. 803—New York City 1947 recommends that Title II of the So- cial Security Act be amended to provide insurance coverage for families where the wage earner is or becomes unable to work because of disa- bility not covered under other recognized Govermental agencies, provid- ed, however, that no such benefits be made available where compensa- 23 tion equal to or greater in amount is paid for disability from other sources administered by public agents. Res. 754—Miami 1948 recommends (1) that Congress remove the pen- alties which veterans of World War II and their dependents now suffer in the operation of the Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance program; (2) that benefits payable to or on behalf of children under the Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance program be increased commensurate to increases in- the cost of living; (3) that those veterans who have lost the protection of Survivors’ Insurance by reason of the lapse of more than three years after discharge be reinstated under that program; and (4) that Resolu- tions Nos. 794 through 803, inclusive, adopted by the 1947 New York Na- tional Convention, be reaffirmed. DISABLED EMERGENCY OFFICERS Retirement Res. 492—Miami 1948 urges retirement of World War II disabled emergency officers. Res. 476—Chicago 1945 advocates amendment of Section 212, Public Law 212—72nd Congress, in order that employment in the Federal Gov- ernment, the District of Columbia or any corporation, the majority of the stock of which is owned by the United States, shall not bar any person disabled by disease or injury incurred in line of duty-while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States from receiving retirement pay. Res. 286—Kansas City 1942 requests retirement of officers separated from the service by the National Defense Act (applies to a small group who were eliminated from the Regular Army under the provisions of Public Law 259—67th Congress). EDUCATION OF WAR ORPHANS Military and Naval Academies Res. “A”—New York City 1947 requests Congress to increase the num- ber of additional cadets at the U. S. Military Academy and additional midshipmen at the U. S. Naval Academy from 40, as now authorized by the act authorizing the President to make appointments from the sons of those who were killed in action or died during war service, to 100 at each institution. Subsistence Res. “B”—New York City 1947 requests provision of a subsistence al- lowance of $50 per month for children over 16 years of age of veterans of World War I or II who died as the result of war service while such children are pursuing a course of instruction in a business or trade school, technical institute, college or university, for a total not exceeding 48 months, said subsistence allowance to be in addition to all other benefits or compensation provided by law and in addition to any earnings by the children themselves. EMPLOYMENT Civil Service Res. 435—Miami 1948 requests Congress to appropriate sufficient funds to provide for the proper administration of the Civil Service program, particularly Veterans’ Service Section and the regional veterans’ em- ployment representatives. Res. 543—Miami 1948 recommends that positions in the Federal Gov- ernment be filled by civilian personnel and not military personnel, except only in such cases as may be necessitated by sound military objectives. Res. 89—National Executive Committee, May 1948 urges annulment of the Executive Order which permits citizens of the Republic of Panama to take Civil Service examinations and be given Civil Service positions. 24 Res. 356—New York City 1947 advocates regulations or statutes pro- viding for payment of salaries of Federal employes during absence or leave while on annual field training with the reserve components of the Armed Forces, without deducting such time from accrued annual leave. Res. 714—New York City 1947 requests Congress to enact appropriate legislation to provide that military service shall be counted in promotion of employes of Federal agencies. Res. 48—National Executive Committee, May 1947 requests amend- ment of existing law so that Civil Service employes who are members of the enlisted reserve shall be granted leave without loss of time and pay while engaged in training duties. Res. 147—San Francisco 1946 re-exclusion of conscientious objectors. See Americanism—Conscientious Objectors. Res. 305—San Francisco 1946 requests that Post Office employes re- ceive credit seniority for time spent in Armed Forces, such credit to be taken into consideration in fixing salaries. Res. 743—San Francisco 1946 requests adequate funds and personnel to enable the Civil Service Commission to properly discharge its obliga- tion in carrying out the provisions of Public Law 581—79th Congress, which provides a uniform administration of efficiency ratings. Res. 744—San Francisco 1946 proposed enactment of legislation to pro- vide for the uniform administration of efficiency ratings. Public Law 581—79th Congress, provided for a limited uniform ad- ministration of efficiency ratings. The National Legislative Commission had introduced H. R. 1351, broadening the law, which bill was referred 984 to the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee, but no further ac- tion was taken. Disloyal Employes Res. 167—Miami 1948 recommends legislation to create a permanent board of citizens appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, with authority to investigate every employe or applicant of the Federal Government and determine whether such employe or appli- cant is disloyal to the United States to the end that such an employe or quasi employe be eliminated from employment by the Government after a fair and impartial hearing before the board in accordance with all the rights and privileges under the duly recognized constitutional processes and protection accorded to any accused under the law. On-the-Job Training Res. 434—Miami 1948 requests Congress to appropriate sufficient funds to enable the Veterans Administration to engage a capable staff of super- visors for on-the-job training. Power—Irrigation Projects Res. 59—National Executive Committee, November 1944 urges Veter- ans’ Preference and employment on irrigation and power projects in western states and a preference for veterans in the sale of any lands developed under all public irrigation projects, as well as homesteading lands under projects where the lands are public domain and subject to homesteading. Re-employment Res. 739—New York City 1947 urges Congress to enact legislation au- thorizing and directing the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. S. De- partment of Labor to establish and maintain, on a periodic basis, for the principal cities and industrial areas in the United States, statistical and other information on the trends of employment and the outlook for job opportunities, particularly for veterans, in the various industries impor- tant to the economic activity of the communities. 25 Re-employment Rights Res. 750—Miami 1948 recommends that Congress appropriate addi- tional funds for the Division of Re-employment Rights, United States Department of Labor, so as to provide sufficient personnel to properly protect the re-employment rights of those entering the Armed Forces under the Selective Service and Training Act of 1948. Veterans’ Employment Service Res. 432—Miami 1948 endorses the work of the Veterans’ Employment Service and urges that it be maintained as a Federal operation and as a separate organizational entity with sufficient appropriations for adequate administration of the State Employment Service. Res. 433—Miami 1948 requests Congress to amend Section 602, Title IV, of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act to read as follows: “There shall be assigned to each local employment office by the ad- ministrative head of the Employment Service in each state, one or more employes who must be honorably discharged veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States; the services of such veteran or veterans shall be primarily devoted to perform the duties prescribed for veterans’ employment representatives.” Veterans’ Preference Res. 25—Miami 1948 expresses opposition to any legislation which would deprive veterans of the employment preference in the Federal service heretofore accorded by Congress. Res. 436—Miami 1948 recommends that World War II be officially ter- minated insofar as veterans’ preference is based thereon. Res. 806—New York City 1947 requests that Section 12 of the Veter- ans’ Preference Act be amended to provide for veterans’ preference in administrative and/or operational reorganization and demotion actions. FOREIGN RELATIONS A Miami 1948 National Convention report established the following policy of The American Legion relative to foreign relations. “For the second time In ten years the peace of the world is threatened by a totalitarian state obsessed with imperialistic ambitions. The Ameri- can Legion insists that war is not inevitable, but equally it insists that the only policy which can thwart this Communist plan for world domi- nation and avert war is one of absolute firmness in the right, coupled with preparation against the eventuality of war. This will require on our part steadiness, bipartisanship and continuity in our foreign policy, firmness and fairness in our dealings with all peoples. “This policy has crystallized at Berlin. The deliberately inhuman and unjust blockade by the dictators of Soviet Russia has created an act of aggression which could easily kindle the flames of war—and has already aroused the anger and fears of all peace-loving nations. We most em- phatically support the stand which the United States has taken there against interference with our rights and duties. Berlin has become a symbol of resistance to Communist aggression, and this resistance must be maintained resolutely, without appeasement, without bluster, without wavering. The airlift is bringing encouragement to all of Europe and especially to those friends of liberty who live under the shadow of the iron curtain. “The European Recovery Program received its first national impetus from The American Legion. The action taken by our New York Conven- tion made history. It has become fully established as the keystone of the foreign policy of the United States. Its success has been amply demon- strated in Italy and elsewhere. Its continued support and implementa- 26 tion is imperative. There can be no complacency, no relaxation of ef- fort, until its aims have been fulfilled. The Communist dictators of the Politburo must understand that we stand an undivided nation in our de- fense of liberty and justice. “Already several nations of Western Europe have joined together in order to exert collective strength against Soviet aggression. We ask that our Government give assurance of military as well as economic coopera- tion to these nations of Western Europe now threatened with attack, to the end that those free institutions in which we mutually believe may survive. “We urge that the flow of all potential war supplies from the United States to any nation threatening the peace of the world be stopped, like- wise the transfer of money or credits to any such nation. “Along with our constructive efforts to resist Communistic aggres- sion elsewhere, we recommend the giving of all practicable assistance to China. Likewise, we urge the fullest discharge of our national obligations to Korea and to the Philippines. “As a powerful auxiliary in combatting international chaos, we again urge the world-wide use of radio, motion pictures, the press and other effective means by our Government to make known to others the truth concerning our American ideals and the objectives of American foreign policy. Only in this positive way can we make clear to those who live under the shadow of the iron curtain the facts of the Berlin blockade, the destructive purposes of the Politburo and the vital blessings of our own liberty. “The American Legion was among the earliest to recognize the delib- erate purpose of the USSR to sabotage the United Nations and thus weak- en it as an instrument for world peace and justice. Therefore, far from abandoning it, we promptly advocated that it be strengthened, especially against the misuse of the veto. The value of the United Nations as a medium for the expression of world public opinion has recently been dem- onstrated by its hearings on the Berlin crisis. To make it fully effective, we urge that it be strengthened by charter amendments in three prin- cipal ways: First, by the removal of the veto in all matters of aggression or preparation for aggression, and the strengthening of the International Court of Justice by giving it appropriate jurisdiction over individuals and nations in matters pertaining to aggression. Second, by the limitation of world arms-production and the establishment of arms quotas guaranteed by effective international inspection, also the adoption of the United States formula for control of atomic energy. Third, by the creation of an ade- quate, active, independent world police force under the control of a vital- ized Security Council, together with a reserve force of national contin- gents. “We reiterate our special desire to achieve whatever may further our existing cordial relations with the nations of this hemisphere, and we heartily welcome the opportunity to join with them in resisting Commu- nist aggression and infiltration. “We emphasize our continuing interest in foreign trade and its tre- mendous importance to the prosperity of America and of all nations, and we recommend every reasonable cooperation with our citizens who work or make their homes abroad. “We recommend that our diplomatic service be strengthened by the addition of a greater proportion of career men, specially selected and trained. “We again urge the full and timely disclosure by our Government of factual information to the people relative to foreign affairs. Whether in peace or in war, Americans serve best when they know the facts. 27 “We recognize that the first essential to world recovery is that the United States itself should remain strong and free. Dedicated to peace, we cannot escape, we will not evade our responsibilities as a people for maintaining peace, resisting aggression and preserving the rights of free men. “As we face these problems, we feel deeply our responsibilities and obligations, and the need of dependence upon a Wisdom higher than our own.” HOUSING Res. 181—Miami 1948 recommends enactment of legislation to provide a national census of housing. Res. 542—Miami 1948 urges Congress to enact legislation authorizing and directing the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. S. Department of Labor to collect information and issue monthly reports on the number and valuation of new dwelling units started and completed in each im- portant metropolitan center, to study and report on housing costs and selling prices and to provide other basic information regarding the char- acteristics of housing units being made available for veterans. HAS'. ■ Res. 771—Miami 1948 urges enactment of legislation providing for a KT9ft‘ balanced and realistic program 'of Federal, State and local aid for the provision of decent housing, including necessary community facilities, for families of low income, with a first preference among those eligible being given to veterans. Res. 772—Miami 1948 favors the enactment of legislation either by amendment to existing law or otherwise authorizing direct Government loans to be made at low interest rates where private financing is not available to non-profit cooperative housing corporations of which at least 75 per cent of the members are veterans of World War II and thus pro- viding benefits contemplated by the Veterans’ Homestead Bill. Res. 68—National Executive Committee, November 1947 recommends enactment into law of The American Legion’s Veterans’ Homestead Act of 1948. Res. 773—Miami 1948 recommends legislation to (1) provide a second- ary market for loans made to veterans under the G: I. Bill at an inter- est rate not in excess of four per cent per annum; (2) provide that Gov- ernment secondary market support be withdrawn from any loan insured or guaranteed by the Government that carries an interest rate in excess of four per cent; and (3) provide that whereby the Government, on the application of any veteran of World War II who is unable to get a home loan financed by private lenders at a rate not exceeding four per. cent per annum, will itself make such loan direct to the veteran. Res. 775—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 317—New York City 1947) urges Congress to enact legislation to authorize the transfer of Federally- owned war housing projects in the following order and preference: (1) veterans or veterans’ cooperatives, (2) municipality or state local govern- ments, (3) defer sales until housing shortage is eliminated, and (4) not to destroy any existing Federal housing units suitable for housing. Res. 776—Miami 1948 favors the sale of multiple-unit Federally-owned war housing to veterans’ groups organized on a non-profit basis on rea- sonable terms which they can afford (with the Government accepting purchase money mortgages), where the veteran groups have made a rea- sonable and good-faith effort to obtain private financing for a cash sale by the Government and have been unable to obtain such financing; and opposes the enactment of any legislation which would require cash sales in such cases. Res. 777—Miami 1948 urges Congress to enact legislation to authorize 28 the sale of Greenbelt towns by the Government to veterans’ groups or- ganized on a non-profit basis on negotiated terms, without advertising or competitive bidding, on the basis of the reasonable value thereof pur- suant to appropriate appraisal, which shall not exceed the depreciated costs to the Government. Res. 778—Miami 1948 recommended enactment of legislation provid- ing for the following: 1. Revision of FHA regulations to require that agency to protect the purchaser as well as mortgagee. 2. Appraisal to determine not only whether property is worth the mortgage, but what its fair market value is with a copy of the official appraisal being made available to the purchaser. 3. FHA and VA to coordinate their appraisal and inspection work to avoid duplication so veteran purchaser is saved duplicate costs of this function. 4. FHA to scrutinize more carefully the charges imposed by mortgage lenders and to take disciplinary action where they are found engaging in the practice of collecting twice for the same function. 5. FHA and VA to discipline mortgagees who close sales when mort- gagee knows or can easily ascertain that the house has not been com- pleted in accordance with the contract between buyer and seller. Res. 71—National Executive Committee, May 1948 recommends that the National Housing Act be amended by adding an additional title to provide 90 per cent insured loans for the purpose of purchase and develop- ment of land intended for residential improvement. Res. 305—New York City 1947 opposes occupancy in any Government housing project of any person belonging to or associated with any un- American organization or subversive group. Res. 378—New York City 1947 opposes exportation of critical building materials until such time as the needs of the citizens of the United States are reasonably provided for. Res. 864—New York City 1947 recommends that various corporations and companies throughout the United States provide homes for their em- ployes who are veterans of World War II, to be sold to such veterans at reasonable prices, such sales to be financed by the loan guarantee pro- provisions of the G. I. Bill. G. I. BILL Philippine Veterans Res. 400—New York City 1947 requests that all Filipinos who served in the Armed Forces of the United States in World War II be included in the American G. I. Bill of Rights. Readjustment Allowance Res. 437—Miami 1948 recommends that the readjustment allowance provision of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act be extended to include those entering the service under the Selective Service and Training Act of 1948. NATIONAL DEFENSE Ail- Res. 335—Miami 1948 requests Congress to enact legislation authoriz- ing a succession of five-year programs, reviewable yearly, for research, development and procurement of aircraft for the purpose of maintaining a rapidly expanding industry. Congress is also urged to assist the air services in long-range planning by extending time limitations on the expenditures of appropriations as well as time limitations upon contract authorizations. 29 Res. 398—Miami 1948 urges Congress to immediately enact legislation definitely establishing the 70-group Air Force, together with an adequate naval air arm. Res. 791—Miami 1948 (Supplements Res. 834 and 837—New York City 1947) recommends legislation to (1) define the composition and authorize an increase in the personnel of the U. S. Air Force and an adequate naval air arm, provide research and development, and for a long-term pro- curement program of 5,200 aircraft annually, which will include provision for adequate reserve components; (2) establish and maintain aircraft warning and control systems for the United States and Alaska; (3) pro- vide proving grounds of sufficient range to test, for experiment and to train personnel in the use of long-range guided missiles; (4) authorize construction of research facilities for experimentation and development in aeronautical science and related activities; and (5) develop new proto- type cargo and transport aircraft primarily for commercial use, but suit- able for military use in event of emergency. Res. 835—New York City 1947 requests Congress to provide sufficient appropriations to adequately permit the functioning of the National Guard in its aviation activities. Res. 840—New York City 1947 requests Congress to provide the Civil Aeronautics Administration with sufficient funds for installation, mainte- nance and operation of adequate navigational aids and the maintenance and operation of facilities for the adequate control of airways and airport traffic. Res. 68—National Executive Committee, May 1947 urges the construc- tion of adequate air fields in Alaska as Government projects, without matching funds by Alaskan communities, and out of the discretionary funds under the control of the Administrator of the Civil Aeronautics Administration under Federal Airport Building Program. Res. 792—Miami 1948 (Supplements Res. 839—New York City 1947) reaffirms the long-held interest of The American Legion in the lighter- than-air branch of aeronautics and urges the Congress and all Govern- mental agencies to take realistic steps toward the accomplishment of ade- quate program for military/naval and commercial airships. This resolu- tion also recommends legislation for the establishment of airships in our Merchant Marine. Res. 42—National Executive Committee, July 1945 opposes recognition of former members of the Civil Air Patrol as veterans of World War II. Aliens—Foreign Legion Res. 237—Miami 1948 expresses the opposition of The American Le- gion to any effort to set up mercenary Armed Forces of foreign subjects to serve as the American Armed Forces or to serve America in any capacity. Armed Services Res. 449—Miami 1948 (Supplements Res. 41—National Executive Com- mittee, May 1948) contains many recommendations for the strengthening and maintenance of the Armed Forces. Res. 572—Miami 1948 favors the enactment of legislation for the crea- tion of a reserve for women of the Coast Guard. Civilian Awards Res. 610—Miami 1948 urges legislation providing for suitable awards and public recognition of individuals and organizations making substan- tial and exceptional contributions to the national defense as a result of scientific research. 30 Deserters Res. 196—San Francisco 1946 requests appropriate amendments to the Articles of War providing that those guilty of peacetime desertion who remain absent in desertion after tj-ie United States becomes engaged in war, shall be punishable to the same extent as wartime deserters and not be subject to any statutory limitation in bar of trial. Merchant Marine Res. 788—Miami 1948 (Supplements Res. 103—National Executive Committee, May 1948 and Res. 49—New York City 1947) contains many recommendations for the implementing and maintaining of a strong American Merchant Marine. Res. 191—San Francisco 1946 opposes the granting of veterans’ bene- fits to former members of the Merchant Marine. Pay and Allowances Res. 240—Miami 1948 opposes any legislation pointing towards reduc- tion in family allowances for enlisted personnel wherein such elimination or reduction of such allowances would -jeopardize recruitment of and sustaining of said personnel in our Armed Forces. Res. 320—Miami 1948 calls for the enactment of legislation to require the Army Finance Division to furnish with all notices of overpayment to former military personnel either certified, or photostatic copies of the pay records. Res. 786—Miami 1948 urges Congress and the several services to insti- tute a pay adjustment to properly compensate all military personnel. Prisoners of War Res. 764—San Francisco 1946 requests same treatment of officers and enlisted men of the United States Army who were prisoners of war as is provided the personnel of the Navy, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard. Puerto Rico Res. 838—San Francisco 1946 urges that the Island of Puerto Rico be maintained as a fortified base for possible future military operations. Research Res. 106—National Executive Committee, May 1948 recommends that Congress appropriate money for a substantial fund to be used to encour- age young men and women to take up science and research as a life pro- fession. Res. 849—New York City 1947 encourages scientific research and de- velopment, bringing of the reserve components to full strength, develop- ment and maintenance of adequate stockpiles of all materials necessary for national defense, including material for atom bombs and weapons; also, urges research and development of atomic energy and sole retention by the United States of all atomic energy secrets. Reserve Components Res. 447—Miami 1948 urges Congress to take such action as is neces- sary to bring the reserve components to their full strength and maintain them at such strength. Res. 467—New York City 1947 favors legislation to equalize pay for the organized reserve. Res. 493—Miami 1948 reaffirms the belief of The American Legion in a strong National Guard and requests that adequate facilities and funds be made available by the states and nation to maintain this organization and its program. 31 Res. 784—Miami 1948 advocates the creation of an Assistant Secretary for Reserve Components to the Secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air, respectively. Res. 785—Miami 1948 requests Congress to provide adequate funds for Reserve Force training. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Res. 104—National Executive Committee, May 1948 (Supersedes Res. 282—San Francisco 1946) supports Reserve Officers’ Training Corps pro- grams in the United States. Reservist Benefits Res. 211—Miami 1948 requests Congress to take the necessary steps to give members of the National Guard of the United States and all Or- ganized Reserve components of the Armed Forces who are killed or in- jured while on active duty or operational orders the benefits that accrue to members of the Regular Army, Navy and Marine Corps who are like- wise killed or injured in line of duty. Res. 783—Miami 1948 urges immediate legislation to provide that members of the reserve forces injured or killed in line of duty while per- forming duty of 30 days or less, shall receive the same pay, allowances or other benefits enjoyed by members of the regular services in like circum- stances, providing disability is more than 30 per cent. Retirement Res. 493—Miami 1948 recommends that reserve officers having Veter- ans Administration ratings of ten per cent or more be allowed temporary active duty with pay or retired for disability under Public Law 460. Res. 673—San Francisco 1946 recommends that service in the National Guard and reserve service be counted toward retirement in the Regular Army. Selective Service Res. 73—Miami 1948 urges Congress to change Paragraph J, Section 6, Public Law 759—80th Congress, which permits deferments to conscien- tious objectors to read: “Any person claiming exemption from combatant training in service because of conscientious objection, whose claim is sustained by the local board, shall, if he is inducted into the Armed Forces under this title, be assigned to noncombatant service as defined by the President.” Res. 263—Miami 1948 urges the prosecution of certain purported reli- gious leaders who have urged the youth of America to refuse to register under the Selective Service Act and, in the event existing Federal en- actments are deemed inadequate, that Congress enact such statutes as may be deemed necessary to prevent persons from advising open law vio- lation. Res. 107—National Executive Committee, May 1948 favors a “dis- charge from draft” for men found to be physically and mentally unfit for service, even though they pass through the induction center. Transportation Facilities—Alaska Res. 69—National Executive Committee, May 1947 urges improved transportation facilities in Alaska. Res. 820—San Francisco 1946 recommends adequate highway construc- tion to and in Alaska. Universal Military Training Res. 795—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 57—National Executive Com- mittee, May 1948) reiterates the long-standing policy of The American 32 Legion in favor of Universal Military Training and urges the enactment by Congress of UMT legislation similar to that embodied in the bill. H. R. 4278—80th Congress. Universal Service Res. 692—Chicago 1944 reaffirms American Legion policy in favor of universal service in time of war with equal service for all and special privileges for none. PUBLIC LANDS Res. 90 National Executive Committee, November 1947 recommends that exclusion of lands known as the Tongass and Chugach National For- ests be provided for in legislation calling for settlement of certain parts of Alaska by war veterans and, also, that lands made available for home- steading be limited to one section for each veteran. Res. 51—National Executive Committee, June 1946 opposes legislation for the purpose of granting additional lands for homesteading and settle- ment for returning veterans by the repeal of an Act of Congress dated March 4, 1931, entitled “an act withdrawing certain public lands from settlement, location, filing, entry, or disposal under the land laws of the United States for the protection of the watershed supplying water to the city of Los Angeles and other cities and towns in the state of California, and for other purposes.” Res. 91 National Executive Committee, July 1945 recommends that the Colorado River Indian Reservation be set aside for veterans. Res. 124—New York City 1947 urges rapid development of homesteads in public land states. Res. 198—Chicago 1944 opposes any change in the 160-acre limitation in reclamation projects.

REHABILITATION Abandonment Clause Res. 408—San Francisco 1946 recommends legislation to strengthen the “abandonment clause” so that more discretion may be used in award- ing father and mother allowances. Automobiles for Amputees Res. 85—Miami 1948 urges legislation so that benefits of Public Law 79th Congress, will be available to any veteran, otherwise entitled thereto, upon filing of claim within one year after release from active service, or from the date of the contingency upon which entitlement is based, whichever is the later. (Automobiles and other conveyances for those with loss or loss of use of lower extremities.) Res. 637—San Francisco 1946 urges legislation to place a World War I veteran who lost a limb or limbs in the service of his country on equal status with a World War II veteran in so far as it pertains to the dona- tion and gift from the Government of an automobile.

“Child”—Definition Res. 24—San Francisco 1946 requests that under laws administered by the Veterans Administration the definition of “child” include a child to whom a veteran has stood in the relationship of parent for at least one year. Claims—Appeals Res. 44—National Executive Committee, November 1946 requests an extension of the time limit for persons prevented from filing claims be- cause of war activities.

33 Codification of Veterans’ Laws Res. 604—San Francisco 1946 urges Congress to provide codification of veterans’ laws and regulations. Compensation and Pensions Res. 44—Miami 1948 requests Congress to pass a law granting pensions to veterans of World War I and their widows and dependent children equivalent to the pensions granted to the veterans of the War with Spain and their widows and children.

ReS. 456—Miami 1948 urges Congress to enact legislation granting pensions to all honorably discharged veterans of World Wars I and II who have served their country for a period of at least 90 days or have been discharged because of disability received in service, such pensions to be $60.00 a month at the age of 55 and $75.00 monthly at the age of 65, these pension payments to be made irrespective of any other income re- ceived. Res. 109—Miami 1948 (Supplements Res. 231—New York City 1947 and Res. 83—San Francisco 1946) urges establishment of a temporary to- tal rating for disability pension purposes when a veteran of World War I or World War II is hospitalized, bedridden or helpless for six months or longer. Res. 283—Miami 1948 (Supplements Res. Nos. 226, 263 and part of 162 —New York City 1947, Res. Nos. 20 and 310—San Francisco 1946, and Res. 224—Milwaukee 1941) would liberalize requirements for a perma- nent and total rating under Veterans’ Regulation 1 (a), Part III, for dis- ability pension purposes; elevate statutory income limitations and in- clude a parent as a dependent; in computing annual income, exclude any payments of retirement annuities based upon age or disability, and of social security benefits based upon age; and increase monthly disability pension rates of $60 and $72 and $90, respectively. So-called develop- mental abnormalities or congenital defects in the term “impairment of mind or body” would be included. Res. 349—Miami 1948 (Supplements Res. 228—1947, Res. 51—1946, Res. 93—X945, Res. 162—1944, Res. 558—1943, Res. 349—1942, Res. 190—1941, Res. 185—1940, Res. 221—1939, Res. 195—1938) urges legislation to re- store full compensation in presumptively service-connected cases. Res. 497—Miami 1948 urges legislation to provide statutory $220 monthly award at wartime rates on present basis when there is loss or loss of use of one eye with 5/200 visual acuity or less and loss or loss of use of either one foot or one hand. Res. 558—Miami 1948 (Supplements part of Res. 162—New York City 1947) urges an increase of disability pension and compensation, and death pension for World Wars I and II cases. Res. 793—San Francisco 1946 recommends that legislation be enacted to provide award of benefits under laws administered by the Veterans Administration to those injured in line of duty while participating full time during World War II in Army and Navy training programs on a reserve status, and that any such person shall be considered on active duty from date of such injury. Res. 565—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. Nos. 29 and 313—Omaha 1943, and Res. 329—Chicago 1944) provides for judicial review of Veterans Ad- ministration decisions in United States courts. Res. 2i—San Francisco 1946 requests that Section 7, Public Law 866— 76th Congress, be amended to provide payment of service-connected death compensation to widows, children and dependent parents. Res. 23—San Francisco 1946 recommends that accrued pension, com- 34 pensation or retirement pay of a Veterans Administration beneficiary be made to the adult children and to brothers and sisters of a veteran, as well as to those held presently entitled, and that, as to parents, there be no requirement that dependency be shown. Res. 99—Chicago 1945 recommends wartime rates for disabilities in- curred between September 16, 1940, and December 7, 1941. Res. 264—Chicago 1945 urges that Congress amend laws governing pensions to veterans of World War I and World War II to provide ade- quate allowance for dependents of all World War veterans receiving dis- ability compensation, or pension, and non-service pension. This resolution was partially accomplished by Public Law 877 80th Congress, which provided some dependency allowances, on a percentage basis, to service-connected disabled veterans with 60 per cent or more disability. Disability Aggravation Res. 19—San Francisco 1946 recommends that Paragraph 1 (d), Part I, Veterans Regulation 1 (a), be amended to require that aggravation be conceded, based upon manifest increase of disability on the record, instead of requiring, as at present, increase beyond natural progress. Income Limitations Res. 50—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 789—New York City 1947, Res. 22, 74, and 157—San Francisco 1946 and Res. 192—Chicago 1945) recom- mends elevation of statutory income limitations in death pension cases, establishment of statutory income limitations in death compensation cases, and the exclusion of all commercial insurance and expenses of last sickness and burial of veterans in computation of annual income. Insurance Res. 77 Miami 1948 would extend from one to two years the period in which premiums may be waived prior to date of application and pro- vide in amendatory legislation for authority for retroactive premium waiver between October 8, 1940, and date of the Act if claim, based upon total disability, is filed within two years of date of enactment. Res. 80 Miami 1948 would secure administrative corrections or amendatory legislation to make effective the intent of Congress in the Insurance Act of 1946 that in all applications submitted before January 1, 1950, for life or disability insurance, or for reinstatement of insurance," good health shall not be denied because of any disability, less than total in degree, resulting from or aggravated by active service at any time be- tween October 8, 1940, and September 2, 1945. Res. 107—Miami 1948 (Reiterates Para. 2 of Res. 43—National Execu- tive Committee, November 1947) recommends removal of requirement of dependency of parent for award of automatic National Service Life Insurance. Res. 43—National Executive Committee, November 1947 contains 12 items regarding National Service Life Insurance, one of which has been accomplished. Ninety-Day Clause Res. 249—Kansas City 1942 urges modification of the so-called “90-day clause.” Pauper Clause Res. 39—Chicago 1945 urges elimination of the so-called “pauper clause” on P-10 applications. Philippine Veterans’ Benefits Res. 400—New York City 1947 re G. I. Bill benefits for Filipinos—see G. I. Bill. 35 Res. 37—National Executive Committee, November 1946 requests Vet- erans Administration benefits for veterans who served during World War II in the organized military forces of the Government of the Philippines. This resolution was partially accomplished by Public Law 865—80th Con- gress, providing hospitalization. Prisoners of War Res. 83—Miami 1948 requests legislative extension of time limit for application for reimbursement for loss of personal effects of former pris- oners of war. ReS. 811—-New York City 1947 urges Congress to expedite prompt con- sideration and fair settlement of claims of American citizens and their dependents who were interned as civilian prisoners by enemies of the United States during World War II. Retirement Res. 834—San Francisco 1946 favors legislation to provide that all officers of the Army who were specially commended for their perform- ance of duty in actual combat when retired be placed on the retired list with the rank of the next higher grade and with % of the active duty pay of the grade in which serving at the time of retirement. Res. 444—San Francisco 1946 requests amendment of present laws governing Navy retirement so as to include those cases where disabilities pre-existed entry upon active duty and were aggravated by such service. Review Boards Res. 17—San Francisco 1946 would amend powers of review boards under Public Law 346—78th Congress. This resolution was partially ac- complished by Section 207, Public Law 601—79th Congress. Res. 18—San Francisco 1946 recommends that Public Law 346—78th Congress, be amended to provide that each review board panel be com- posed of one civilian member, who is an honorably discharged war vet- eran, one enlisted man and three commissioned officers. Socialized Medicine Res. 453—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 196—Chicago 1945) opposes any compulsory health insurance plan. Tuberculosis Res. 353—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 758—1947, Res. 441—1946, Res. 539—1945, and Res. 407—1944) recommends statutory 50 per cent mini- mum rating for veterans of World Wars I and II suffering from arrested tuberculosis. Veterans Administration Res. 508—Miami 1948 recommends increase of salaries of VA medical officers to make VA employment sufficiently attractive so that proper medical care can be given by relieving shortage of doctors. Res. 89—National Executive Committee, November 1947 requests that sufficient funds be made available to assure adequate staffing of all vet- erans’ hospitals and the utilization of all available beds for the care and treatment of veterans. Res. 605—San Francisco 1946 requests that the Veterans Administra- tion provide space for full-time representatives of veterans’ organizations at branch, regional and subregional offices of the Veterans Administra- tion. WAAC Res. 653—San Francisco 1946 urges Congress to enact legislation to extend benefits to the Women of the Auxiliary Army Corps who subse- 36 quently enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps on or before September 1 1943. ’ Widows and Orphans Res. 519 Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 15—New York City 1947 and Res. 181—San Francisco 1946) recommends legislation to provide identi- cal requirements for award of death pension to widows and children of veterans of World War II as presently established in World War I cases. Res. 551—New York City 1947 recommends that the children of men who died in the service be provided four years of college education, or its equivalent, and that educational benefits of the G. I. Bill be extended to the widows of such veterans. Res. 632—Chicago 1945 recommends amendment of Public Law 484 73rd Congress, to include the widows and children of those servicemen dying in service from disabilities held to be not in line of duty, provided that requirements of the law other' than discharge from service are met.

WAR DEAD Awards Res. 505—Chicago 1945 recommends that William (Billy) Mitchell be restored to the rank of Major General. Burials Res. 388—New York City 1947 recommends that two Unknown Serv- icemen of World War II be buried in Arlington. This resolution was par- tially accomplished by Public Law 429—79th Congress, which provides for one Unknown Serviceman. Res. 125—National Executive Committee, June 1946 recommends in- creased allowances for funeral, burial expense of the bodies of repatriated war dead from $50 to $100. Executive Order raised the amount to $75. Cemeteries Res. 147—Miami 1948 (Supplements Res. 727—San Francisco 1946) urges the establishment of National Cemeteries as need exists in the United States and territories. Funerals Res. 24—National Executive Committee, May 1948 requests Congress to provide expenses for next of kin to attend funerals held in National Cemeteries. Gold Star Pilgrimages Res. 38—National Executive Committee, July 1945 urges that neces- sary steps be taken to permit next of kin of the Armed Forces World War II who are buried overseas to visit the cemeteries at Government expense as soon as conditions permit and transportation facilities are available. Headstones Res. 161—Miami 1948 recommends legislation to provide for allowance of $25.00 toward the expense of a headstone in lieu of a regulation Gov- ernment headstone to families of deceased veterans. Res. 560—Chicago 1945 requests that a flat or upright specially de- signed marker or headstone be provided at Government expense to the family of any deceased veteran whose remains have for any reason not been returned to them for burial for use by the family as a memorial in the family cemetery lot. Memorials Res. 675—New York City 1947 urges the President to establish a Civilian Cemetery and War Memorial Commission to control all National 37 Cemeteries, furnish headstones and other similar functions now being conducted by the Memorial Division of the Quartermaster General s Office. Res. 460—San Francisco 1946 recommends a National Memorial to World War I and World War II soldiers and sailors and their mothers in the City of Washington, D. C. MISCELLANEOUS Agricultural Program

Res. 667—Miami 1948 recommends sufficient appropriations to enable the Farmers’ Home Administration to render financial assistance to farm- ers, and especially veteran farmers, who can not secure credit from any other source, and to assist these farmers to obtain through supervised credit, a start on the road to better farming and improved living. Commemorative Stamp Res. 660—Miami 1948 (Supersedes Res. 674—Chicago 1945) urges a commemorative stamp acknowledging the 30th anniversary of The Amer- ican Legion. Emblems Res. 74—National Executive Committee, November 1947 requests an amendment of Public Law 663—76th Congress, which provides for the protection against unlawful use of the emblem of veterans’ organizations incorporated by act of Congress to extend the benefits of the law to in- clude emblems of subsidiaries and auxiliary bodies of such incorporated organizations. Gold Star

Res. 39—Miami 1948 requests that Gold Star lapel buttons be made available to the kin of World War I dead. Medals and Decorations Res. 563—Chicago 1944 recommends special medals and service but- tons for those who served in the Siberian Expeditionary Forces in World War I. Res. 672—Boston 1940 urges indefinite extension of the law govern- ing applications and recommendations for awards for acts of valor per- formed during World War I. Mustering-Out Pay Res. 648—New York City 1947 urges amendment of Public Law 225— 78th Congress, to permit mental incompetents or their representatives to apply for mustering-out pay. Res. 693—Chicago 1944 urges mustering-out pay for those separated from the Armed Forces to take essential employment. National Archives Res. 141—San Francisco 1946 requests necessary appropriations for the U. S. Archivist and staff. Service Buttons Res. 63—National Executive Committee, June 1946 recommends that uniformed public officers be permitted to identify themselves as veterans by the displaying of bars or other insignia on their uniforms. Taxes Res. 578—Miami 1948 requests Congress to exempt from taxation by the District of Columbia all real and personal property situated within the District of Columbia which is owned by veterans’ organizations incor- 38 porated by act of Congress and by their respective Departments and Posts. Res. 453—San Francisco 1946 urges the enactment of legislation to eliminate Federal taxes on gifts donated to Veterans Administration Hospitals. Res. 572 San Francisco 1946 calls for the enactment of proper legis- lation making all persons without diplomatic immunity liable to taxation. Res. 844—San Francisco 1946 recommends that honorably, discharged veterans of World War II with a minimum of 90 days’ service receive exemption for currently accrued Federal income tax for a period of three years from date of discharge or the official ending of the war, which ever comes later, such exemption to be applicable only to the first $5,000 of earned income. Territories Res. 747 and 376 Combined—Miami 1948 urges statehood for Hawaii and the Territory of Alaska. Res. 732—San Francisco 1946 recommends statehood for Alaska Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Res. 675—Chicago 1945 requests the right to vote in committees of Congress by Resident Commissioners of Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska. War Contracts Res. 353 New York City 1947 supports the Government in its pro- gram for the prosecution of war contract frauds. War Crimes Res. 14—National Executive Committee, May 1948 protests leniency shown to World War II criminals and other persons who aided an at- tempt to defeat the United States of America and Allied countries. Res. 858—San Francisco 1946 recommends adequate personnel and funds to prosecute perpetrators of murder and unspeakable crimes against American servicemen during World War II. War Profits Res. 31—San Francisco 1946 advocates full and complete investiga- tion of excessive war profits to the end that the full truth be made known and profiteers brought to justice.

PREFERRED RESOLUTIONS Four resolutions (which had been given register numbers 25, 26, 37 and 40) referred to the standing National Legislative Commission for consideration in Miami were considered and acted on as follows: Register 25 Preference eligibles illegally separated from Federal service. REJECTED because resolution requires no action at this time The New York mandate on the subject, No. 813, has been accomplished and is now Public Law 623—80th Congress. Register 26—Reduction in personnel under Veterans’ Preference Act. REJECTED. Resolution requires no action at this time because H. R. 4744 was introduced to cover New York mandate, No 806 The bill will be re-introduced in the First Session of the 81st Congress unless the New York mandate is repealed by the Miami Convention! Register 36—Continue Ferguson Committee to investigate illegal war profits. REJECTED. Requires no action at this time because similar mandates have already been adopted and complied with. Register 40—Exempt payment of an admission tax when proceeds go to civic affair causes.

39 REJECTED. Both the San Francisco and New York National Con- ventions considered similar resolutions and rejected them. The com- mission felt that register 40 should be rejected in view of previous convention action on related matters.

.John Thomas Taylor, Director of the National Legislative Commission, discussed the legislative program of The American Legion. Discussion ensued on the manner of handling legislative matters. Chairman Wilson, of the Resolutions Subcommittee, announced that there were no resolutions from the Legislative Commission.

Report of Bond Committee The following report was presented by John Lewis Smith, Jr., District of Columbia, Chairman of the Special Bond Committee: Mr. Commander and Members of the National Executive Committee: The American Legion, through our National Commander, has volun- teered to spearhead the Treasury Savings Bond Drive which started on November 11. Realizing that success depends largely on the cooperation and support received from the various Departments and Posts, I am ask- ing for your assistance. I hope that when you gentlemen go back to your homes you will use your influence to see that active working Le- gionnaires are appointed as your state chairmen, and that you will do what you can to stimulate interest in this campaign to keep American economy strong. Thank you.

Final Report of 1948 Convention Corporation of Florida The following report, presented by Joe IT. Adams, Miami, President of the American Legion 1948 Convention Corporation of Florida, was adopted: About a year ago, I came before this group of outstanding Legion- naires to tell you what we had in mind in planning our part of the Miami Convention for 1948. I know there were those among you who accepted our invitation with misgivings. The specter of what occurred in 1934 was still alive in the minds of many of you. You wondered whether the growth in the Greater Miami area between 1934 and 1948 would permit our communities and the state of Florida to care for the needs of a greatly expanded American Legion. Now I come before you to give you a brief account of our stewardship. If I am any judge of crowds, of people; if I am to believe the many things that have been said to me and written to me since you left Miami, then I am sure I am among friends as I stand before you here today. Briefly, may I say that Miami loved the Legion. You have done a great thing for us in holding such a successful convention down in our state. We have benefited in many ways. We know now what it takes to handle the details of the nation’s greatest convention. We have expanded our facilities to provide for your meetings. At the fall elections, Dade County adopted a bond issue to build another public meeting hall. Miami Beach has plans ready for a convention hall that will provide many of the facilities that are needed for The American Legion. These things I mention, since we are determined to do all that is possible to further cement the strong ties of friendship that were founded during the Octo- ber, 1948, convention. 40 Until this convention came along, I can say that my experience in The American Legion had been gained through the operations of my own Post, the Harvey W. Seeds Post 29. As a two-year Commander of that great Post, I had learned many things about The American Legion, but I wasn’t quite prepared to visualize what it meant to handle the conven- tion. This was a place, however, where the pride of a community rose to give great support to our efforts to prepare for the convention. If I was dismayed to be handed the job of President of the Convention Corpora- tion; if I ever felt discouraged at the prospect of financing a one-shot operation with a fixed budget of $18,000; then always there was some- thing that came along to give me the needed boost of spirit and give me the strength to go ahead with the work in hand. There are many things that can contribute to your support in such a position. Perhaps it is the action of a friend who comes through just when you are in the pinch of a tough spot; perhaps it is the good old reliable spirit of The American Le- gion that adds that extra bit of strength and makes you realize that everything is for the best. In addition to the money that our convention corporation needed to raise to finance the activities of the corporation, you will appreciate that Miami had to do many things to prepare for the convention. We worked with the Commissioners of the city of Miami in securing the funds to convert the Dinner Key hangars into a convention hall. That cost a quarter of a million dollars. We worked to get 10,000 extra bleachers purchased so that those who came for the most famous parade in American Legion history would have a pleasant place to sit while they watched that great spectacle. There was the little matter of converting Warehouse 13 on Pier 3 into an office so that your National Headquarters staff could be com- fortably housed. These few items that I have mentioned are the really heavy things that it was necessary to do. But you who are experienced in the ways of The American Legion and in the things it demands when it holds a national convention will appreciate the fact that there remained a myriad thousand of details that were, in themselves, equally important in making the final plans. May I say to you that we appreciated the work of your own staff. From the time we began the actual work of the convention last January 1 until National Commander Jimmie O’Neil and National Adjutant ar- rived with the staff in October, there was an ever helpful spirit from the members of your staff. Their wise experience and counsel served to make our job in Greater Miami more smooth, more successful. I know you will appreciate that the state of Florida is proud of the part it had in making the convention successful. Governor Caldwell and all the members of the Governor’s Cabinet did their utmost to provide the greatest possible help at all times. They have expressed themselves as being well pleased. They feel they and the state of Florida have been amply rewarded by the size and conduct of the convention and by the many thousands of Legionnaires who spent happy days and weeks travel- ing through our state on their way to the convention and then on the return journey home. Our National Convention Director Edw. McGrail has a large port- folio of letters of thanks and appreciation from those who are in key positions in the Greater Miami area. These come from heads of the city governments; from the hotels, the newspapers, the radio stations, the restaurant associations, the hotel managers and a host of others. All of them express their thanks for the pleasant association with this large group of America’s finest. I understand it is the plan of the National Convention Commission to 41 publish a pamphlet utilizing these letters of friendship to tell the world at large just how well the convention was received. This, it strikes me, is a fine thing. Such a pamphlet will reduce to writing some of the things that have been said to the Legionnaires, and about the Legionnaires, praising them and their conduct. Such a pamphlet will be a ready force of strength in doing a further job of building one of the finest jobs of public relations the country yet has seen. I know, you are conscious of the fact that when you announced you were coming to Greater Miami there were those among us who wondered just what type of monster juggernaut this was that would descend upon our people, our homes, our streets and our hotels. Starting from that point, far back beyond the 8-ball, the officials of The American Legion worked well alongside our own local effort to build a sound foundation of faith in the good citizenship of our mem- bers. You proved once again that the men who saved our nation in two world wars had no intention of wrecking our community in time of peace. Yes, the 1948 National Convention of The American Legion with the attendant conventions of the Auxiliary, the Forty and Eight and the Eight and Forty, was a great thing for all of us. It was America at its best and we are happy to have been a part of this meeting of the people with the best of The American Legion. I have no intention of standing before you to make a long speech. I merely want you to know that the things that are in my heart call for me to express our thanks to you. I know there is a sincere and earnest bid being made to have you return to Miami in 1949. I share whole- heartedly in that invitation. I know we will do even a greater job for you when you return to Miami. Whether that be in 1949 or at some time later, let me assure you that we always will be ready to do our best to provide you with the best that a fine community has to offer the world’s greatest group of conventioneers. We don’t know exactly what the convention has cost. We don’t yet have the final figures on our revenues. The preliminary reports of the auditors give us hope that the financial operations of the convention will be as successful as it was in its other phases. Our National Convention Director Edw. McGrail has given to the National Comptroller a check in the amount of $101,403.56 to settle the financial arrangement with Na- tional Headquarters. We know that an additional check will be neces- sary before we can pay the bill. But we are confident that National Headquarters will not be out one thin dime as a result of the 1948 con- vention. You’ll agree with me that is a powerful argument for accepting our invitation to return to Florida. It has been a wonderful year’s experience for me to have had this opportunity of serving the community, the state and the nation under the banner of the National Organization of The American Legion. I count the friendships I have made as one of my priceless possessions. We hope we have contributed to the greater growth of The American Legion. We know The American Legion has contributed a powerful stimulant to the growth of the civic pride of our beloved communities down in the warm, friendly, sunshiny beaches part of Florida that we know as Miami.

Agricultural and Conservation Committee Motion was made, seconded and adopted, to reconsider the resolution on the Agricultural and Conservation Committee. After discussion, motion that the resolution be referred to the Subcom- 42 mittee on Reorganization, was tabled. Motion to reapprove the resolution, as shown on page 10 was seconded and carried.

Confirmation of Cancellation of Post Charters Cancellation of the following Post charters, as recommended by the respective Department Headquarters, was confirmed: Department Name of Post Number Location Indiana Paragon Post 448 . . Paragon Warfield-Knebel 336 . . Star City Montana . . . . Froid 114 . . Froid New Jersey . Joseph (Buddy) Kiernan 356 . . Jersey City Eagle 394 . . Newark Ringwood Memorial . .. 426 . . Ringwood Oklahoma . Ponca Indian 38 White Eagle Greenfield 61 Greenfield Claude Pierce 73 Braggs Jack Mooneyhan 93 Gowen Neil Murphy 236 .. Foss Wilburton 269 . . Wilburton Homer Newburn 280 . . Wister Lincoln Park Addition 275 . . Elk City Jack Frans 279 . . Fay New York General Bronze 1251 . . Long Island City James A. Burns 1 Seoul, Korea

Confirmation of Cancellation of Squadron Charters Cancellation of the following Squadron charters, as recom- mended by the respective Detachment Headquarters, was con- firmed : Detachment Name of Squadron Number Location Illinois Hearst Square 478 . .. Chicago Surface Lines 146 ... Chicago Woodlawn 175 . . . Chicago Burke O’Malley 803 . .. Chicago LeRoy A. McCullough . 123 . .. Chicago Wm. McKinley 231 . .. Chicago Three Links 361 . . . Chicago Stanley F. Sullivan . .. 746 . . . Chicago Glendale 805 . .. Chicago LaGrange 41 . .. LaGrange Forges 196 . . . Chicago Norman J. Cornwall . . 275 . . . Chicago Chicago Truck Drivers. 816 . . . Chicago Evanston 42 . .. Evanston Rogers Park 108 . .. Chicago Indian Boundary 693 . . . Chicago Victory 7 ... Chicago Portage Park 183 ... Chicago Kosciuszko 712 . . . Chicago Alex. B. Burns 80 ... Downers Grove Westmont 338 . .. Westmont 43 Detachment Name of Squadron Number Location Illinois Fox-River-Geneva .... 75 Geneva (Continued) DeKalb 66 DeKalb Ottawa 33 Ottawa Moline 246 Moline Kewanee 31 Kewanee Dwight 486 Dwight Lawrence Riddle 88 Mattoon Andrew Dunn 93 Charleston Wood River 204 Wood River Venice Madison 307 Venice Commonwealth Edison. 118 Chicago

World War II Consultants Motion was made and seconded that members of the National Executive Committee be permitted to invite World War II Con- sultants to attend the spring meeting. After discussion, substi- tute motion was made, seconded and adopted, to the effect that each National Executive Committee member be invited to bring a consultant with him, at the expense of the respective Depart- ments.

At 11:45 a. m., the committee recessed.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON SESSION November 18, 1948 The National Executive Committee meeting convened at 1:30 p. m., National Commander Brown presiding.

National Child Welfare Commission The following reports, presented by David V. Addy, Michigan, Vice-Chairman of the National Child Welfare Commission, and members of the staff, were accepted: I assure you, gentlemen, you will find out a lot more in some cases if you listen to them than you will by merely listening to the Chairman of the Commission—and I speak particularly for this commission. The Executive Section of your Child Welfare Commission met in Miami, Florida, October 16 and 17. Recommendations which the commis- sion felt should be made at that time were handled through the Con- vention Child Welfare Committee, whose report was unanimously adopt- ed by the Thirtieth National Convention. Your commission, accordingly, has only one resolution, dealing with current operations, to come before this body. However, since Child Welfare has been a rapidly growing program of The American Legion since the end of World War II, the Child Welfare Commission has directed that I bring to the attention of the National Executive Committee some of the current facts and objectives of the Child Welfare program. In the beginning, let me say that your Child Welfare Commission believes that its primary purpose is to insure care and protection for the children of veterans of World Wars I and II. 44 Size of the Program If that is our purpose, the first question which logically presents itself is: “How many children of veterans are there?” In the United States today, there are 45 million children. Perhaps you have already heard the statement that at least one out of two of those children is the child of a veteran of World War I or II. This means that in the United States today there are at least 22% million children of veterans. Prior to World War II, the peak number of children of veterans was reached in 1935, when about 21 per cent of all children were of veteran parentage. In this same year of 1935—17 years after the end, of World War I— expenditures of The American Legion for Child Welfare purposes reached a pre-War II peak. At that time there were apprbximately 43 million children in the United States, of which slightly less than ten million were of veteran parentage. Thus, three years after the end of World War II, we already have well over double the number of children of veterans that we had 17 years after the close of World War I. Your commission has been concerned not only to establish a program which will meet the needs of children in 1948 and 1949, but we have also been looking ahead to 1960 and 1965, when perhaps as many as three-fourths of the nation’s children will be of veteran parentage. A Three-Phase Program Probably you all know that the National Organization of The Amer- ican Legion administers a program of direct financial assistance to de- pendent children of veterans. This program is important in bringing speedy help to the- individual child of a veteran when the normal sources of aid for children in the states and communities fail to act promptly or adequately. Through this program we are able to make a direct response to our obligation to some of the dependent children of our comrades. However, I must point out that there are two other phases to the Child Welfare program which are of far greater importance. These are the legislative and informational functions. By legislative I do not refer to direct representation to members of the Congress. This is the function of the Legislative Commission. Rather, I refer to the study of public pro- grams affecting children, the analysis and evaluation of problems and of possible methods of meeting those problems in this field. No organiza- tion, however large, can hope to meet from its own resources all of the needs that may be expected to appear among half the children of the country. So, we look to the development of a sound legislative program as our best guarantee that the essential needs of children of veterans— and, in fact, all children—are met. The informational phase of our pro- gram has, of course, to do with the preparation and dissemination of facts which serve as the basis for action. Thus, we have a three-phase program. (1) Our first interest is in sound legislation for children. (2) Child Welfare informational activities are carried on to insure a suitable basis for our legislative goals. (3) Temporary Financial Assist- ance is extended to the children of veterans from our own resources when local resources are not available or are inadequate to meet the needs. On the question of meeting the dependency needs of children of vet- erans, I will ask Pat Geile to present that phase of our program.

PAT GEILE During this present year, your National Child Welfare Commission and Division will expend in the neighborhood of $145,000, of which about 60 per cent—$84,000—will be in the form of direct aid to children of veterans. But, since Child Welfare is centered in the individual Posts and since the Posts do assume their full measure of responsibility for 45 children, we also find that during the 12 month period ending June 30, 1948, total assistance and service extended to children directly through the operation of The American Legion Child Welfare program amounted to $5,323,969.27. The response which the individual Posts and Depart- ments have made to the Child Welfare program has amply compensated the National Organization for its expenditure of $145,000 to stimulate and provide leadership for this program. This more than $5,000,000 is a rec- * ord of which any organization might well be proud, but as an indication of how impossible it would be for us to meet the needs of all dependent children of veterans from our own resources, I point to the expenditures made on behalf of children through some of our major public programs. During fiscal year 1947, the Veterans Administration disbursed approxi- mately $153,000,000 in death benefits to families where children were present. This is exclusive of benefits paid to living veterans where chil- dren were present in the home. Our latest figures show that about the same amount of money is being paid annually to survivors of deceased workers under the operation of the Social Security program of Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance. Nearly half of this total is undoubtedly going to surviving dependents of deceased veterans. The major source of pub- lic aid for children in the United States today is the program of Aid to Dependent Children, which is in operation in all but one of the states. Aid to children under this program (and again remember that about half of these children are the'children of veterans) now amounts to $329,000,000 per year. It is important for The American Legion to be able to come quickly to the direct assistance of any needy child of a veteran when the various public sources of aid for children break down or are delayed. But it is even more important that we examine these public sources of aid, make sure that they are operating efficiently and bring about such changes as The American Legion, through its convention and Executive Committee actions, finds proper and necessary. A Cooperative Program In 1920—several years before there was a Child Welfare Commission in The American Legion—this body—this National Executive Committee —laid down one of the principles that has continued to guide us in our Child Welfare work. This principle is embodied in a resolution made from the floor, seconded, and passed . . . “that The American Legion desires to cooperate with all the welfare organizations.” This principle of cooperation with established welfare organizations in meeting the needs of children has been re-stated many times since that distant meet- ing, and it is still the basis for our work. The National Commission believes that our efforts should be used in strengthening our various community, state and national resources for children, rather than in creating competing Legion facilities which would be in duplication of the work of other agencies. It thus becomes necessary for Legion work- ers in the field of Child Welfare to become familiar with a wide variety of agencies, governmental bureaus, organizations, etc., all of which have services to render children. During the past fiscal year, the work of the Legion volunteer workers in contact with such community resources brought almost 2%'millions of dollars in direct financial aid to children of veterans whom the Legion was also assisting. The emphasis which The American Legion and other groups have given to the development of sound public programs for children is one reason that expenditures for Legion Temporary Aid have not increased in proportion to the in- crease in the number of children of veterans. On the other hand, the upward trend in our aid program clearly shows that there are still important gaps in the public programs -Cvhich require our immediate at- tention and action. There is still extremely important work to be done 46 if children of veterans everywhere in the United States are to receive the care and protection which we believe to be their right. Trends in Legion Temporary Financial Assistance Had it not been for World War II, Child Welfare would definitely be a rapidly declining activity of The American Legion. As has been previ- ously pointed out, 1935 was our pre-War II peak in Child Welfare expen- ditures and number of children aided through the operation of the pro- gram of Temporary Financial Assistance. From 1939 until 1943 there was a rapid decline, which measured both the period of war prosperity and the declining number of children of World War I parentage, and the Child Welfare staff during that period was accordingly reduced. During 1945, World War I children still made up the great bulk of children aided by the National Organization. But during 1946 and 1947, the proportion of World War II children aided picked up very rapidly. In anticipation of the expanded needs, our services were increased. Today, approxi- mately 60 per cent of all children aided by the National Division are of World War II parentage. We still have World War I children who need the help of the Legion, but in addition, we have an ever-growing num- ber of children of World War II who need our help. Legislative Goals If the same conditions should prevail 17 years after the end of World War II as were present in 1935, the National Organization would have to spend about a half million dollars from its resources to perform a service for World War II children comparable to the work done for World War I children in 1935. I do not know what funds will be avail- able for Child Welfare purposes in 1962, but I merely call attention to this potential need for a half million dollars as compared with the $145,000 that we will spend for Child Welfare this year. All of this most forcibly demonstrates the soundness of our policy from the very beginning—to utilize and help to improve all facilities for child care and protection. The future needs of these larger number of children, many as yet unborn, have moved your commission to examine very closely legislation and public programs affecting children. The record of mandates from the national convention in the field of Child Welfare legislation extends back to 1923, when The American Legion went on record in favor of the control of child labor. Since then, conventions and the Executive Com- mittee have adopted several hundred resolutions relating to either state or Federal legislation in the field of Child Welfare. These resolutions, enacted over a quarter of a century, may be grouped under six main headings: financial aid, health services for children, social services for children, child labor, education and Child Welfare administration. For the coming year, the Child Welfare Commission wishes to give particular emphasis to several Child Welfare legislative goals: (1) We call especial attention to the immediate need of Congres- sional action to grant credit under the Old Age and Survivors’ Insur- ance program for time spent in military service during World War II. (2) A half million children with one or both parents dead are now receiving benefits under this program of Old Age and Survivors’ Insur- ance. Benefit rates were set in 1935 and 1939, when prices were much lower than they now are. In conformity with action of the national convention, we hope to see immediate action by the 81st Congress to increase benefits payable to children under this program. (3) Also by direction of the national convention, the Child Wel- fare Commission will work for state or local programs which will offer health examinations for all children, and (4) Improved services for crippled children. 47 I (5) At the direction of the National Executive Committee, the Child Welfare Commission is developing a “minimum legislative pro- gram” setting forth the essentials of good state legislation in the fields of Child Welfare. Material is now available for the guidance of states in the field of adoptions, juvenile courts, training schools and child labor. (6) Finally, we believe it is very important to give close atten- tion to the matter of adequate appropriations for child care during the coming sessions of the state legislatures. We all know that there will be many demands for available public funds during the coming years. Unfortunately, since children are not represented in our legis- lative halls by their own lobbies, appropriations for children have sometimes failed to receive the consideration which they merit.

RANDEL SHAKE Before I start on this legislative program, I would like to call your attention once more, because of the importance of it, to the fact that the Child Welfare Legislative Program should not be confused with the activities of your National Legislative Commission. They in no way interfere or conflict. What we attempt to do, as your chairman pointed out earlier, is to develop sound programs for children. Many of these programs do require legislation. When they require national legislation those, as well as any that are suggested, are referred to your National Legislative Commission for whatever action they deem advisable. In addition to our Federal legislative objectives, we also have various objectives in state legislation. Through the years that the Child Welfare Division and Commission have been in existence, the national conventions and National Executive Committees have established a number of vari- ous programs under Child Welfare. We have listed here six major head- ings, and I want to comment here that the artist’s conception of this chart and ours run differently. This is not supposed to be words of any kind. On this 1, 2 and 3 over here and the 1 and 2 here, those represent the fact that we have legislative goals. But, for the year 1945, we have pulled out of our legislative goals these current legislative goals which we will strive for this year. We are trying to have adequate laws on adoption, juvenile courts, juvenile training schools and child labor. Your commission picked those four to start with for 1949 for a very particular reason. In every state in the United States you have laws at present on adoption, juvenile courts, juvenile training schools and child labor. Many of them are rather antiquated and out of date. You are already appro- priating money to carry on these programs in your states. The attempt of your Child Welfare Commission to improve these laws at state levels is to make them more effective without asking for any legislation which requires additional appropriations of money. We are watching after any state legislation, and we hope you will, too, especially in connection with appropriations which your legislatures make beginning next January, for most of you need the child care program already established in the state. In 1947, there were nine states who found it necessary to increase teachers’ salaries and other expenditures for education and were unable either to broaden their tax base or increase their tax rate. When they had to find more money, they had to look in other portions of their pres- ent budgets. In nine states, your welfare agencies were the ones that re- ceived the cut. Although we are not asking for bills that carry additional appropriations for 1949, we are hoping that in each of the states we can protect the appropriations that we have now for children’s service. In your Miami Convention, they passed a resolution asking that all states look into the matter of the health of their children, with broad emphasis on school examinations. I am sure you all are aware that Selec- 48

I tive Service figures showed quite a tremendous percentage of men reject- ed for military service because of their physical disability. Our doctors tell us that from 80 to 95 per cent of those disabilities could have been removed had they been caught early enough in childhood. Therefore, we are asking health examinations in schools in those localities which do not have them at present. In connection with Federal legislation, we are asking for Social Secu- rity credit for military service. To us it is a very important thing, and I would like to give you just one illustration of what we mean by Social Security credit for military service. If you will assume for a moment two boys 21 years of age go into the employment field. Let us assume they both earn $250 a month and that they work for five years. At the end of the fifth year, one of these boys joins the military forces and the other remains at work. The one who joins the military forces, either the Army, the Navy or the Marines, remains in service for five years before he comes out. Social Security benefits to surviving dependents of any de- ceased wage earner are based upon his average monthly wage. In the case of the boy who stayed at home, at the rate of $250 a month, at the end of ten years that average monthly wage would be $250, and the boy who went into the service and was in service for five years, uncov- ered from the standpoint of Social Security, his average monthly wage at the end of ten years would be just half of that amount, or $125. So you can see that the veteran is being penalized because he served his country—not the veteran himself, but his surviving dependents, should he die. Your Child Welfare Commission is asking that credit be given for military service, and there are two ways of doing it. One is to actually grant, say $160 for each man who was in the service for the period of his service. The other way, and the one which your commission recom- mends, is that the time spent in military service simply be omitted from the calculation of your average monthly wage. In the closing hours of the 79th Congress in 1946, your National Leg- islative Commission was able to get an amendment to one of the bills being passed at that time which gave a Serviceman three years’ coverage after the date of his discharge. In other words, from the date of World War II, a man so discharged, has a presumed average monthly wage of $160 until the three years are. over. At that time, unless he has entered employment which is covered by Social Security, he has no Social Secu- rity coverage. There again, from the standpoint of the surviving depen- dents, after three years his surviving dependents can expect some type of benefit if that veteran dies. After the third year, the children are on their own. What that amendment actually did was to establish a widows’ and orphans’ pension for World War II. I think most of you will recognize that it took 25 years and a second World War before we got widows’ and orphans’ pensions for World War I. Here, nine months after V-J Day, we actually had widows’ and orphans’ pensions for World War II. It is paid from a different agency, that is true, but it still acts as a widows’ and orphans’ pension. We are hoping that the Congress will see fit to extend that three-year period indefinitely. We are going to hear a lot in the next session of Congress about social insurance being extended to all wage-earning persons in the United States, and should that be done, then we would not actually need a per- manent extension of this three-year period. We would need probably three more years until such time as a veteran who had not previously been covered by social insurance had had opportunity to build up some 49 credit in his Social Security, so that on his death his surviving dependents would have some benefits. If you don’t mind a personal reference, 11 days ago my Social Security coverage ran out. Had I died 12 days ago, my wife and two children would have received in the neighborhood of $56 a month until my oldest child became 18. At that time the amount would be cut to around $48 until my second child becomes 18. Then the coverage stops completely until my widow would have become 65, at which time it would be picked up again. I figured it out the other day and, all told, it would have amounted to $11,337. Now, since I am 12 days past being discharged three years, should I die now, my surviving dependents would receive nothing by way of Social Security coverage. We think, since we have widows’ and orphans pensions on the books now, it is much easier to keep them there than to let them run out and try to get them back again. The causes of dependency have been a major study of many people for years and years and years. I want you to note, first of all, the top part from here up. The figures presented here are taken from our own Temporary Financial Assistance cases that come into our National Office. You will note that we show 69 per cent of the applications which come to our office for assistance because of dependency or because of disabil- ity or sickness of the wage-earning parent. I might say that these figures fluctuate from month to month. The lowest it has ever been was 62 per cent and it has run as high as 76 per cent. We chose 69 per cent as being a rather representative figure. In that same, month, 69 per cent of our applications came to us because of disability of wage-earning persons, 12 per cent because of death, 7 per cent because of desertion, 5 per cent because of imprisonment, 7 per cent because of various other reasons. The lower part of this chart shows children who are aided through the public program of assistance to dependent children. The applications for ADC coming through our public programs only show the 28 per cent, because the wage-earning parent is ill or disabled, as compared to our 69 per cent, 41 per cent because the parent is dead; 40 per cent because he is absent from home. One of the questions you might ask is, why is ours so high in comparison to the public program? There is only one answer, and that is because of the restrictive nature of the laws now in existence in your public program. We don’t have that same type of assistance from our own financial assistance; therefore, we feel this represents a much truer picture of the situation today. Your National Child Welfare Commission has made no recommenda- tion at all in regard to how that might be overcome or helped Through a studying committee of our Child Welfare Commission we are attempt- ing to find out what we can about the health facilities for children in every state. As you may know, the American Academy of Pediatricians of the United States Public Health Service, has for the past two and a half years been conducting a survey in child health facilities in every state m the Union. That survey has been completed and many of the states have been making their reports. Your study committee is hoping to study each state, state by state, on what the child health facilities are in those states and see what recommendation the American Academy of Pediatricians has made. VICK-CIIATRMAN ADDY: On your Child Welfare budget, you may be interested in knowing from what source Child Welfare funds of the National Organization come and how those funds are spent. During this current year, slightly less than half of the money disbursed for Child Welfare by the National Headquarters will come from the general rev- enue of the Legion. The balance is made up by contributions from the affiliates and from the Child Welfare proportion of the earnings of The American Legion Endowment Fund. Child Welfare has been the recipient of generous gifts from our affiliates during the past year—$40,000 from the Forty and Eight, $10,000 from the Auxiliary, and $1,000 from the Eight and Forty. The American Legion Auxiliary has also made avail- able an additional amount of $20,000, which may be used for temporary aid this year if the amount budgeted for this purpose proves inadequate. The earnings of The American Legion Endowment Fund, I am advised, are not allocated into separate accounts for Child Welfare and Rehabili- tation purposes. However, if those earnings are apportioned among the two programs on the basis of the total budgets of each, Child Welfare will receive about $24,000 of its budget from that source. The program of Temporary Financial Assistance accounts for about 60 per cent of the total Child Welfare expenditures—approximately $84,000 this year. About $11,000 will provide the total personal services for the administration of the Child Welfare legislative program and a similar amount for the informational program. It is upon these two phases of the program that we depend for the development and utilization of the community, state and national Child Welfare resources, which provide many times more funds for children than we could ever hope to make available from our own resources. The administration of the Temporary Aid program, which includes the handling of many cases which do not require financial assistance from the National Organization, accounts for about $10,000 in personal services. The remaining $27,000 goes for travel of the commission and staff, printing, building maintenance, postage, sup- plies, and all other operating expenses. The Cost of Child Welfare per Member Again turning back to our peak pre-war year of 1935, I might point out that at that time the National Organization expended on its Child Welfare program 14 cents for each veteran who was then a member of The American Legion. This expenditure was made with a total popula- tion of children of veterans at that time of less than 10 million. In 1948, with the children of veterans now numbering 22% million, our expendi- tures for Child Welfare will amount to 4% cents per member. Budget estimates which have been submitted to your Finance Commission show that to fulfill our Child Welfare obligations for 1949, there will be needed about 5% cents per member. Your commission hopes that by a vigorous prosecution of the Child Welfare legislative program as set forth in con- vention mandates, more and more of the needs of children of veterans may be met through established public resources and that the program of Legion direct aid to children may in time become a diminishing pro- gram, so that never again will we be required to spend 14 cents per member to meet the needs of children. Now, there is only one resolution that has been referred to your Sub- committee on Resolutions on which you are asked to take action, and unless there are some further questions, Mr. Commander, that constitutes your commission’s report.

Participation in the 1950 White House Conference on Child Welfare The following resolution, emanating from the Child Welfare Commission, was presented by Chairman Wilson, of the Resolu- tions Subcommittee, and approved: Whereas, The American Legion, through its National Child Welfare Commission and Division, has had participation in the 1930 and 1940 White House Conferences on Child Welfare, such conferences having 51 been held on call of the President of the United States each decade since 1909; and Whereas, Said commission and division are having participation in the preliminary planning and activity for the 1950 White House Conference on Child Welfare through membership in the National Commission on Children and Youth, advisory to the U. S. Children’s Bureau, and by au- thorization of the President of the United States; and Whereas, The subjects included in the preliminary planning for the 1950 White House Conference on Child Welfare are subjects already in- cluded in The American Legion Child Welfare Program, and in line with the objectives and goals of The American Legion Child Welfare Program; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That The American Legion National Child Welfare Com- mission recommends to The American Legion National Executive Com- mittee that The American Legion, through its Child Welfare Commission and Division, continue to extend its cooperation and carry on its activities in support of the preparation for the participation in the 1950 White House Conference on Child Welfare; and be it further Resolved, That this cooperation and activity include the necessary follow-up to the Departments of The American Legion to assure partici- pation at the grass roots in this important preparation for and participa- tion in the 1950 White House Conference on Child Welfare.

Miss Emma C. Puschner, Director of Child Welfare, was intro- duced.

Subcommittee on Enlarging National Headquarters The following report, presented by Milo J. Warner, Ohio, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Enlarging National Headquar- ters, was accepted: I heard it said this morning that we might refresh our recollection and go back into history a little bit for the new members of the com- mittee, and I thought at the time, when did this committee start? I had to go out and see Mrs. Grimm and go into the archives a little to get the information I wanted. This particular subcommittee of your committee, gentlemen, was first offered in 1943 at the November meeting, when it was seen that'we would need more space and when we were anticipating World War II members. This committee of five from your National Executive Committee from 1943 each year devoted its time and attention to this problem, both the question of space here in Indianapolis and in Washington. In 1945 the Indiana Legislature appropriated 2% million dollars to build additional buildings on this World War Memorial Plaza, which was originally set up in 1920 by the State of Indiana. This building here in which we meet and which houses the National Headquarters was erected and is maintained by the Indiana World War Memorial Commission, a commission appointed by the Governor of the State of Indiana. When the 2% million dollars was appropriated in 1945, the plan was to build two new buildings, one to the south of this building, about the size of this building, and another along Pennsylvania Street, where the new building is now being erected. It was thought at that time that we would be saving money to build those two buildings. Bids were asked for in 1946 in the alternative, and they exceeded for the one building alone the 2% million dollars. So it was realized that we had to curtail plans on such things as air- 52 conditioning and items of that kind. In May of this year we finally got bids within the appropriation—the State of Indiana did, not the Legion— for an amount which would cover all architectural fees and expenses, and the contract was let, and, as you can see, they are under way over here. I just came from a visit to the building site, a hole in the' ground which has a lot of concrete in it already in the right places. They are about three to four weeks behind schedule. Their schedule calls for the completion of the building by January 20, 1950. So you can re-estimate it and figure that we should be in good shape, we hope, for the May meeting of 1950. That new building is approximately two and a half times the size of this building. You can tell by looking at the layout over there that it will be a good-sized structure, approximately 60 feet in depth by 370 feet in length. There are four floors. Our National Executive Committee meeting room will be almost twice the size of this room—about one and one-half times as large, and it will be on the top floor. It is planned to move the Circulation Department from the present building we acquired a couple of years ago to the basement of the new building, and they will put in electrical facilities so that they can provide for the handling of the circulation of The American Legion Monthly in the basement of the new building. That, of course, has been given to us by the full cooperation of the State Legislature of Indiana, the Governors and the Commanders of The American Legion working with them in the various years. I recall that in 1945, when Ed Scheiberling was Commander, he appeared personally before the State Legislature, and we all worked closely with the Legis- lature and with Governor Ralph Gates, who was cooperating with us, and with Governor Schricker, who will replace Governor Gates in Janu- ary and who has always been friendly and cooperative with The American Legion; also with Judge McNabb, chairman of the Indiana World War Memorial Commission. We anticipate the continued cooperation by the state and state officials. So much for the National Headquarters here in Indianapolis. If you want to ask some questions, I will try to answer them when I complete the report. With reference to our headquarters site in Washington, we own two pieces of real estate there. The headquarters site at 1608 K Street, Northwest, with which I think most, if not all, of you are familiar, is just a fraction short of 50 feet in width—49.58 feet in width on K Street, and at its longest leg it is 110 feet in depth. There is a little notch back there which shortens up one corner. The building covers approxi- mately half of the lot. Our K Street building is right up on the front line of the lot and extends back approximately 55 feet, so that you have a little bit short of an area 55 by 50 feet in the back. That building now houses approxi- mately 80 employes—79, I believe. It has been altered in the past few years so that the fourth floor has been made available and is being well used. Every bit of space is being well managed by Leonce Legendre, Assistant National Adjutant in Washington. In 1945 the National Executive Committee, after the national conven- tion in 1944, authorized the setting aside of $1,000,000 as a reserve fund for the building of a new headquarters building in Washington. It was anticipated with that fund, plus what we could receive from our property on K Street, we could build a fairly good headquarters building. During Ed Scheiberling’s year as Commander, in 1945, the property at the corner of Sixteenth and I Streets in Washington, right next to the Hay-Adams Hotel, was on the market. It was owned by the Library of Congress. They would not set any regular figure for the purchase of the property. It was ideally suited for what we felt we should build in Washington—a 53 monumental type of office building, centrally located, just a little over a block from our present headquarters building in Washington. We were ready and willing to go to $400,000 for the purchase of that property. We had it carefully appraised and valued by competent real estate people in Washington. It looked as though we might be able to buy it for $500,000, but we didn’t want to pay that much. It is a very ideal site. The moving-picture industry, then taking over as their new president Eric Johnston, grabbed off the property for $600,000—much more money than we felt that we could put into more or less unimproved real estate. We looked around for another building site, and we found what we felt was an admirable site for a monumental type of office building, located on Louisiana Avenue and D Street, just across from the Capitol Plaza. It is about two and a half blocks from the Union Station in Washington. Nothing can be built across from it and nothing can be built on it except that which passes the Capitol architect, Mr. David Lynn; in other words, a monumental type of office building. We had test borings made of the ground, and they showed that it was feasible to erect the type of building we contemplated erecting on that property, and it was purchased on June 21, 1946, for $281,922, or $12 a square foot, which was quite a bit cheaper than the property at Sixteenth and I Streets. Those of you who are familiar with Washington know that Sixteenth and I Streets and our property are right in the very heart of the active part of Washington; there is no question about that. We also went carefully into the proposition of building an office type of building on our present site on K Street, or erecting a portion of an office building there and then later the rest of it on that site. It was found not advisable to build the latter, because the lot area is so circum- scribed that if we built an office building on that site, it is almost A-B-C that we should get temporary headquarters somewhere else, raze the pres- ent building and erect a good, nice office type of building. The site that we purchased for $282,000 is of a limited-use type of property. In other words, you can only use that property for that kind of a building, and accordingly we found that there are not very many sites of that kind left in Washington. They are hard to get, but by the same token, when we come to sell it, our potential prospects are also limited. It is a rule that works both ways. That property is under a three-year lease now, with two years yet to run, to a parking-lot operator, for $425 a month. He has conformed and lived up to his lease. Taxes on the property were raised after we had acquired the prop- erty, because the tax rate and new evaluations were made on all property in Washington. We got some readjustment, but it increased our taxes nevertheless, and we had to pay taxes, of course, because we didn’t use the property for legislative purposes. If we built our building there, then, of course, it is tax-exempt. Our present property is tax-exempt, so that we get a net return of approximately 1 per cent from our investment in that property in Washington. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but you can cover it if you have any questions. I should say that your subcommittee has always given very careful consideration to all of these problems, particularly involving the Washington property, because that is our initial responsi- bility. The property is ours, and here in Indianapolis the initial job belongs to the state of Indiana. At your Miami meeting of the National Executive Committee, the pre-convention meeting, Mr. Sam Reynolds, chairman of the Finance Committee, said the Finance Committee was recommending the sale of 54 this Washington property. In view of that recommendation, your sub- committee, between that time and this meeting, has endeavored to make some survey of the situation. We can’t complete it. We have obtained a preliminary opinion from some of our real estate experts in Washington. We feel that the matter should be gone into carefully—first, to determine whether or not we should sell that property now, or whether we should retain it, whether we should convert that asset into money and security and then earmark that, or what we should do with it. Your committee, through your Subcommittee on Resolutions, is pro- posing a resolution on that matter. I think the resolution more or less explains itself, and I might say the resolution is unanimously recom- mended by your subcommittee, consisting of Clint Knight of Virginia, Leo Lanning of New York, John Curtiss of Nebraska, and Harry Stinger of Pennsylvania, with Milo Warner of Ohio as chairman.

National Vice-Commander Edward J. Kelly, Connecticut, as- sumed the chair.

New Headquarters Building in Washington, D. C. The following resolution, presented by E. Meade Wilson, Chairman of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was adopted: Whereas, In 1945 the National Executive Committee and the national convention of The American Legion authorized the setting aside of a special reserve fund of $1,000,000 from the restricted and reserve funds of The American Legion for the purpose of acquiring a new headquarters site in Washington, D. C., and building thereon a new headquarters office building of a monumental type; and Whereas, In accordance therewith and upon specific authority of the National Executive Committee so to do, such building site, well adapted for such building, was acquired for the sum of $281,922 on June 21, 1946, which site is located on D Street, Northwest, Louisiana Avenue, North- west, and North Capitol Street in the city of Washington, District of Columbia, and more particularly described as Lots 817, 820 and 826 in Square 630 in the city of Washington, D. C., and faces Capitol Plaza; and Whereas, There is accordingly left in said special reserve building fund the sum of $718,078, which, together with whatever proceeds might be received from the sale of the present headquarters building at 1608 K Street, N. W., in Washington, D. C., is not deemed sufficient, under pres- ent building conditions and costs, to erect a satisfactory monumental type of office building as originally planned; and Whereas, Such construction conditions and costs do not make it feasi- ble to erect such building in the immediate or reasonably foreseeable future; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee, in regular meeting assembled, That 1. The Subcommittee on Enlarging Headquarters Space be and hereby is directed, authorized and commissioned to make a prompt and thorough reappraisal of the entire matter of acquiring or con- structing a new headquarters building in Washington, D. C., both as to location and type of building; and 2. If, after such reappraisal and survey, such subcommittee of the National Executive Committee finds it advisable and desirable, and the National Commander and the National Finance Commission con- cur therein, the National Commander and the National Adjutant are authorized to effect the sale of said property as hereinbefore described, 55 on D Street, N. W., Louisiana Avenue, N. W., and North Capitol Street, Washington, D. C., upon such terms and conditions as may be approved by such subcommittee and the National Finance Commission, and to do any and all necessary and proper things for the consummation thereof; and provided that 3. If such sale is effected, all proceeds received therefrom, after the deduction of all proper, necessary and usual real estate commis- sions and expenses directly attributable thereto, shall be placed with the said special restricted building fund of $718,078, and the total thereof shall be restricted to and used solely for the special purpose of providing funds for the acquisition, construction or reconstruction of a headquarters building of The American Legion in Washington D. C.

National Americanism Commission The following report, presented by Janies F. Green, Nebraska, Chairman of the National Americanism Commission, was adopted: I’m not going to talk to you from a written report, but from notes I have prepared. For two days immediately preceding this meeting, the Executive Committee of the Americanism Commission met. Our commit- tee included Lane, Hartbauer—Dan Sowers, who is a member of that Executive Committee, was not here because of illness—and in addition to those we had Charlie Cook of Pennsylvania here for the Accident Prevention Committee and Bill Regan for the Sons of The American Legion program, as well as Ed Stirling, who attended part of the sessions in behalf of the Boys’ State Committee. Now, there was considerable work to be done by virtue of the fact that there had been resolutions referred from Miami Convention and by vir- tue of the further fact that some of the resolutions adopted in Miami required immediate action. As to the referred resolutions, 21 in number, they were in turn sent out to the subcommittees of the commission for their study and recommendation for action at a future meeting. That is, of course, a regular course of routine, which I am going to talk to you about in connection with the policy of explaining the general operations of your commissions. There were nine resolutions dealing with the spe- cific subject of the Indians, and with reference to those resolutions which have been accumulating down through the past years and growing more and more in number and showing a definite need all the time for some type of specific action, we have arranged to accumulate all past resolu- tions concerning that same subject so that we will have a volume of material for determinative action and study at the time this committee meets again and we will be able to report to you. You recall that a study was ordered on the immigration and naturali- zation program during the past year. This study has been completed since the convention, and in the next few weeks a report will be sent out in brief form to all the various Departments. The budget recommendations that come from the commission were considered at the Miami Convention, so that the only other consideration concerned itself in reviewing and re-effecting those recommendations and resulted in the possibility of recommending a decrease in the budget, but it will not in any manner affect the efficiency with which the commission is able to work. There was a resolution (No. 674), emanating from the Department of Texas, adopted at Miami which called for immediate action to re-empha- size the Sons of The American Legion program. In line with carrying that program into effect, and its possibility within the funds and the ability 56 to work, it was recommended that the chairman and three members of that committee call in two or three of the best qualified men in this par- ticular field to come here and meet as soon as possible to develop that program, so that it can be carried out for the remainder of the year, and at the same time carry out those recommendations and put them into effect immediately by our division, so that when we meet again in the spring we will have the program worked out and ready to be moved upon and to be acted upon without any delay. There was referred to us a resolution from this meeting of the Execu- tive Committee concerning the admission of all Gold Star Mothers to membership in that organization without reference to citizenship. Because no action was possible, that was referred to the proper subcommittee and it will make a study and a report to the commission and to you. In connection with accident prevention, you will recall we have had this Legion Month in connection with that program. That month was September of this year. That part of the Legion program was carried out and was put over. At the same time, we recognize that at that par- ticular time, September or August, that is the period in which the ad- ministrations in various Departments are changing, and they want to change that date to participate in that program from September until May, so that it will enable the administrations of the various Departments to have at least seven or eight months in advance to plan their participa- tion, which they believe will lead to a more effective program. A resolution was adopted in Miami with reference to the conduct of these subversive seminars on an area basis. In order to determine where those are to be held and to plan for them, we believe that the chairman of that subcommittee should come here in the near future and lay those plans. Now, it is not planned to go into that on any grand scale at all. The operation is going to be a modest one, but an efficient one, with the idea in mind of putting over the education to the people in the field—to the greatest number of people in the field. Now, there is the annual basketball tournament which is conducted, and the invitation for this year has come from the Beaver Falls Post at Beaver Falls, Pa. That Post is willing to conduct the tournament on terms determined by this committee. Now, all of that was business that came before the committee at this particular time. The Commander has suggested—and I think it would be helpful if we knew something about the background and the function of your Ameri- canism Commission—how it is broken down, and how they do their work, and what there is all about it. I am not going back into the history, because I couldn’t tell you with any degree of credibility, by virtue of the fact that I was not there. Great emphasis was laid on this program back in 1919. I am going to take it up from 1946, which was really the milestone in this organization. You will recall that at the convention in San Francisco, in 1946, a resolution was adopted which asked that this program be emphasized and expanded, and it called for the appropriation of a large sum of money to carry into effect educational programs. With your indulgence, I would like to just dodge through this resolution and use it as a basic point. It resolves, first of all, that we of The American Legion do condemn and vigorously oppose all forms of “isms” contrary to Americanism, and further resolves that the National Headquarters of The American Legion be directed to institute a positive educational program to educate the citizens of the United States in the principles of the Con- stitution and the freedoms guaranteed by that Constitution, as well as the bad features of other forms of government. The final resolve was that the National Finance Committee make an appropriation to the National Americanism Commission of an adequate sum, and we propose 57 the sum of $250,000 for the carrying out of its present programs and the development of this new expanded program immediately and the employ- ment of needed increase of personnel as soon as possible. Well, pursuant to that resolution, that project was carried forward. In the year immediately preceding 1946, it had been decided, for a more efficient operation, to reorganize the Americanism Commission. At that time, the commission was broken down into six subcommittees. The com- mittee divided itself into six subcommittees, each of which had a specific responsibility for all matters falling within their sphere of action. Those committees, six in number, were: Education, Subversive Activities, Rec- reation and Youth Activities, Community Service, Immigration and Nat- uralization and, of course, the Executive Subcommittee, which considered matters concerning the operation items as the budget and matters which are normally concerned with administration. Now, let me just refer to a chart which I have here for a moment. I haven’t passed these out among you, but there are plenty of them, and in the event any of you would care to take them with you, you can do so. This Community Service and Safety Activities Subcommittee, which was chairmanned by Carl H. Smith of Michigan, is responsible for acci- dent prevention, fire prevention, home safety survey, school safety patrol, community service councils, living memorials, playgrounds and recrea- tional facilities, and juvenile delinquency and crime prevention liaison activities. The Educational Activities Subcommittee, which has been under Dan Haitbauer of Pennsylvania, is concerned with The American Legion co- operation with schools in observing patriotic holidays, The American Legion School Award, the American Education Week, Essay Contests, Flag Education, I Am an American Day, Legionnaire Schoolmaster Clubs, National Constitution Day, National High School Oratorical Contest, and Textbook Appraisal. The Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship Activities Subcom- mittee has under it citizenship schools for foreign-born, information service regarding immigration and naturalization regulations and proce- dures, technical advice in regard to the -Legion’s position in relation to proposed legislation, and registration and vote campaigns. Recreational Activities is concerned with Junior Baseball, National Basketball Tournaments, National Golf Tournaments, and Marksmanship. Marksmanship is under another commission and they merely work with that. Under Youth Activities there is Boys’ State, Boys’ Forum of National Government, Boy Scouts, Boys’ Clubs, Sons of The American Legion, liaison contact with other youth activities, such as 4-H Clubs, YMCA, etc. The Un-American Activiti&s concern information service with regard to subversive groups or individuals, and in that connection we maintain large files on individual classification which have been accumulated dur- ing the past three years. There is education and exposure of subversive groups and individuals, subversive activities seminars, the monthly publi- cation of Monthly Trends of Subversive Activities, publication of pam- phlet exposure materials, and liaison and collaboration with other agen- cies, both governmental and private, engaged in fighting subversion. Now, I read these to you because I think that will show you the necessity for the committee dividing itself in order to get any work done at all, and the average membership of those subcommittees runs to four or five men, and some men we have acting on more than one of these subcommittees. Any resolutions which have come from this committee of the conven- tions are immediately referred to the subcommittee concerned. They study it and prepare a program, assemble their data and come back to 58 the commission as a whole, and there they are again discussed and again debated and later brought up here. Now, the staff was expanded also. Work started under Doc Sherwood and continued under Tom Sawyer, so there is a man in the Division as- signed specifically to each one of these activities, and he works with it all the time. During this period, there has been a growth in these pro- grams consistent with that mandate. You recall, in this past year we had approximately one million kids playing baseball, and Tom Keenan says we now lead the nation in Boy Scout troops. The files have grown to 500,000 listings. The sense of the mandate has been carried out. In looking towards the future, we have this body of resolutions which were adopted gener- ally consistent with those policies along the lines at Miami. It is important not to get any feeling of satisfaction about it, but to realize that the major portion of the job is yet to be done. There will be some challenges in the coming period, particularly in the field of subver- sive activities, because much of the danger has been discredited as the result of the Progressive forces’ showing in this past election. You will face the facts now, and our National Commander took cog- nizance of it in a very fine statement covering it, on the committee which we were the sponsors of and have fought to continue down through the years, may now be compromised simply because one individual who has not been convicted of anything but stands accused, stands as a figurehead of that committee. It is important not to be deceived by this, because there is more need than ever before for this work to be continued and it must be. We were able to do what has been done because of the per- sonnel who worked with us. Tom Sawyer has done a splendid job and so, too, has Carl Smith. All of those who have worked in the commission have done a splendid job, and that is the way it functions today. Its job still lies ahead. There is more to be done to carry on its programs of education in the line of training defensive Americanism and of offensive Americanism and in preparing the young men of today for their lives of tomorrow. Thanks again.

Chairman Wilson, of the Resolutions Subcommittee, announced that there were no resolutions from the Americanism Commission report.

National Finance Commission Public Relations Commission Subcommittee to Study American Legion Magazine and National Legionnaire The report of the National Finance Commission, including the report of the National Emblem Committee, was presented by Sam W. Reynolds, Nebraska, Chairman. Motion was adopted to divide the report, and to accept the report with the exception of the budget section, which was to be considered after the report of the Public Relations Commission. The report of the Public Relations Commission was presented by George A. Bideaux, Arizona, Chairman. Permission was given to Raymond Fields, Director, to discuss the radio program por- tion of the report. Motion was adopted to lay the report on the table until later. 59 The report of the subcommittee to study The American Legion Magazine and The National Legionnaire, was presented by John h/. Curtiss, Nebraska, Chairman. The resolution emanating from that report was presented by Chairman Wilson, of the Resolutions Subcommittee, and discussed. Motion was adopted to make the following items a special order of business, at 11:00 a. m., on Friday, November 19: Resolution relative to change in National Legionnaire, Report of Public Relations Commission, Report of National Finance Commission; (Budget Portion). See page 78.

Publications Commission The following report, presented by Vilas H. Whaley, Wiscon- sin, Chairman of the Publications Commission, was accepted: Mr. Vice-Commander and Members of the National Executive Com- mittee: I would like to announce at the outset that the Publications Commission is not involved in this dispute, and let’s have that understood. We are not embroiled in this difficulty. We have taken no position with reference to it and do not propose to at this time or at any other time. I think it is rather unfortunate that our report did not precede the debate, because we have a report that I think you people will be inter- ested in. We are making our first report as a commission since we were reinstated as a commission by action of your committee last May. There was a Liaison Committee appointed by Commander O’Neil, headed by Roy Anderson of Minnesota as chairman. That Liaison Committee did not meet with our commission, because the commission did not meet, and the reason we did not meet was because we were not called in, and there was a reason for that, as you men well know, because it was necessary to remain within the budget. We met here two days ago, on the 16th, the executive group did, and we were in session for two days. We worked all of the first day on the budget and spent a portion of the second day with the National Finance Committee. For the information of the new members of the commission and of your committee, there is allocated to the Publications Department 75 cents of each $1.00 of membership dues. Gentlemen, with a membership of 3,100,000, you can well appreciate that that is a large sum of money that comes to the Publications Department for use in the purchase of paper in the publishing of the Magazine and in the publishing of The National Legionnaire. That is a lot of money. The Publications Commission, in the year now coming to a close, spent over a million dollars for paper for these two publications. That is big business, gentlemen. Our advertising revenue for this year is a few dollars short of $1,200,000. That is big business that the Legion is engaged in, and that is a very fair revenue from the publication of your Magazine. Now, of the 75 cents, 65 cents has been allocated to the Magazine. Considering the net return of advertising, we are returning to National Headquarters and to the General Fund, out of that subscription money and advertising revenue, over one-half million dollars. I can call that net return, or profit, or anything you wish, but that is the net result of the publication of your Magazine in the past 12 months, or in the 12 months which will conclude with the end of January, 1949. 60 There is upon your desks here the new Legion Magazine. That is the Christmas issue. You have gone through it, and I am glad you have had a chance to look at it, because we believe there has been a marked im- provement in the Magazine commencing with the July issue. The former committee, prior to the time when I became a member of this commis- sion, effected a new printing contract with the C. T. Dearing Company of Louisville, Ky. There had been a concern that published your Magazine for 17 years that made it very tough for your committee or commission to negotiate a new contract. I want to say this at the present time for your information, that with the vast improvement—and it is going to continue to improve—there was a saving on the July issue alone of $23,000. In other words, if we had continued printing with the former printer, at his increase in cost, mind you—and he had plenty of opportu- nity to reduce it; three different times he was asked to trim his sails— $23,000 was saved on one issue. I am not very good at arithmetic, so I am not going to try to compute the saving over 12 issues, but it would be approximately $275,000 difference. I merely suggest that to you men so that you will be advised of some of the problems that come before your commission and the men who serve in attempting to print a first-class magazine. Now, The National Legionnaire was curtailed this year. It comes under the Publications Division, but it has been published heretofore under the supervision of the Public Relations Commission. Unfortunately, it was necessary to trim the budget this year, and the commission was curtailed in that publication, and there were only six issues, an average of six pages, or 36 pages for the year. There was a saving out of the 10 cents per member allocated to that of $183,000. I don’t call that a net return or a profit; it was a saving because of that curtailment, but with that saving and the amount of money returned from the Magazine, it makes a total in excess of $700,000. The mailing of your Magazine has been speeded up. I think you have noticed that. Heretofore it was sometimes as late as two weeks in the mail—two weeks after the first of the month when it was supposed to be published. Right now it is delivered into the hands of every Legionnaire in America—or should be—on or before the first of the month. That has been brought about through the cooperation of the Dearing Company and the Post Office Department. All of these Magazines are mailed direct from the plant in Louisville and do not go through the Post Office in Louisville. That has speeded up your delivery, and there are many other improvements that are now being inaugurated and which, we hope, will be concluded under the leadership of our present Commander, Perry Brown. We had fine support from Jimmy O’Neil, and we are going to get the same enthusiastic support, I am sure, from Perry Brown, and we are going to try to do a job for him and for the Legion. The Dearing people have been very well satisfied with their contract. You may say, well, are they making money? Can they continue publish- ing at the price they have set forth in their contract? I might say that in the five months that have elapsed from the first publication from the inauguration of the contract they have returned to the National Head- quarters, or to our Division, $10,000 savings. That is additional savings that we did not anticipate. That is the type of people who are publishing your Magazine. There is in the budget this year, as it has been in for many years, the sum of $4,800 for Braille copies of The American Legion Magazine. I think we have spent about $2,000 a year in printing 125 copies of the Magazine in Braille for the benefit of those who have no sight and are unfortunate in that respect. In all the years that this little printing company in Ohio has been publishing the Magazine in 61 Braille, there has been no increase in cost to The American Legion, which evidences a pretty fine spirit, I think. They appreciate what the Legion is doing for unfortunate people. I mentioned the fact that we are in big business, spending a million dollars and more for paper. And we have got to spend some money, gentlemen, for the talent that publishes this Magazine. I think the funds will be made available if we can establish in the minds of those in au- thority that we can make money. I think they will permit the expendi- ture of further funds to improve the editorial content of the Magazine, to look at the color in the Magazine and in the ads. That costs money. Four-color work is much more expensive than the black ink, but that has become necessary because we are competing with other national publications and we are in direct competition with them, because our salesmen must go to these advertising agencies and sell advertising in your American Legion Magazine, and the doors are not always open, gentlemen, to The American Legion. Why? Because they say that is a house organ, you have a forced circulation, a forced readership, and we will not recommend that publication to our advertising clients. That is an obstacle we have to overcome in selling your book to the advertising agencies, but we have been quite successful in the past year. Our returns this year are the highest in the years that the Magazine has been published. We have some top-flight men, but unfortunately we have lost some of them. We can’t keep them; the Legion can’t pay enough money to keep some of these good men who go to other publi- cations. Babcock, our Western manager in Chicago, built up a splendid business in Western territory, and where is he? Gone with some big outfit in New York, or will go in February. Two of our salesmen—and this is an incident of the type of men who work for you—one of the agencies, when asked by a publisher, who made the best impression on that agency among all the salesmen who came in to sell advertising, gave the name of one of the Legion’s salesmen working for The American Legion Magazine. Is he with us now? Oh, no; he is someplace else. That is true in our Editorial Department and in our Art Department. We pay our art director $8,000. He has an offer to go to Detroit for $12,000 plus a bonus of $3,000, but he is not going; he is going to stick with the Legion. And, gentlemen, these are World War II men, the men that are going to take over the Legion. Maybe they have already taken it over, but they are coming fast, they are hitting the ball, and they are producing what we believe is a first-class magazine. The Legion is going to grow, Mr. Commander. I am sure it will under this fine administration, and it must grow in prestige. We need more members in the Legion; we need outstanding prominence, not only among the servicemen but among the people of America. I have said before, and I say again, that The American Legion will be only as successful as the public will permit it. That takes in everybody. The American Legion needs the support of the American public, and The American Legion needs a first-class publication. That is my report, Mr. Commander.

Legion Publications Contracts The following resolution, presented by Chairman Meade Wil- son, of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was adopted: Resolved, by the National Executive Committee, That the National Commander and the National Adjutant, on behalf of The American Legion, be authorized to execute the following contracts and leases: 1. One-year contract with Parker, Schmidt & Tucker Paper Com- 62 pany of Chicago for standard newsprint, to be used for The National Legionnaire, at $101.00 per ton, f. o. b. Cornelius Printing Company plant, Indianapolis, Ind. 2. One-year contract, commencing January 1, 1949, with the Clo- vernook Home for the Blind, for transcribing The American Legion Magazine into Braille, at the rate of $1,920.00 per year for 125 copies, with additional copies at the rate of $15.36 per copy per year. 3. Renewal of lease for office space at 333 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 111., for a three-year period from May 1, 1949, to April 30, 1952, at a monthly rental of $265.00, for the advertising offices of The American Legion Magazine.

Authorization for Alexander Gardiner and/or Frank Lisiecki The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was adopted: Whereas, The American Legion has appointed Alexander Gardiner and Frank Lisiecki as its agents; be it therefore Resolved, by the National Executive Committee, That said Alexander Gardiner and/or Frank Lisiecki, as such agents, be and hereby are au- thorized to open an account in their names as agents in the National City Bank of New York, One Park Avenue, New York, N. Y., and said Alexander Gardiner and/or Frank Lisiecki be and hereby are authorized to deposit in the said account, from time to time, moneys advanced to them or either of them by The American Legion for use in paying inci- dental expenses of The American Legion; be it further Resolved, That until the said bank shall have received notice in writ- ing from The American Legion, signed by its National Treasurer, of the termination of this authority, the funds may be withdrawn from the said account from time to time and at any time upon checks for the payment of money signed by said Alexander Gardiner and/or Frank Lisiecki, as agents, without any obligation on the part of said bank to make any inquiries as to the purposes for which said funds may be withdrawn, even if drawn to the individual order of said Alexander Gardiner and/or Frank Lisiecki.

Supplemental Report of National Finance Commission American Legion Endowment Fund Corporation The following supplemental report, presented by Sam W. Reynolds, Nebraska, Chairman of the National Finance Commis- sion, was accepted: Mr. Commander and Members of the National Executive Committee: The Board of Directors of The American Legion Endowment Fund Cor- poration held its regular semi-annual meeting on November 17, 1948. The last audit of the corporation’s account was that for the year ended January 31, 1948, copy of which was printed in the Reports to the 30th Annual National Convention of The American Legion, to which we refer you for details connected with the corporation’s affairs. On January 31, 1948, total assets of the corporation were $7,087,576.17. As of April 1, 1948, current market appraisal of the bonds in the account established a total market value of $7,001,092.23, compared to book value of $6,952,700.04, resulting in an appreciation in the amount of $48,392.19. For the information of those members of the National Executive Committee attending their first meeting, the investment of the funds of the corporation is limited by an original Trust Agreement to obligations 63 of the United States Government, municipal bonds, and improved real estate mortgages at not in excess of 40 per cent of appraised value. The investments in the corporation’s account are carried under two headings, namely, Regular Account and Special Account, the first named represent- ing the original funds turned over to the corporation, and the second consisting of the bonds transferred to the corporation from The American Legion, September 12, 1946. The Regular Account is presently invested 71.55 per cent in LTnited States Government bonds and 28.45 per cent in municipal bonds. For the Special Account, that classification is 95.27 per cent and 4.73 per cent, respectively. Net interest received from investments, expenses, and yield on invest- ments, for each of the past five years, ending January 31, have been as follows: Net Interest Expenses Yield 4948 $152,338.75 $4,490.61 2.19% 1947 137,481.84 4,147.23 2.31 1946 125,870.61 4,011.25 2.54 1945 128,230.35 4,212.46 2.60 1944 143,440.57 4,345.41 2.93 Since our last meeting, we have received a contribution to our prin- cipal account in the amount of $50.00 in the form of a check of “Railway Purchases and Stores” to the order of J. Monroe Johnson and endorsed to the corporation. The board of directors of the corporation invites the attention of the members of the National Executive Committee and the national officers of The American Legion to the fact that the corporation is prepared to receive and administer contributions and bequests for the purposes for which the Endowment Fund was established, and urges active cooperation in this regard. HARRY W. COLMERY, President.

Following announcements, the meeting adjourned at 5:15 p. m.

FRIDAY MORNING SESSION November 19, 1948 The meeting convened at 9:30 a. m., National Commander Perry Brown presiding. Invocation was given by the National Chaplain, Rev. Thomas Grice. Roll call by the National Adjutant indicated a quorum present. National Vice-Commander Leonard W. Moody, Arkansas, as- sumed the Chair.

National Economic Commission The following report, presented by Lawrence J. Fenlon, Illi- nois, Chairman of the National Economic Commission, was ac- cepted : Mr. National Commander and Members of the National Executive Committee: Mimeographed copies of the report of the National Economic Commission will be distributed to you in just a moment. The chairman and vice-chairman of the National Economic Commission met with the chairman and members of the Agricultural Committee, the Labor Rela- 64 tions Committee, the Housing Committee, the Employment Committee, and the Veterans’ Preference Committee. Several resolutions which had heretofore been referred to the Veter- ans’ Preference Committee were considered. One was a resolution which originated in 1947 from the Department of Ohio Executive Committee, referring to certain improper practices being followed at Patterson Field and Wright Field, Ohio, which violated Civil Service laws and regulations. This matter was investigated by the staff and the irregularity corrected. There being no further complaints, the resolution is recommended for rejection. Resolution No. 7 on your list of resolutions was referred to the Veter- ans’ Preference Committee by the New York Convention. This resolution originated in the Department of Arkansas and recommended certain reforms in uniform personnel procedures for all Federal agents, including the Civil Service Commission. This resolution is recommended for rejec- tion, as it contains improper proposals, which are not functions of The American Legion, and those matters pertaining to proper functions are already being followed. Resolution No. 27 on your list of resolutions, which was held over, also came from the New York Convention, originating in the Department of the District of Columbia. This calls attention to certain violations of the Veterans’ Preference Act, and at the April meeting in 1948 the Veter- ans’ Preference Committee recommended rejection to the National Exec- utive Committee. Your committee at that time re-referred it to the Veterans’ Preference Committee for further study. Upon further study and reconsideration by the committee, it is recommended for rejection, as the matters are already covered by existing laws and regulations. Any violations, if they should arise in the future, can be corrected by existing laws or regulations. Resolution No. 8 is a carry-over from the New York Convention, originating in the Department of New York, and pertains to certain re- instatement privileges of employes of the Post Office upon their return after military service. This resolution involves the matter of pay. Your commission recommends rejection of the resolution, as the revised regu- lation applies to all employes, the hourly rate of pay not being reduced, although the hours of all employes have been reduced. Resolution No. 51, from the Department of New Jersey, adopted in June, 1947, was referred to the Veterans’ Preference Committee, and although we have been trying to get information from the Department of New Jersey, we have not been able to receive any additional informa- tion. An investigation has been made, however, by the staff, and the existing laws cover the matter. It is, therefore, recommended for re- jection. Resolution No. 6, which was referred by the New York Convention, called for the establishment of a Civil Service office in the Canal Zone. It is recommended that this resolution be rejected, as said territory is now being served by the regional office in New Orleans, and no com- plaints have recently arisen relative to this procedure. Resolution No. 58, calling for “equality in sugar legislation for Puerto Rico,” was referred by your May meeting in 1948 to the National Eco- nomic Commission. Our commission recommends rejection of this reso- lution, as this subject matter is not primarily a veterans’ matter, and, in the judgment of the commission, is not a proper subject for the Legion to act upon. Your committee has no resolutions calling for approval by the Na- tional Executive Committee. These seven resolutions, however, are in the hands of your Subcommittee on Resolutions, and if any of the members desire to take them up, we will be happy to try to explain further. 65 Your commission, in addition to holding the conference of its own various standing committees, under the supervision of the National Eco- nomic Commission, has also met with the Finance Commission, the Legis- lative Program Committee of the NEC, and the Reorganization Subcom- mittee of the NEC. If these respective committees of the NEC approve the recommendations submitted by the National Economic Commission, we are satisfied that the commission’s and the respective committees’ program for 1949 will be successfully carried out. Under the various committees under the jurisdiction of the National Economic Commission, I would like to discuss briefly their programs. Housing Certainly anybody who attended that dinner last night and heard the very splendid talk delivered by the able chairman of that committee, Walter Alessandroni of Pennsylvania, needs no further explanation either by the chairman of the National Economic Commission or any other individual. He certainly presented it to you in a manner that must have moved you with a desire to secure some action on this, very vital program. As mandated by the Miami Convention, the housing program of The American Legion for the year 1949 should be the number one program. The lack of housing for a large number of veterans and their families is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most serious problems facing this country today. The insecurity resulting from this lack of a decent place to live breeds doubt and despair in the minds of the men who fought to preserve the rights and privileges of our American democracy. It is, therefore, imperative that the program laid down by the Miami Conven- tion, as submitted by the Convention Housing Committee, be carefully followed in the year ahead. This program contemplates not only legisla- tion by the 81st Congress but also the dissemination of information to our various Departments and Posts. Attached hereto in a separate memo- randum is the detailed program on housing for the ensuing year. If this program is accomplished, the Legion will have made a major contribution to the solution of this most pressing problem. It is an obligation that the Legion cannot ignore, and our full resources should be made available to these deserving veterans. Veterans’ Preference The matter of veterans’ preference will continually engage the atten- tion of The American Legion. Upwards of 800,000 veterans are presently employed by the Federal Government under Civil Service. The Federal Government, as you can well recognize, is the largest individual employer in the nation. This number will increase as exami- nations are conducted in the years ahead. The American Legion was mainly responsible for the passage by the Congress of the “Veterans’ Preference Act of 1944.” There are many elements in the nation who would weaken such preferences. The American Legion, therefore, must be continuously on its guard in seeing to it that none of these preferences hereto accorded by the Congress shall be uprooted, and that the veterans who served their nation in the Armed Forces in the time of war shall be accorded preferences in serving their nation in a civilian capacity in a time of peace. Attached hereto is likewise the detailed Veterans’ Prefer- ence Program for the year ahead. Your commission sincerely hopes that the objectives laid down in that program will be achieved. Agriculture The Miami National Convention expanded the functions of the Agri- cultural Committee to include matters pertaining to conservation. Al- though there are approximately a million and a half veterans directly engaged in agriculture, and a definite program has heretofore been 66 adopted by previous conventions, comparatively little work has been done by The American Legion during the past years in carrying this program to the Departments and other levels of the Legion. We believe that this important segment of our veteran population should receive the assistance of The American Legion in aiding in their economic readjust- ment. The detailed program hereto attached will indicate the broad phases involved and will require the support of the Legion if the objec- tives are to be obtained. Employment Gainful employment is the ultimate objective of all veterans. This likewise has always been the objective of the National Employment Committee. A splendid program has been followed by The American Legion over the past several years which has resulted in materially less- ening the difficulties veterans have found in securing gainful employment. Such a program is a continuous one. The Miami Convention has recom- mended a special 10-point program which, if followed, should aid in solv- ing the employment problems of the great majority of our veterans. This program will require legislation and the cooperation of labor, indus- try, agriculture and government, and touches on all of the essential fac- tors in American life. The program as hereto attached, if followed, we believe, will do the job. One of the most serious problems presented to your Employment Committee is the increasing number of older workers who are being denied gainful employment because of their age. Your Employment Com- mittee is undertaking a survey of this situation, and the present results of the survey are disturbing, to say the least. Despite the fact that em- ployment at present is at its highest peak, the number of older male workers unemployed and registered with the State Employment Offices seeking work is increasing, while the number of placements for the older workers, in comparison with other age groups, is showing a decline. The recent survey conducted by the Joint New .York Legislative Committee shows that of the various concerns queried on this phase, 39 per cent have adopted a policy against the employment of the older workers. This, in the judgment of this commission, is a tragic situation and calls for action on the part of The American. Legion in completing its survey as soon as possible, and presenting a 'program of education to industry to the end that the older workers in the age bracket from 45 to 65 shall be able to secure gainful employment. The practice of denying employ- ment to the older workers is not only vicious and cruel but is economi- cally unsound, in that it deprives a large segment of our population of purchasing power which is so essential for the nation’s over-all economic stability. The American Legion, through its campaign of education for the employment of the physically handicapped, has made a substantial contribution to the welfare of that group, in that employers now gener- ally realize that disabled veterans, if properly placed, will make most useful and valuable employes. This campaign of education for the dis- abled veterans must likewise be continued without relaxation. These two programs—that is, the employment of older workers and employment of the disabled veterans—are major employment programs for the year ahead. The National Employment Committee in 1944 prepared and released to the Posts and Departments manuals on maximum employment, veter- ans’ employment and veterans’ preference. Because of the many changes that have occurred since the original issuance of these pamphlets, it is necessary that a current manual be released. Your commission, there- fore, contemplates to prepare and release, within a very short time, an Economic Manual which will contain the program of The American Legion together with the steps which should be exercised by the various 67 Posts and Departments in carrying out programs to successful conclu- sions. For the past several years, The American Legion has conducted an annual national employment or economic conference. Experience has demonstrated that, while certain favorable results were obtained by such annual conferences, the information derived from such conferences would not reach the Posts and Departments. Plans, therefore, are being made to conduct several area conferences, sponsored by the Legion, during 1949. To these area economic conferences we propose inviting the out- standing authorities on the matters coming under the jurisdiction of your Economic Commission and addressed particularly to the problems as they affect the area in which the respective conference is being conducted. When arrangements are completed for these conferences, we sincerely hope that the Departments will have representatives present, so that they can carry back to their Departments the messages and information pre- sented in the area conferences. Unless the cooperation of the Depart- ments is received, these conferences will not produce the beneficial infor- mation that will aid the Departments in fulfilling their part in the Legion’s economic program. We are submitting herewith a detailed report and outline of procedure on the programs of the respective committees under our jurisdiction. We hope each member of the Executive Committee will read carefully these programs and in turn urge that their Department assume their proper share in the burden in carrying out the mandates that have been pre- sented to us, which will aid in the solution of these important problems. Your commission is appreciative of the cooperation extended by the Washington and Indianapolis staffs in our efforts to comply with the mandates of the convention and the programs heretofore presented. We are particularly appreciative of the great interest displayed by our pres- ent National Commander Brown and for the time he has devoted to our commission during our deliberations. (Attached to and made a part of the above report was an Outline of Operation of the National Economic Commission for 1949. The Outline is on file at National Headquarters and copies are available upon request.)

There were no resolutions in connection with the Economic Commission report.

National Convention Commission V The following report was presented by Vincent A. Carroll, Pennsylvania, Chairman of the National Convention Commission, after which the matter of selection of dates and site for the 1949 National Convention was deferred for consideration at two o ’clock: Mr. Commander and Gentlemen: I have to report on one or two separate items. Yesterday you received the report from Joe Adams, who is chairman of the Convention Corporation, and we permitted him to have the pleasure—it was ours as well—to hand back to the Finance Commission 5101,403.86. I understand that the chairman of that commis- sion, when that was turned back to him for the first time in history, moved over and joined Cardiac Row. I want to report to you just in general terms, because our last ac- counting was as of November 12, 1948, and there are some items still 68 open that should show a credit to us of something in the neighbor- hood of $15,000, unless some of the boys down there find some way to spend that, and I don’t think that will occur. So I think we can report that the convention at Miami went into the blue. There is one thing, however, I would like to say about the Miami Convention, without at all sounding a discordant note. We are very grateful to the local people there, the Legionnaires and those who were not of the Legion who helped us. The discordant note that I want to speak about is our inability, as your committee, to carry out mandates that have been imposed upon us —some self-imposed, but all imposed, however, under the general policy of running our conventions the way they should be conducted. For many years, gentlemen, your committee, because we were so mandated, attempted to regulate certain phases of the convention ac- tivities, one of which was the parade. Many years ago the $64 question was asked on this floor, when is the 40 and 8 going to join The American Legion? And it seems that that question may come in very sharp focus, and it has come up in very sharp focus after parades in national conven- tion cities. We have noticed time and time again the violation of your mandate, of the mandate of national conventions and of the mandate of the National Commander with respect to the violations that occur in the line of march. For my money a box-car makes a good showing in a parade, but it has been the policy of this organization over the years that the 40 and 8 have their show, and then on the day of the parade the 40 and 8 should march as Legionnaires. We have been subjected almost to indignities in attempting to carry out that mandate. And now I say, as chairman of your committee, that it is silly, it is ridiculous for you or for us or for the National Commander to make rules and regulations that he can’t enforce or that we can’t enforce, and in the attempted enforcement of them reduce us to a posi- tion of real embarrassment before the local people, and embarrassment, too, before ourselves, because after all we live with ourselves after con- ventions. In Florida, the Fort Wayne, Indiana, and I think the Kokomo outfit held up the parade for 20 minutes. They came in with their box car. They refused to move. The driver of the Fort Wayne unit was the same man who drove it in New York City and got us into an altercation on the street, an undignified, almost indecent sort of thing on the streets of New York, and one of the things that was commented about in the very bad press we had following the New York Convention. Right before the rain came in Miami, as I sat there with the Na- tional Commander, I saw passing the reviewing stand, I know much to the embarrassment of Jimmy O’Neil, not a box car, but an automobile which had the proud distinction of being from a Voiture from the great city of Chicago. An effort had been made to put that out further back in the parade, but now the drivers of these vehicles importune the crowd, and the crowd says let them in, and then the police won’t put them out, and in the meantime, we are subjected to indignities because we do not have the power to do anything about it. I could handle that in Phila- delphia, but I couldn’t do it in any other city. They passed the reviewing stand, before your National Commander and before his distinguished guests, many of whom were there, and it had on it the proud lettering, “Voiture of Chicago.” In it there were four or five fellows and one was pretending to drink out of a bottle. My familiarity with liquor bottles is only because they have told me about these things. It was a sort of carboy, a large bottle of John Paul Jones whiskey, and there were two girls in that machine. They were probably very decent girls. I don’t think there was anything wrong with them, but they looked like a cou- 69 pie of trollops as they passed the reviewing stand because of the way they conducted themselves. Last year we wrote to the Forty and Eight and we wrote to the Na- tional Commander—we even presumed to write to him and we spoke about these things. We got a grand letter from the Forty and Eight, a letter of cooperation. This may seem like a blanket indictment of the Forty and Eight, but it is nothing of the kind. I think the responsibile persons in the Forty and Eight organization decry these situations just as strongly as we do. But something should be done about it, and the whole summation of my report, gentlemen, is to cite to you that we can- not regulate in any way those things that filter into the parade, because your committee is really not a committee of goons or a committee of military police. We run up and down the streets and we put on what we think sometimes amounts to a vulgar display of authority, but is com- pletely ineffective. We feel some other method must be taken so that those persons who come to the conventions and carry on in this manner, enjoying a psychiatric holiday, might be controlled. There is just one other item—and I make that statement pertaining to the Miami Convention so that it may be considered, and I asked Char- lie Ardery to come here this morning, so that he might hear what I had to say first-hand as it pertains to the Forty and Eight, because I knew he would hear it second-hand, and I didn’t know just how it would sound second-hand. The second part of my report, gentlemen, I must repeat for the pur- pose of this record the invitations that have been received and how they have been handled. We have been trying to get up a schedule in advance, three or five years for convention cities, or at least suggested convention cities, and after I made that statement at Miami that we had no place to go, we got cordial invitations from Philadelphia and New York and a repetition of the Miami invitation. We received an invitation from the Commander of Post No. 48, Asheville, North Carolina. Another came from Lieutenant Bishop of the Adjutant General’s Department, who was at some camp, but he is probably a young fellow with a lot of local inter- est and he sent the invitation. A letter from Jim Malibou Post, Santa Monica, California. From C. F. Wilson Post No. 23, Blue Ridge, Georgia. A letter from Oxford, North Carolina, from the Granville Chamber of Commerce. A letter from Carolina Beach, North Carolina, from the Carolina Beach Chamber of Commerce. A letter from the Legionnaire Mayor of Mineral Wells, Texas. We have acknowledged all these invitations since that time, stating what was required. Of course, obviously they could not meet those re- quirements. We received an invitation for next year from New York City. This invitation was a repetition of an invitation previously extended. This time it came through E. C. Sherry, and we found out it had been extend- ed at the Miami Convention and it had been given to the Adjutant of New York, and he had promptly deposited it in the limbo of forgotten things and never presented it. The invitation was presented yesterday, for the week of August 29, and it contairis an offer of 10,123 first-class rooms, which it was indicated could be put under contract immediately. There was no promise of any financial contribution, and Mr. Sherry, representing the Bureau, stated they had no control over that. He also stated in his verbal invitation that he hoped the Department of New York, to whom the invitation was pre- sented, would cooperate and endorse this invitation. He also said that the invitation was extended not only for 1949, but for 1950 and 1951. 70 Your committee took no particular action on that because there wasn’t anything on which we could act, except the mere invitation, with nothing to substantiate it. Yesterday we received an invitation—and this was a repetition of an invitation extended at the convention from the city of Miami. The pres- entation of this invitation was made by Mr. Desmond Kelley, representing the City Manager, but it supplemented a letter I received from Dr. O. P. Hart, City Manager of Miami, a very cordial invitation to return in 1949 to Miami. Among the things he suggested as being of interest to you gentle- men who must make the decision was that the Bay Front Auditorium and the Dinner Key Auditorium would be greatly improved. He suggested that the best time for them would be the latter part of October but that any part of October would be available to us. He also stated that the Veterans of Foreign Wars are having their convention there in August of next year and for that convention they expect about 25,000 persons. He also guaranteed there wouldn’t be any overlapping of conventions such as occurred last year, but that was not too bad, where we overlapped with the convention of the Postal Clerks or the Mailmen. A member of our committee from Florida says that he can assure us, and I think his word is as good as gold, that the state of Florida will advance through its Department of Agriculture $25,000, repeating what the state of Florida did on this past occasion. The other invitation, gentlemen, is an invitation from the city of Philadelphia to The American Legion. I took the first convention to Philadelphia in 1926, so this is a matter of some concern and a little embarrassment to me, particularly, when one of our papers called me up when the Chamber of Commerce said, “We will take it if you have no place else to go.” They said we will take it in any event, so I imposed certain terms on them and they complied with them. The only difficulty about this situation is this—we have in Philadelphia approximately 7,000 first-class rooms. However, we have an invitation here, and I will pass it around, from the Governor of Pennsylvania, the Mayor of Philadel- phia, the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Business Bureau and an invitation from practically all of the manufacturing and industri- al, as well as the cultural interests—I knew Sam would be glad to hear of that—as well as the cultural interests of which we are very deep in culture, so deep sometimes it is embarrassing. This invitation includes the payment to us, and that money is paid in already—it is the sum of $50,000 which has been paid in, not from the city or the commonwealth, because they cannot, under the constitution make an appropriation of this kind. However, $50,000 has been deposited and we know if they can get the $50,000 they can get a little bit more and we are going to get $2,500 in addition for pre-convention expenses which I tacked on. Now, that has been provided. In Philadelphia also we get what would cost us about $30,000 in New York. We get a free convention hall, self-contained so far as The Amer- ican Legion is concerned because all the committees can meet right out in the convention hall, and there are pictures of it here. We get a free stadium, whereas we would have to pay $8,500 for the Polo Grounds. That is all free in Philadelphia, and it holds 105,000 persons. I also made a deal before I came here that the city would build at least most, if not all, the grandstands—at least a considerable portion of the grand- stands and as you gentlemen know the grandstands are one of the sources of revenue for our convention. Now, there it is; 7,000 rooms and that is scarcely enough. I took it upon myself to contact Atlantic City, having perhaps in mind that we 71 could have the convention of the Auxiliary in Atlantic City while the convention of The American Legion is in Philadelphia. It is only 60 miles away—the distance is 60 miles and it can be done in an hour or an hour and ten minutes at the most. They have trains that take 55 minutes from Philadelphia to Atlantic City. Well, you may say to me, you can’t get rooms in Atlantic City the last week in August on the Boardwalk. I would have said to you two weeks ago I don’t think you can. Much to my astonishment, I have under proposed contract about 1,800 Boardwalk rooms, that is, rooms in Boardwalk hotels like the Ritz, the Ambassador, the Traymore, Haddon Hall and Chalfont for that particular week. That week is the week immediately prior to Labor Day. A1 Skean, who is a Legionnaire and was chairman of the Cleveland Convention Bureau and who gave us so much help presently, is the head of the Convention Bu- reau in Atlantic City. He didn’t himself think he could produce on that. When I told him I had guarantees from Philadelphia to put up this $52,500, he said he would undertake to guarantee these rooms, and he called me up the day before yesterday and said he can do it. Now, there is no official invitation from Atlantic City, but, of course, we consider Atlantic City one of the environs of Philadelphia, one of its suburbs, and I think the invitation from Philadelphia could be taken to be all-inclusive to the '49 convention. I want to say this to you before I conclude, gentlemen, and pass the question over to you for decision. The city of Boston is very anxious to have the 1950 convention. Boston appeared before us and I have had some communication with the Mayor there. Boston, I am certain, will produce $50,000 but they cannot produce more than 4,500 first-class rooms. We have that from their own representative here from Massachu- setts, gentlemen, the committeeman made that statement and I am cer- tain that he is right and he is not puffing it up at all. I said on this floor, there weren’t 6,000 rooms available in Boston from my own experi- ence, and he said the most they can provide is 4,500 rooms and no sug- gestion as to where the Auxiliary can go if we go to Boston in 1950. The city of Los Angeles has presented a bid for 1952. They haven’t seen John Quinn yet, but they assume that by that time he would per- haps soften up a little bit. I want to say to you, here is our press from Miami. We had for the first time in a good many years a good press in Miami and it was a good press that carried on throughout the country, and when you think that News Week carried a story of $20,000 damage in New York, and then in its repetition this year took it up to $2,000,000 when we didn’t have a claim fpr damage in New York why, there must be something behind the fact that the press in some sections of America so far as we are con- cerned must be characterized as being bad. However, here is our press from Miami, gentlemen, and it is an outstanding and great job in Miami to have produced that. I think our press is very much better than it has been. Now, there you have it.

National Convention Registration Fee After discussion, the following resolution, presented by Chair- man Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was amended and adopted: Be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The Amer- ican Legion in regular meeting assembled at Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 18, 19 and 20, 1948, That hereafter at all national conventions 72 all accredited delegates and alternates in attendance be required to pay the registration fee not to exceed $3.00.

National Initiation Team Contest The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was adopted: Whereas, The National Executive Committee, at its May 3-5, 1948 meeting, adopted the following two resolutions: No. 33. Promote programs to improve Firing Squads, including authorization for a contest or demonstration at 1949 convention; No. 34. National Initiation Team Contest (including suggested rules to govern National Ritual Initiation Team Contest); and Whereas, The Contests Supervisory Committee is charged with the responsibility of conducting the contests at national conventions of The American Legion; and Whereas, The Contests Supervisory Committee, at its meeting in In- dianapolis, has set up and is submitting for National Executive Commit- tee approval, rules governing the Firing Squad contests to be held at future national conventions; and Whereas, It is the studied opinion of the Contests Supervisory Com- mittee that there are many similarities between the Firing Squad and Initiation Team contests; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Executive Committee in meeting assem- bled, November 18, 19 and 20, 1948, accept the recommendation of the Contests Supervisory Committee, that the National Initiation Team con- tests, as approved at the May meeting, not be held at the 1949 Legion Convention; and be it further Resolved, That consideration later be given to the possibility of hold- ing such contests at the future national conventions of the Legion.

Contest Rules for 1949 National Convention The following resolution, emanating from the Contests Super- visory Committee through the National Convention Commission, was presented by Chairman Wilson and approved: Resolved, That the attached rules, recommended by the National Contests Supervisory Committee, to govern the following contests to be conducted by that committee at the 1949 Annual National Convention: American Legion Drum, Fife and Bugle Corps, Junior Drum and Bugle Corps (including both Sons of The American Legion and Spon- sored Junior Corps), American Legion Band, Junior Band (including both Sons of The American Legion and Sponsored Junior Bands), Amer- ican Legion Chorus, American Legion Color Guard, Junior Color Guard (including both Sons of The American Legion and Sponsored Junior Color Guards), American Legion Firing Squad, be and they are hereby approved, confirmed and adopted. Following are the contest rules for the 1949 National Convention Contests, mentioned in the above resolution: (The rules for the contest will be found in the files of the National Headquarters, Indianapolis, Ind.)

National Commander Perry Brown resumed the Chair. 73 Special Order of Business Subcommittee on National Legionnaire and American Legion Magazine The following report, which had been presented on the previ- ous day by John E. Curtiss, Nebraska, was accepted: At the regular meeting of the National Executive Committee held in Indianapolis last May a Subcommittee on National Legionnaire and American Legion Magazine was ordered. This committee was instructed to give consideration to the following matters, as they relate to National Legionnaire and American Legion Magazine: a. Reader interest. b. Type of format preferred. c. Cost of production. d. Advertising revenue. e. Current news deadline. The committee met in July at National Headquarters; present were: National Executive Committeeman James W. Doon, New Hampshire; Dr. P. E. Kercheval, West Virginia; John Curtiss, Nebraska; and then National Commander James F. O’Neil. In, order to determine answers to items (a) “Reader interest” and (b) “Type of format preferred,” it was decided to make survey of Legion- naires through the medium of a questionnaire. This questionnaire was mailed to approximately 4,500 Legionnaires in every state on a basis of weighted average of membership. Each Department Commander, De- partment Adjutant and National Executive Committeeman was sent the questionnaire. Except for this group, the remaining 4,350 questionnaires were sent to Legionnaires, picked at random and indiscriminately from the mailing list at National Headquarters. I read the questionnaire which was sent: 1. Do you read The National Legionnaire? Regularly Yes No. 2. Do you read The American Legion Magazine? 3. Which do you prefer? National Legionnaire American Legion Magazine. 4. If one of these publications were to be eliminated, which one would you recommend be discontinued? National Legionnaire Amer- ican Legion Magazine. 5. Would you favor discontinuing The National Legionnaire and car- rying as an insert in The American Legion Magazine most of the information now in The National Legionnaire, even though this news were somewhat delayed? 6. Comment: Approximately 1,800 questionnaires were returned, or about 40 per cent. Your committee regards this percentage of return as quite unusual and a possible evidence of the interest of the average Legionnaire in the subject matter. The returns were as follows: 920 Legionnaires reported they read The National Legionnaire regu- larly; 1,176 read it at least occasionally and 555 reported they did not read it. 74 1,266 read The American Legion Magazine regularly; 1,695 read it at least occasionally and 109 do not read it. In answer to the question, “If one of these publications were to be eliminated, which one would you recommend be discontinued?” 1,552 favored discontinuing The National Legionnaire; 212 The American Le- gion Magazine. In answer to the question, “Would you favor discontinuing The Na- tional Legionnaire and carrying as an insert in The American Legion Magazine most of the information now in The National Legionnaire, even though this news were somewhat delayed?” 1,539, or 87 per cent of those replying said “Yes”; 223 said “No.” Under the heading “Comment” in the questionnaire, more than 750 separate statements were made. Some criticism, many words of praise, and suggestions for improvement of both The National Legionnaire and American Legion Magazine were offered. These are being passed along to those who are responsible for publication of both The National Legion- naire and American Legion Magazine for their consideration. From these comments, we conclude that if either or both The National Legion- naire and American Legion Magazine are to be continued, no drastic change in form or set-up of either is necessary. Comments as to reader interest in the two publications and as to the possible elimination of one or the other were, percentage-wise, approximately as were the specific answers to the questionnaire concerning these matters. With respect to the matter of cost, which your committee was in- structed to consider, based upon figures furnished by the National Head- quarters, we find that $314,552.74 was spent in publishing The National Legionnaire in 1947. This provided for 13 issues of The National Legion- naire. The 1948 budget for The National Legionnaire is in amount of $153,604.54, which has provided for six issues of The National Legion- naire in 1948. If The National Legionnaire were to take the form of an eight-page insert in The American Legion Magazine, based upon an average circula- tion of 3,000,000 per month, National Headquarters states it would cost $130,224 additional for composition and engraving, printing and binding, paper and additional postage. Assuming the discontinuance of The Na- tional Legionnaire, to this figure must be added an additional $40,000 approximately, representing “pay roll”—$36,731 and “Building Mainte- nance”—$3,750, now charged to National Legionnaire which \yould be transferred to American Legion Magazine. On this basis, from the dollars and cents standpoint, there would result an estimated annual saving of approximately $144,000 under the cost of The National Legionnaire in 1947; an increased cost of approximately $16,600 over the budget of The National Legionnaire for 1948. If high grade magazine stock be used for this eight-page insert, the estimated added cost annually in publishing The American Legion Maga- zine would be $175,368, plus the $40,000 above referred to, again assum- ing the discontinuance of The National Legionnaire—an approximate saving of $99,000 under the cost of The National Legionnaire in 1947; an increase of approximately $62,000 over the budget for The National Le- gionnaire in 1948. Accordingly, it appears that some economies would result from the consolidation, assuming as an alternative a monthly publication of The National Legionnaire. 75 Relative to “Current News Deadline,” which your committee was to investigate, we are informed by C. T. Dearing Co., Louisville, Ky., print- ers of American Legion Magazine, that actual mailing of the magazine could be commenced within eleven (11) days following receipt of copy or cuts to be used in any insert. This is in comparison to a possible spread of six or seven days in the publication of The National Legionnaire. Your committee does not feel that this delay of four or five days as between The National Legionnaire and The American Legion Magazine is of seri- ous consequence. Upon inquiry of your National Publications- Commission, your com- mittee was advised that an insert in The American Legion Magazine would be highly desirable. It would increase reader interest. In addition, it would give the magazine weight, bulk and substance, which is highly desirable. While speculative, it is felt that such an insert with the added weight and bulk and increased reader interest would contribute definitely to the sale of additional advertising in The American Legion Magazine. Being of the opinion that at least some economies will result from consolidation, recognizing that The National Legionnaire definitely serves a useful purpose, which can be largely conserved through an in- sert in The American Legion Magazine, believing that the average Le- gionnaire will more carefully read one publication which comes to him regularly and which proposes to give what might be termed complete coverage, having in mind the much greater reader interest in The Amer- ican Legion Magazine, as reflected by returns from the questionnaire, and believing the insert will sizably increase reader interest, make probable increased sale of advertising space in the magazine and generally strengthen The American Legion Magazine as our National publication. Your committee recommends: (1) That The National Legionnaire be discontinued, and that there be substituted therefor an eight-page insert to be carried regu- larly in The American Legion Magazine. (2) That full and complete responsibility for the publication of The American Legion Magazine together with such insert shall be vested in the National Publications Commission. (3) That in conformity with previous resolution of the National Executive Committee, responsibility for text and content of such insert shall be in the National Adjutant. JOHN CURTISS, Nebraska, Chairman. JAMES W. DOON, New Hampshire. DR. P. E. KERCHEVAL, West Virginia.

Change The National Legionnaire After discussion, the following reworded resolution, presented by .Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was adopted: Therefore, be it Resolved, That The National Legionnaire take the form of an eight-page insert to be published regularly in The American Legion Magazine; That full and complete responsibility for the publication of The Amer- ican Legion Magazine, together with such insert, shall be vested in the National Publications Commission; That responsibility for content of such insert shall be in the National Adjutant. 76 Public Relations Commission By motion, seconded and approved, the report of the Public Relations Commission was lifted from the table, reconsidered, and motion approved to accept and file the report. The report as presented by George A. Bideaux, Arizona, Chairman, on Thurs- day, is as follows: Gentlemen, I hadn’t expected to report at this time, and our Liaison Chairman, Mr. Connell, has spoken at length on the very things I wanted to say, and, if I repeat anything he said in this way, I ask your indul- gence. I wish to supplement this report and will ask to have here the Direc- tor of our Division and will ask the unanimous consent for him to pre- sent our radio program and make himself available for any questions that you wish. The Executive Session of your Public Relations Commission has just completed a two-day meeting at which three members of our executive section besides myself were present, and we reviewed the work for the past year and we are glad to report that our program, in the press, in radio and our motion picture branches, has to us been very satisfactory and noteworthy. As a result, we have in The American Legion obtained unprecedented publicity over this period and we are receiving that type of publicity at this time. We believe it is reflected in our current membership figures, whereas during the past two or three years major veteran organizations and minor organizations have slipped considerably. Some of them clear out of the picture. In the United States, some of our smaller World War II organizations have passed clear away. Our losses have not been large. We have been able to hold the line and we feel that our continually pounding away at the eligible veteran and at the public and our mem- bership has been a large factor in our being able to hold this, member- ship line. At Miami, we received publicity that certainly set an enviable record. Our press relations have never been better, and for radio. Every Depart- ment Executive Committeeman I imagine is, or at least he should be, familiar with the extent to which our program, “Decision Now” has been carried in his state. During the last National Executive Committee meet- ing here, we presented charts showing the number of stations, to the total of 1,038 proved to us by their acceptance in the publicity and public relations field that our program has been a decided success. We know that they don’t accept these programs, for we have insisted that they take it only for a certain number of weeks and present it at a certain scheduled time. A radio station’s only asset, as you know, is time. The fact that they have given us these thousands of hours of regularly sched- uled time certainly proves that they have a listener interest, or they wouldn’t carry it. At the cost, as Mr. Connell has said, of only $1.41 per program per station, we have obtained this sort of time. Some of this time, well, most of it, on the average station would cost around $50; some of it would cost as high as $85 and $150 on the larger wattage sta- tions. It is our contention, gentlemen, that we must continue to publicize our American Legion in every way possible. Our own membership must be kept conscious of our program. We do not feel that we should, in this high-speed world, return to the horse and buggy days. If I were running 77 a coal company, and I had to pare down my budget, I wouldn’t feel that I could dispense with my large new trucks and go back to delivering coal with a horse and wagon.

National Finance Commission By motion, seconded and carried, the report of the Finance Commission was lifted from the table. Motion was made, and seconded to accept the budget portion of the report, which had been carried over from the previous day. Motion was made and seconded that the budget be amended and that the Finance Com- mission be required to find the required sum of $77,900 to retain the radio program; the vote on this motion was negative. Motion was made, seconded and carried to adopt the budget as presented. Motion was made, seconded and approved to accept the report of the Finance Commission in entirety. Following is the report, which had been presented on Thurs- day by Sam W. Reynolds, Nebraska, Chairman of the National Finance Commission: Your National Finance Commission met in Indianapolis November 15, 16 and 17, all members being in attendance with the exception of Mr. John D. Ewing. A review was made of the operations of the various divisions under the 1948 budget, and we are pleased to report that due to economies put into effect and the fine cooperation of the Headquarters’ staff, we will close the current year well within the budget adopted in December, 1947. You will recall that in order to bring this year’s budget into balance, it was necessary to draw upon the reserve and restricted funds in the amount of 8250,000.00. It is estimated that but $150,000.00 of this amount will be required. Attached hereto and marked Exhibit “A” is the proposed budget for 1949, a copy of which has been placed on the desk of each member of the National Executive Committee. Attached hereto and marked Exhibit “B” is a list of the additions to and subtractions from the pay roll since our last report to the Executive Committee. Attached hereto and marked Exhibit “C” is a list of changes in salary, promotions and transfers since our last report. It is recommended that the National Executive Committee by resolu- tion recommend to the next national convention a constitutional amend- ment which will permit each national convention to fix per capita dues for two years instead of one year. This recommendation is made because of the situation which arose at the Miami Convention, under which it was demonstrated that a national convention is handicapped in raising the per capita dues for the immediate ensuing year because of the fact that Department conventions precede the national convention, and for that reason Department, dues for the ensuing year have already been fixed by the Departments. Under the suggested constitutional amend- ment, a national convention can raise the per capita dues for the second ensuing year and thereby give the Departments sufficient opportunity to fix their Department dues accordingly. For the information of the National Executive Committee, there is presently in the reserve fund $739,580.76, of which $717,177.30 is ear- 78 marked for the acquisition of a new Washington office building, leaving in that fund $22,403.46. There is currently in the restricted fund $16,- 462.86. However, the market value of the Government securities in these two funds is at present such that the two funds are virtually wiped out. We have reviewed the report from the Miami Convention Committee and are pleased to report that all monies advanced for the underwriting of this convention have been returned, this convention having paid its own way. The following is a report of the Emblem Committee which clears through the National Finance Commission:

79 EXHIBIT A (1) Recommended Budget 1949 Anticipated Revenue General Revenue: Dues @ $1.00 per member $3,100,000.00 Dues from prior years 5,000.00 SAL dues @ 25 cents per member 2,000.00 Emblem Division net earnings 100,000.00 Reserve Fund earnings 15,000.00 Purchase Discounts 7,500.00 Interest on Washington Building 5,280.00 Interest on Capitol Avenue Building 3,750.00 Interest on Emblem Inventory 10,000.00 Rental from Washington Real Estate 4,800.00 Miscellaneous 10,000.00

$3,263,330.00 Restricted Revenue: Surplus from 1948 100,000.00 Earnings from Endowment Fund 140,000.00 Contributions: Forty and Eight 50,000.00 American Legion Auxiliary For Child Welfare 10,000.00 For Rehabilitation 30,000.00 Eight and Forty for Child Welfare. . . . 1,000.00

331,000.00

$3,594,330.00

80 EXHIBIT A (2) Recommended Budget 1949 Expense Expense from General Revenue: Internal Affairs Administration, Indianapolis $ 251,978.00 Field Service 84,374.87 Membership and Post Activities 99,492.06 Administration, Washington 75,672.26 Americanism 145,048.94 Executive 156,150.00 Economic 60,119.25 Finance 60,361.60 Publications: American Legion Magazine 1,619,466.20 National Legionnaire 150,774.70 Legislative 68,014.39 Public Relations 103,026.15 Security 45,808.10 Rehabilitation and Child Welfare excess over available restricted revenue 265,806.95 Employes’ Retirement 60,000.00

$3,246,093.47 Expense payable from Restricted Revenue: Rehabilitation 445,198.43 Child Welfare 151,608.52

596,806.95 Less: Excess over restricted revenue 265,806.95

331,000.00

3,577.093.47 Reserve against membership 17,236.58

$3,594,330.00 (NOTE: Exhibits B and C mentioned in above report are on file at National Headquarters.) THE AMERICAN LEGION REPORT OF THE NATIONAL EMBLEM COMMITTEE THRU: National Finance Commission MR. COMMANDER, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The National Emblem Committee met at Indianapolis on November 16-17, 1948, with all members present. Just a month ago, this committee made a comprehensive report. At this meeting of the Emblem Committee, matters dealing with new mer- chandise, promotion and sales methods and the efforts made toward stop- ping the illegal sale of merchandise bearing thereon the Legion emblem were fully studied. Plans were made with the Emblem Division toward increasing its sales and adding new merchandise for both the Legion and the Auxiliary. In order to carry out the wishes of the members, since the adoption of the specifications for the Eisenhower type jacket at the May, 1948, meet- 81 ing, there is hereto attached a resolution modifying that specification to permit the optional use of a zipper or fly-front in place of the button front, which resolution is No. 18. It is recommended that same be adopt- ed; the specification to be filed with the National Adjutant’s office as the official specification. At the May, 1948, meeting of your committee, the shirt and tie were made part of the official uniform, thereby giving authority to the several Departments, if they so desire, to enter into separate contracts for these items, as accessories to the uniform. This makes necessary the adoption of minimum specifications for the use of the Departments in making con- tracts for these accessories. To accomplish that purpose, attached in Resolution No. 17, setting forth two minimum specifications, one for the tie, both blue and gold colors, and the other for the shirt, both blue and white, giving optional rights to the several Departments, if they enter into contracts, therefore, to use at their option, different materials, due to certain climatic conditions existing throughout the country. We rec- ommend its adoption. These specifications are to be filed with the Na- tional Adjutant’s office as the official specification for these items. It should be made plain that the National Organization will continue to carry these items in stock with its National Emblem Sales Division, due to the fact that the great bulk of the Departments which do not have the means to set up their own Emblem Division and carry the necessary stock on hand, will not be able to enter into such contracts. For exam- ple, due to the various neck sizes and sleeve lengths of shirts, a consider- able stock of this item must be on hand for immediate delivery at all times. Only a few of the larger Departments will be able to invest the large amount of money necessary and carry an inventory which would represent “slow-moving” money until such inventory may be reduced. Many shirts, due to particularly small or extraordinarily large sizes, may be on hand for several years before disposal. It also must be recognized that the larger the order of shirts under a single contract, the manufac- ture and purchase thereof will be at a lower cost. The other matter which has concerned your committee since its la- bor started two years ago, is the control of our emblem. A further study of our basic structure, compared with other organizations, has dis- closed that the Act of Congress incorporating The American Legion must be further amended. To accomplish that purpose there is herewith submitted, with recommendation for its approval, Resolution No. 19 for the amending of the Act of Congress to carry out this intent. We are of the firm conviction that it is necessary and vital that every possible means be provided by law for the protection of our emblem. Prosecutions Heretofore, this committee has talked rather generally about the pros- ecutions being instituted against manufacturers of merchandise bearing the emblem. We have reported that a number of such criminal prosecu- tions have been instituted under existing Federal law. We now deem it necessary to report that one of them, pending in the United States Dis- trict Court in the Eastern District of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vania, is that of the United States versus Dettra Flag Company, Inc. This case was instituted almost one year ago, and is still pending on pleadings, dealing with technical questions, one of which is the consti- tutionality of the Act of Congress giving such protection to veterans’ organizations incorporated by Congress. Naturally, the Department of Justice of the United States is not vigorously prosecuting other cases pending in other District Courts, until this “test” case is settled. This case is of vital importance, and our National Judge Advocate now is pre- paring to appear and to file a brief as amicus curiae (friend of the court), 82 due to the fact that the right has been given to The American Legion to participate in that prosecution. If conviction is obtained in this case and the constitutionality of the law is sustained, it follows that other manu- facturers will quickly “draw in their horns,” and this will be a healthy deterrent against other violations. The Emblem Committee has had a lengthy conference with the Na- tional Judge Advocate and with our supervisory body, the Finance Com- mission, as a result of which civil prosecutions shortly will be instituted, both under the patent law and by injunctive relief, to further stop the illegal manufacture and sale of merchandise having thereon the emblem. Your committee has arrived at the conclusion that a strong and vigorous prosecution of all violators to restrain illegal methods is necessary to fully protect our emblem. Financial Report Since the report at Miami, the two additional months’ business shows a continuing increase in the volume of business, with an accompanying increase in profits. Each month, statements go out to each member of your committee, and to the Department Commanders and Department Adjutants, showing the participation in profits of the respective Depart- ments as a result of authorized Legion merchandise.therein. The coop- eration of the Departments in seeing that only authorized Legion mer- chandise is sold in their own Department, and also using their local media of Department and Post newspapers, and Adjutant’s bulletins, to encour- age the purchase of only authorized merchandise, will increase the par- ticipation in profits of every Department. Cooperation already shown by the Departments, with the realization of their financial benefits there- from, has given great encouragement to your committee and the Na- tional Emblem Sales Division. There still remains much to be done. Together we shall achieve our mutual goal.

The following three resolutions, emanating from the National Emblem Committee through the National Finance Commission, were presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcom- mittee and approved:

fa • f i OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOR LEGION SHIRTS Whereas, The National Executive Committee at its meeting held on May 3-5, 1948, adopted a resolution, designated as No. 50, as shown on pages 124-5 of the Digest of Minutes of that meeting, modifying Resolu- tion No. 71 adopted by this committee at its meeting held on May 5-7, 1947, as shown on page 132 et seq. of the Digest of Minutes thereof, mak- ing the shirt and tie or both a part of the official Legion uniform; and Whereas, It is necessary to provide minimum specifications for both the shirt and tie for the use of the several Departments to enter into written contracts; and Whereas, Several Departments, because of climatic conditions, feel they should be permitted to purchase Legion shirts of material other than cotton; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Le- gion at its meeting held at Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 18-20, 1948, That the following minimum specifications for the official Legion shirt and tie for both men and women Legionnaires be and they are hereby adopted for the use of the several Departments in making con- tracts: 83 Minimum Specifications for American Legion Shirt Style Army officers model, with attached soft collar, shoulder straps with buttons, and two button-through patch pockets with 114" center pleat. One button cuff. Center pleat of shirt front to be 1%" with minimum of five buttons, exclusive of the collar. With the exception of the Legion buttons on the two shoulder straps and the two patch pockets, all buttons are to be of the best quality four hole ocean pearl type of an appropriate size and color. Colors White, and deep navy blue. Material The material shall consist of the following minimum specifications: White shirts—The white shirts are to be made of Sanforized cotton cloth, single ply, combed yarn, made from long staple American cotton, count 144x76, weight 4.2 or better; or two ply combed yarn, made from long staple American cotton, count 80x80, weight 3.5 or better. Blue shirts—The blue shirts are to be made of Sanforized cotton cloth, single ply, combed yarn, made from long staple American cotton, count 128x68 (specify weight) or better; or two ply combed yarn made from long staple American cotton, count 80x80, weight 3.5 or better. The material is to be vat dyed, guaranteed fast to perspiration, sun and washing. Optional material for use of Departments may be poplin,Jight-weight cotton, celanese, rayon, silk, gabardine, part-wool or wool, as selected by each Department with the suggestion that the Departments in fixing their individual specifications for the white and blue shirts to be made of the optional material shall require a standard whereby the Legionnaire will present to the public a neat and attractive appearance and maintain uniformity. NOTE: Technical specifications must be give on material on which your bid is based. Construction Six button front, including collar button. Two patch pockets 5"x5", each with pointed flap, and 1%" box pleat, pleat to be stitched to prevent spreading. Each flap is to have buttonhole to permit of attaching 27 ligne Legion uniform button. Each shoulder is to have pointed shoulder strap and buttonhole to permit of attaching a 27 ligne Legion uniform button Armhole seams, all sleeve seams and underarm seams to be double stitched. Cuffs To measure 2%" wide, lined with same material as shirt. One button and one buttonhole on each cuff. Cuff sizes to be as follows: Sizes 14-15 9%" cuff finished Sizes 15% -17 10 %" cuff finished Sizes 17%-18 11" cuff finished Collar Collar and collar band lined with same material as shirt. 3" collar points. Sleeves Shirt sleeves cut extra full. Thread White thread on white shirts and vat colored thread to match color of material on blue shirts. 84 Label Each shirt shall bear the usual trademark label, with an additional label affixed immediately below, carrying the copy “Made Expressly for Departmenifof The American Legion.” (Insert name of state) Buttons Six buttons on front pleat, including collar button, and one button on each cuff, all to be of appropriate size and color, four hole ocean pearl. Trimming Each shirt shall be trimmed as follows: Two official Style D 114" embroidered American Legion insignia— one on each side of the collar, neatly appliqued; four official Grade B (soft enameled) gold plated 27 ligne American Legion uniform buttons —one on each of the two shoulder straps, and one on each of the two button-through breast pockets. All four buttons are to be removable. The Legion buttons and embroidered Legion insignia required must be purchased by the manufacturer only from the National Emblem Sales, National Headquarters, The American Legion, Indianapolis, Indiana. Sizes All shirts to be available in a complete run of sizes, from 14 to 18 inclusive, and in various sleeve lengths from 32 to 35 inclusive. Limited quantities of smaller and larger sizes will be required from time to time, and the basis on which these special shirts will be furnished should be covered fully in your proposal. Shirts, when finished, shall measure as follows: 14 14% 15 15% 16 16% 17 17% 18 Chest 42" 44" 46" 48" 50" 52" 54" 56" 58" Length from bottom of collar-band—32". Samples Sample shirts, one white and one blue, complete with the two em- broidered insignia and four buttons properly affixed, must accompany each proposal. The required number of embroidered devices and uniform buttons are being shipped separately, parcel post, special delivery, no charge. These sample shirts must be submitted without any charge or obligation to The American Legion, and will be retained in our files as a matter of permanent record. If you do not submit a bid, the Legion emblems should be returned to us. Workmanship Workmanship throughout must be of the highest possible standard, even to the smallest detail. Packing Each shirt to be folded 10"x7%", individually cellophane wrapped and packed six to a box. In addition, please indicate the amount to be de- ducted per dozen, in the event cellophane packing is eliminated. Quantities Department Headquarters, The American Legion, will take into stock shirts of both colors in various runs of sizes, in reasonable quanti- ties, placing replacement orders from time to time in reasonable multi- ples. Each proposal should specify the minimum quantity required on the initial order and on replacement orders. Delivery Prompt deliveries will be required and general service shall be con- sidered the essence of the contract. Each proposal should specify the 85 time which would be required to deliver the initial order and in addi- tion, the average time required for delivery of replacement orders. Shipping Charges All shipments will be forwarded via the quickest method, with carry- ing charges prepaid to point of destination. Additional Each proposal should be accompanied by detailed specifications of the material involved. Minimum Specifications for American Legion Ties Style—Standard four-in-hand. Colors—Gold and deep navy blue. Material—100% wool. Lining—Each tie shall be lined with a 50-50 wool and cotton lining, no tipping. Construction—Each tie shall be of hand made resilient construction. Trimming—Each tie will carry an official D 114" embroidered Legion emblem, neatly appliqued, with bottom of emblem 4%" from tip of tie. The embroidered Legion insignia required must be purchased by the manufacturer only from the National Emblem Sales, National Headquar- ters, The American Legion, Indianapolis, Indiana. Size—Each tie shall be of a size and design according to accepted standards. Workmanship—Workmanship throughout must be of the highest pos- sible standard, even to the smallest detail. Packing—The ties shall be boxed in the customary cardboard type of container, in multiples of six or 12 dozen to a box. Quantity—Department Headquarters, The American Legion, will take into stock ties in each of the two colors, in reasonable quantities, placing replacement orders from time to time in reasonable multiples. Delivery—Prompt deliveries will be required and general service shall be considered the essence of the contract. Each proposal should specify the time which would be required to deliver the initial order. Shipping Charges—All shipments will be forwarded with carrying charges prepaid to point of destination. Additional—Each proposal should be accompanied by detailed speci- fications of the material involved. Contracts—Contracts containing these minimum shirt and/or tie spec- ifications, and such additional specifications as may be determined by the several Departments may be made by the several Departments wifh uni- form manufacturers of their choice, such contracts to be in writing, and an executed copy of each such contract to be filed with the National Emblem Sales Division. Eisenhower-type Jacket Have Button or Zipper Front Whereas, The National Executive Committee adopted a resolution at its meeting held on May 3-5, 1948, at Indianapolis, Indiana, as shown on pages 121-4 of the Digest of Minutes of said meeting, designated as Res- olution No. 49, approving minimum specifications for the Eisenhower- type jacket as an optional or alternate part of the official Legion uni- form; and Whereas, It is desired to make optional the use of a button front or a zipper front (fly front); now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Le- gion, at its meeting held on November 18-20, 1948, at Indianapolis, Indi- ana, That Resolution No. 49, adopted at the May 3-5, 1948, meeting of 86 this committee, be amended and modified and the minimum specifica- tions of the Eisenhower-type jacket shall be as follows: Minimum Specifications for American Legion Eisenhower-type Jacket Type—Regular Eisenhower battle jacket. Materials—From 14% tp 16 oz. dark blue all wool serge. All wool tropical worsted, dark blue; Palm Beach (or equal), dark blue. Serge and tropical worsted materials shall be cold-water shrunk. Specifications Option 1—Jacket shall have five buttonholes and five coat-size official Legion uniform buttons down front, with bottom button and buttonhole on waist band. Option 2—Jacket shall be a zipper or fly front, with an extension tab at front on waist band and fastened with a snap-fastener. Peaked lapel collar. / Two outside breast patch pockets, pleated, each with three-pointed flap, with buttonhole. One inside breast pocket, right side 6"x6%". Each cuff to have one buttonhole and one official sleeve size Legion uniform button. Braid chain hanger. Center seam back. Linings—Body to be yoke-lined with black rayon of good quality. Sleeves to be full lined with black rayon of good quality. Flaps are to be lined with black silesia weighing at least five ounces per square yard. Front and lapels to be lined with black padding canvas cotton. Trimmings—Each jacket shall be trimmed down the front with five coat size official Legion uniform buttons, or where a zipper or fly front is used with the waist band to have an extension tab at front fastened with a snap-fastener; four small or sleeve size official Legion uniform buttons (one on each sleeve cuff and one on each outside pocket), and two official Style D 114" Legion embroidered insignia (one on each lapel) these accessories to be purchased from the National Emblem Sales of The American Legion; and with such additional trimmings such as state seal, etc., as may be called for in the various Department specifica- tions, such additional trimmings to be procured from or through the De- partment. For Women Legionnaires—For use with the Eisenhower jacket, there shall be a navy blue skirt pf the same material as the jacket, of the style commonly known as a six-gored skirt, with length and a gold stripe on each side of the skirt optional. Contracts—Contracts containing these minimum specifications and such additional specifications as may be determined by the several De- partments may be made by the several Departments with uniform manu- facturers of their choice, such contracts to be in writing, and an executed copy of each such contract to be filed with the National Emblem Sales Division. Amend Charter to Control Use of Emblem The following resolution was approved and referred to the Consti- tution and By-Laws Committee: Whereas, The provisions of Title 36 of the United States Code relating to other veterans’ organizations give greater protection to the control over and use of their respective emblems, badges and seals than those relating to The American Legion; and Whereas, It is believed that the Act of Congress chartering and creat- ing the corporation known as The American Legion should be amended to provide more control over the emblem or badge and its seal; now, therefore, be it 87 Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Le- gion at its regular meeting held November 18-20, 1948, at Indianapolis, Indiana, That sections 4 and 8, Public Laws No. 47, 68th Congress (H. R. 6808) relating to the Act of Congress incorporating The American Legion be amended and that the National Legislative Committee of The Amer- ican Legion is hereby directed and instructed to take the necessary steps to the end that legislation be introduced in the Congress of the United States to have the said Act of Congress amended as follows: Sec. 4, (in part as follows): “to use in carrying out the purposes of the corporation such emblems and badges as it may adopt and to have the exclusive right to manufacture, and to control the right to manu- facture, and to use, such emblems and badges as may be deemed nec- essary in the fulfillments of the purposes of the corporation; Sec. 8, “The said corporation and its state and local subdivisions shall have the sole and exclusive right to have and to use, in carrying out its purposes, the name ‘The American Legion’ or ‘American Le- gion’.”

The committee recessed at 12:05 p. m.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON SESSION November 19, 1948 The meeting reconvened at 1 ;45 p. m., National Commander Brown presiding. Shortly thereafter, National Vice-Commander Alessandroni assumed the Chair.

National Internal Affairs Commission The following report of the Internal Affairs Commission, pre- sented by B. C. Hilliard, Jr., Colorado, Chairman, was duly ac- cepted : Mr. Commander and Gentlemen of the Committee: First I want to call your attention to a grievous typographical error in the report of this commission. My name is omitted as one of the members of the com- mission in the first paragraph, and I want particularly, for the officials of this organization who are concerned, to have it appear in the printed copy. My name may not be in this list much longer, and I want to be sure it is in this time. As to matters within the original jurisdiction of the commission, Reso- lution No. 20 of the register of the May, 1948, meeting of the National Executive Committee, dealing with personnel problems of National Head- quarters, is the subject of a separate report. Resolution of the May, 1948, meeting of the National Executive Com- mittee, concerning the issuance of life memberships, was laid over for further consideration by a subcommittee of the commission to be appoint- ed by its incoming chairman. Resolution No. 683 of the register of the 30th Annual Convention, re- ferred by the convention to the consideration of the National Finance and National Internal Affairs Commissions was considered. This resolution, based upon a recommendation made in the report of the then National Commander, James F. O’Neil, suggests the study, by the two commis- sions named, of the fiscal policies and financial outlook of the National Organization. It is the recommendation of the National Internal Affairs Commission that these matters should, if further study than that given 88 at the current meetings is desirable, be considered by a committee to be composed of three members of the Finance Commission and two mem- bers of the Internal Affairs Commission, to be designated by the Na- tional Commander, and to meet at such times and places as he may des- ignate. Resolution No. 13 of the register of the May, 1948, meeting of the Na- tional Executive Committee, concerning methods of securing compliance with Section 1, Article VI, of the National By-Laws, was considered. This by-law requires that officials of The American Legion, at all levels, who handle Legion funds be bonded by solvent surety corporations. It is the judgment of the commission that this can be best handled by furnishing to the several Departments a sample form of master position bond and sample forms of applications for inclusion of affected officials within the coverage of such master bonds. It is hoped that the Departments, through local agents satisfactory to all concerned in the Department, will have such master bonds written, will furnish the Posts and others affected with application forms, and will secure the maximum coverage of the largest possible number of officials who should be covered. The method suggested unites the principles of maximum coverage at minimum rates and allows proper leeway in the selection of the agents and companies who are to write the coverage. A resolution embodying these principles has been presented to the Resolutions Subcommittee and is recommended for adoption. Pursuant to the action of the 30th Annual Convention on Resolution No. 439, the National Internal Affairs Commission directed the National Adjutant to prepare and present a National Citation of The American Legion to Honorable Arthur S. Flemming, as a token of the Legion’s appreciation of his efforts in behalf of Veterans’ Preference in Em- ployment. Trophies, Awards and Ceremonials Committee With the authority and by the direction of the Chairman of the Tro- phies, Awards and Ceremonials Committee, who was unable to be pres- ent, the National Internal Affairs Commission made the following disposi- tion of matters within the jurisdiction of that committee: Resolutions No. 14, dealing with a proposed National Chaplains’ Tro- phy, No. 15, dealing with insignia to be worn by graduates of The Ameri- can Legion College, and Nos. 61 and 68, concerning proposed awards of The Legion’s Distinguished Service Medal, were laid over for considera- tion at the spring, 1949, meeting of this committee. The General John J. Pershing Honor Award, consisting of a blue silk banner, 4% by 5% feet, to be awarded under designated conditions for Department membership effort, is recommended for creation, and a reso- lution to that end, embodying the rules and regulations for its award, has been submitted for consideration of the Resolutions Subcommittee. The Mancel B. Talcott Trophy, which is to be an appropriate cup do- nated by the Chairman of the Graves Registration and Memorial Com- mittee, and which is to be presented to the Post which has shown the best record in connection with the Return of the World War II War Dead Program, is recommended for acceptance. A resolution to that end, em- bodying the rules and regulations governing the award, has been pre- sented to the Resolutions Subcommittee for consideration. Constitution and By-Laws Committee Resolutions Nos. 10, 31, 59, 60 and 63, having to do with foreign and outlying Departments and Posts have hitherto, by action of the National Executive Committee at its October, 1948, meeting in Miami, been re- committed to the Constitution and By-Laws Committee for study and report at the spring, 1949, meeting. In connection with this study and 89 report it is the recommendation of the committee that a subcommittee of three of its members be authorized to consider the matter and report to the full committee at its next meeting. In view of the confusion and doubt which exists with regard to these resolutions and their subject matter, and the importance of coming to some final decision on matters which have been before the national convention and the National Execu- tive Committee on literally dozens of occasions, it is felt that the crea- tion of the subcommittee is important and immediately necessary. The Internal Affairs Commission recommends that the enabling reso- lution to this end, which it has submitted to the Resolutions Subcommit- tee, should be adopted. Graves Registration and Memorial Committee Resolution No. 50, concerning preservation of service records of all Legionnaires in the Patriots’ Transept of the Washington Cathedral has been referred to the National Historian for his opinion and report. Fur- ther consideration will be given to this resolution when this report has been received and studied. Resolution No. 67, concerning reported interference of union pall bear- ers in the burial of the body of a returned serviceman, was laid upon the table on the ground that the instance was isolated and the occurrence of a like instance is impossible. In view of the opinion of the Contests Supervisory Committee that the existing authority for Firing Squad Contests and other demonstrations is insufficient to permit both firing squad and burial detail demonstrations contests, it is recommended that a resolution definitely permitting such contests be adopted, and such a resolution has been submitted. Membership and Post Activities Committee Accumulated correspondence concerning membership problems and activities was considered. Suggested changes in the ’49-er plan were re- jected as unnecessary or in conflict with the plan as a whole. A sugges- tion for a pocket size Legion calendar was approved and an appropriate resolution has been submitted for its adoption as a sales item of the Emblem Division. A suggestion concerning an envelope for mailing mem- bership cards was referred to the Emblem Division for consideration. A suggestion that the National Organization again supply Hospitality Cards to be issued by Posts to men in the Armed Services was rejected, on the ground that present circumstances do not warrant such action by the National Organization. Ideas concerning having members’ dues fall due on their birth dates and changes in the forms of cards for reporting memberships to Na- tional Headquarters were rejected on the ground they would be im- practical.

Special Report of Internal Affairs Commission on Personnel Problems in National Headquarters The following special report, also presented by Chairman Hilliard, was adopted: Pursuant to the provisions of Resolution No. 20, adopted by the Na- tional Executive Committee, at its May, 1948, meeting, a special subcom- mittee of the National Internal Affairs Commission made a detailed study of “an orderly classification, the salary brackets of each classification, the matters of employment, promotion and discharge, and the handling of personnel generally.” The commission has, in turn, given careful attention to the report of the subcommittee and, based on the report of the subcommittee and on 90 its own consideration of the problems involved, makes this special report to the National Executive Committee. Preliminarily it should be said it was the opinion of the subcommittee, and of the commission, that although the language of Resolution No. 20 is very broad, it was intended that the study should be confined to em- ployes not concerned with the making of policy. The study was, there- fore, confined to secretarial, stenographic, clerical, maintenance, machine operators, and employes in like categories. Through the cooperation and with the approval of the National Adju- tant the subcommittee secured the services of Homer L. Humke and Associates, of Indianapolis, in making the study. This firm has had much experience in personnel surveys and, in the opinion of the commission, rendered a report of substantial and permanent value. The report is in great detail and is too lengthy to be here set forth but it is available for inspection and it is hoped the members of the National Executive Com- mittee will examine it. In substance, the survey recommends job classifications for each of the numerous types of employment in the National Organization, divides them into some 104 classes, and distributes those classes into 12 groups. In establishing the classifications and groups, the directors of the various divisions and many employes were interviewed, and all were most helpful and cooperative. The factors involved in determining wage brackets, and the skill and ability needed for a given job, are based upon varying points assigned respectively to education, experience, mental skill, manual skill, mental or visual concentration required, physical effort, contacts, responsibility for work of. others, responsibility for equipment or materials and working conditions. The wage brackets recommended for the various classes of jobs are comparable with the wages paid for similar work in Indianapolis, Washington and New York, the cities in which the Legion has its prin- cipal offices and most of its employes. It is interesting to note, as the subcommittee and the commission dis- covered, that the National Organization has never had a fixed plan with respect to personnel, as to employment, discharge, discipline or wages. Many instances were found in which employes doing similar work, and of equal seniority, received widely differing wages, and instances were found where newly employed persons were paid more than old employes doing the same work. Obviously things of this kind have been disturbing to morale, and there are many other examples of unintended discrimina- tion. The solution is, of course, the establishment of a fixed plan and a fixed policy. With the aid of the Humko report, and as a result of the independent studies made by the subcommittee and the commission, it is believed that the problems presented are these: 1. The establishment of fixed job classifications. 2. The establishment of wage brackets in each classification. 3. Provision for wage increases for longevity. 4. Provision for wage increases for merit. 5. Establishment of uniform regulations for employment, promotion, vacations, sick leave, etc. 6. Definite designation of the National Adjutant as personnel officer, with the understanding his duties in that respect may largely be delegated to an Assistant National Adjutant. 7. Definite understanding that no person shall be employed without the consent first had of the personnel officer. 8. The establishment of a committee, to be called Staff Committee on Salaries, Benefits and Appeals, to be composed of the National Ad- jutant, National Treasurer and National Comptroller, which com- 91 mittee shall be charged with passing on raises for merit; discharge and discipline of employes; and the hearing of appeals of employes dissatisfied with rulings made with respect to them by their imme- diate superiors or by the personnel officer. 9. The cooperation of the personnel officer and the committee in pre- paring an over-all salaries’ budget for consideration of the Finance Commission. The commission recommends to the National Executive Committee that resolutions be adopted to carry out the plans suggested in the nine numbered paragraphs above. It is the studied opinion of the commission that the adoption of those plans will go a long way toward improvement of employer-employe relationships in the National Organization, stabilize employment, place responsibility where it belongs—that is, in the higher personnel of the National Organization—and relieve the finance and other commissions of much detail they are now obliged to undertake. In making these recommendations, the commission is motivated by its opinion that they will bring order out of what may well become chaos in their absence. It is our belief that, within not too closely defined bounds, the National Adjutant should have complete supervision over employes of the classes above mentioned, and that he should have the aids and the checks suggested in this report. It is certain in our judg- ment that the National Adjutant, knowing he has the approval and backing of the National Executive Committee, can carry out these plans and, without disturbing present salaries, see to it in the future that equal and just treatment is given to each employe.

Chairman Hilliard supplemented the above report by display- ing charts.

National Convention Commission A brief supplemental report was presented by Vincent A. Car- rol, Pennsylvania, Chairman of the National Convention Commis- sion, from which is quoted the following: Since that time I have communicated with Philadelphia and have arranged, if the Philadelphia invitation is accepted, that the Auxiliary convention sessions will be held in that great Hall of Culture of Phila- delphia known as the Academy of Music, a magnificent place, a proper setting for such a pearl as the Auxiliary of The American Legion. We can very easily provide the requirements of the Auxiliary. We can very easily provide those requirements that they would like to have, and that is the establishment of their headquarters, which can be done either in the foyer of the Academy of Music or in those spacious rooms that were occupied by the committees of the Republican and Democratic Parties during their conventions there, the rooms in the Bellvue Stratford Hotel. We can also provide their requirements of 100 rooms for their headquarters group.

Convention Dates and Place By motion, seconded and adopted, it was determined to hold the 31st Annual National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, on August 29, 30, 31, and September 1, 1949. 92 Appointment of National Officers Upon nomination by National Commander Brown, the follow- ing national officers were reappointed: National Adjutant—Ilenry H. Dudley. National Treasurer—Neal Grider. National Judge Advocate—Ralph B. Gregg. Upon nomination by Committeeman George L. Cleere, Ala- bama, Monte C. Sandlin, Florence, Alabama, was appointed to serve as National Historian, replacing Thomas M. Owen, Jr., resigned.

New Orleans Invitation Upon invitation extended by Committeeman J. E. Snee, Louis- iana, it was voted to hold the May, 1949, meeting of the National Executive Committee in New Orleans. However, at a later session this action was reconsidered and changed by the decision to hold the meeting in Indianapolis.

Mancel II. Talcott Trophy The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was adopted as amended: Whereas, For more than 28 years and from its inception The Ameri- can Legion has carried on the Graves Registration and Memorial Plan and has, since World War II, in cooperation with the Department of the Army, had a large part in the Return of World War II Dead Program; and Whereas, Many Posts in the several Departments have sponsored Honor Guards and Firing Squads, which have rendered and are rendering fitting military honors to our fallen comrades returned for final burial in the United States; and Whereas, This service of The American Legion has been the result of devoted and unselfish efforts on the part of thousands of Legionnaires and the wholehearted assistance of our Posts, and the necessity of such service will continue for some time to come; and Whereas, It is fitting that there should be reward for such devoted and unselfish service in the form of an appropriate trophy, and Mancel B. Talcott, for more than 18 years the leader in this program, has do- nated such a trophy; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion, at its meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the 18th, 19th and 20th days of November, 1948, That said trophy be accepted, and that the follow- ing shall be the rules and regulations for the awarding of the same: The National Executive Committee of The American Legion, at its November, 1948, meeting, approved a trophy to be presented to the Post or to the Department of the District of Columbia that in the opinion of the judges has performed the most outstanding service in the Return of the War Dead Program. The trophy, to be known as the Mancel B. Talcott Trophy, will be presented at the national convention of The American Legion which im- mediately follows the close of the Return of the War Dead Program as declared by the Memorial Division of the Quartermaster General’s Office 93 of the Department of the Army. When known, the official closing date will be announced to each Department Adjutant and through other avail- able sources. Three judges will be appointed by the 1948-49 National Commander to serve for the duration of the contest; vacancies to be filled, if neces- sary, by the then National Commander. The judges’ decision will be final, and they will be guided by the following standards: 1. Each report must be certified by the Post or the Department of the District of Columbia Commander with supporting evidence such as 2. A written summary of the formation of the Firing Squad and Honor Guard; 3. Activities during and following World War II to date of contest closing; 4. Newspaper clippings and/or newspaper pictures; 5. Photographs of squad in action and/or rehearsal. 6. Letters from next of kin, if available; 7. Number of calls made on next of kin offering services of the Post; 8. Number of Honor Guard at funeral homes or churches; 9. Number of Legion services with Firing Squad at cemeteries; 10. Number of memorial services performed; 11. Estimated number of man-hours volunteered by Legionnaires; 12. A certification that services were offered by the Legion as set forth on Pages 13, 14 and 15 of the Graves Registration and Memorial Pamphlet. 13. A certification that the ritual as provided in Pages 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 of the 1948 Revised Manual of Ceremonies was followed; 14. Any other pertinent information and data such as burial bene- fits, service given, Government headstones and markers secured, graves registration files kept up to date, etc., etc., will also be con- sidered. The judges may, following their selection, set up a point-judging table and give further clarification; such information to be made available to all entrants and Department Headquarters upon application do National Headquarters.

Establishment of Personnel Practices The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was approved: Whereas, Pursuant to the provisions of Resolution No. 20, adopted at the May, 1948, meeting of the National Executive Committee, the Na- tional Internal Affairs Commission has made a detailed study of per- sonnel practices and policies in the National Organization with respect to secretarial, stenographic, clerical, maintenance, machine operators and employes in like categories; and Whereas, Said commission has rendered a report, which has been ac- cepted by the National Executive Committee, in which definite recom- mendations are made as to the establishment of fixed personnel practices and policies; and Whereas, It is the belief of the National Executive Committee that the recommendations of said commission are sound and should be put into practice; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion, in meeting assembled at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 18th, 19th and 20th days of November, 1948, That: 94 1. The National Adjutant is hereby designated as Personnel Officer of National Headquarters, with leave to delegate all or any of his duties in that respect to an Assistant National Adjutant. 2. The Personnel Officer shall have the power and authority and he is instructed, in each instance with respect only to secretarial, stenographic, clerical, maintenance, machine operators and employes in like categories, to: (a) Establish fixed job classifications; (b) Establish wage brackets in each classification; (c) Make uniform regulations for wage increases for longevity; (d) Make recommendations to the Staff Committee on Salaries, Benefits and Appeals for wage increases for merit, and as to dis- charge and discipline; (e) Make uniform regulations for employment, vacations, sick leave and leave without pay; (f) From time to time make such changes and alterations in job classifications, wage brackets and regulations, and to establish new job classifications and wage brackets as circumstances may require. (g) Generally have supervision of such employes. 3. Hereafter no person of the classes mentioned in Paragraph 2 above shall be employed without the consent first had of the Person- nel Officer. 4. There is hereby created a committee, to be known as Staff Committee on Salaries, Benefits and Appeals, to be composed of the National Adjutant, National Treasurer and National Comptroller; and said committee is charged, as to employes of the classes mentioned in Paragraph 2 above, with passing on and granting wage increases for merit; the discharging and disciplining of employes, and the hearing of appeals of employes dissatisfied with rulings made with respect to them by their immediate superiors or by the Personnel Officer, and said committee may make uniform regulations with respect to the matters within its jurisdiction. 5. The Personnel Officer and the Staff Committee on Salaries, Benefits and Appeals shall cooperate with affected divisions, commis- sions, committees and offices in preparing an over-all salaries’ budget with respect to employes of the classes mentioned in Paragraph 2 above, for consideration of the Finance Commission.

Pocket Size Laminated Calendar to Be Used as a Membership Stimulant The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was approved: Whereas, There is a constant need in the field for new types of sales literature, using new approaches to the problem of membership sales for use by membership workers within the Posts of the organization; and Whereas, The Membership and Post Activities Committee has given serious study to the practicability of making available to Posts, through the National Emblem Sales, at a small cost, a pocket-size laminated cal- endar carrying a brief and effective story of the work of The American Legion, and believes the use of such an item will be an effective member- ship stimulant; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion, in meeting assembled in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 18-20, 1948, That the National Emblem Sales of the National Organization in- 95 vestigate the possibility of making available such an item at the earliest possible date; and be it further Resolved, That in the event investigation reveals that such an item can be made available at a small charge, its availability be made known to Departments and Posts through all of the channels of the National Organization.

General John J. Pershing Honor Award The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Whereas, Proper recognition should be given to Departments of The American Legion for intensive early membership effort; and Whereas, General John J. Pershing, who passed on to the Great Beyond during the past year, was one of the two Honorary National Commanders of The American Legion; and Whereas, His next of kin, F. Warren Pershing, has approved the pro- posal of naming a national Legion award in honor of his distinguished parent; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion, in meeting assembled in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 18-20, 1948, That the General John J. Pershing Honor Award be accepted and that the following regulations governing the presentation of the award shall be in effect; 1. To be awarded annually to that Department of The American Legion having the greatest percentage of its Posts receiving the Hon- or Ribbon for having 100 per cent, or more, of the Post’s previous year’s membership enrolled for the coming year by December 31. 2. Title of this award to remain in The American Legion. The award, which is a blue silk banner inscribed as follows: “General John J. Pershing Honor Award—American Legion,” in gold lettering, is to be kept in constant circulation, and announcement of the award is to be made at each national convention. It shall never under any circumstances become the permanent property of a Department re- gardless of the number of successive years in which it shall be held by any one Department. 3. The custody of said banner to be awarded annually to that De- partment thereof that has the greatest number of its Posts receiving the Honor Ribbon for having 100 per cent or more of the Post’s pre- vious year’s membership enrolled for the coming year by December 31. 4. In addition to the award of the General John J. Pershing Honor Award, there shall be presented to the Commander of the Depart- ment winning same a miniature of the award (12" x 18"); and a bronze plate properly engraved to be attached to the staff of the award banner. 5. All Departments outside the continental limits of the United States, whose membership is equal to or above the membership of the smallest Department in continental United States, shall be recog- nized in this award. The size of the Departments outside and within the continental limits of the United States, for comparative purposes, shall be determined by the immediately preceding full calendar year’s membership for all Departments concerned. 6. The Department awarded the custody of said award shall de- liver to the National Adjutant a bond, insurance policy or other in- 96 denture to be approved by the National Judge Advocate, to insure the return to National Headquarters of said award or a sum sufficient to replace the same with a duplicate thereof.

Demonstration of Service at Grave Side The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Whereas, At the May, 1948, meeting of the National Executive Com- mittee a resolution presented by the Graves Registration and Memorial Committee was approved authorizing a Firing Squad Contest or demon- stration at the 1949 National American Legion Convention; and Whereas, The intent of said resolution was, in addition to inducing more Posts to use the Legion Ceremonies Manual, to encourage the formation of Firing Squads and Honor Guards and to acknowledge the excellent service these groups have done and still have to do in the World War II Return of the War Dead program; and Whereas, The official Manual of Ceremonies of The American Legion has since been revised to follow the War Department pamphlet covering the conduct of military funerals; and Whereas, The Contests Supervisory Committee has reported addi- tional authority is needed to include such contest in the revised ceremony at the cemetery in addition to a simple Firing Squad contest; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Executive Committee hereby grants au- thorization for holding, at the 1949 and subsequent national conventions, a Firing Squad contest with provision for demonstration of service at grave side, as provided on Pages 42 and 43 of the 1948 revised Manual of Ceremonies.

Surety Bond for Persons Handling American Legion Funds The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Whereas, Resolution No. 13 of the May, 1948, meeting of the National Executive Committee was referred to the National Internal Affairs Com- mission for study and report; and Whereas, With the advice and cooperation of the National Judge Advocate and the insurance consultant of the Finance Division of Nation- al Headquarters, said commission has come to the conclusion that the most feasible method of procuring compliance with Section 1 of Article VI of the National By-Laws (which requires officials of The American Legion handling its funds to be bonded by a solvent surety company) is to encourage the several Departments to supervise the procurement of such bonds by the affected officials therein; and Whereas, In the judgment of said commission, samples of a form of position bond and of applications forms to be used by or for persons to be included in the coverage of such bond should be prepared and dis- tributed by National Headquarters to the several Departments, with the understanding such bonds are to be written by such company or com- panies as the Departments or affected officials shall determine; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee in regular meeting assembled at Indianapolis, Indiana, November 18-20, 1948, That the Na- tional Judge Advocate shall prepare the forms aforesaid and the Na- tional Adjutant shall transmit the same to the several Departments, 97 directing attention to the appropriate section of the National By-Laws and to this resolution, and with such explanatory matter as the National Adjutant shall deem necessary or proper in the premises.

Foreign Departments and Outlying Posts The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved as amended: On April 29-30, 1948, the National Constitution and By-Laws Commit- tee rendered its report to the National Internal Affairs Commission on resolutions Register Nos. 18, 19, 20 and 21, dealing with Foreign Depart- ments and Outlying Posts which had been referred to the National Execu- tive Committee by the 1947 National Convention. The National Internal Affairs Commission differed somewhat in its recommendation to the National Executive Committee on May 4, 1948. The National Executive Committee then re-committed the resolutions for further study. There- after, National Executive Committee resolutions Register Nos. 10, 31 and 163 and proposed Convention Resolution No. 40, all dealing with the same subject, were likewise referred to the Constitution and By-Laws Committee. At the October 17, 1948, meeting , of the National Executive Com- mittee, resolutions Register Nos. 10, 31 and 63, following report thereon by the Constitution and By-Laws Committee and the National Internal Affairs Commission, were referred to the Constitution and By-Laws Committee, report thereon to be rendered at the May, 1949, National Executive Committee meeting and the Thirtieth National Convention, October 18-21, 1948, re-referred to that Committee Resolution No. 40. The report of the Standing Constitution and By-Laws Committee and the Convention Constitution and By-Laws Committee, approved by the National Executive Committee and the Thirtieth National Convention, recommended that all of the aforesaid resolutions be reported finally at the May, 1949, meeting of the National Executive Committee, and said reports were approved. The chairman of the Standing Constitution and By-Laws Committee, with approval of the National Internal Affairs Commission, believes it advisable that a subcommittee of. his committee, consisting of not more than two (2) members, and one member representing a foreign Depart- ment to be designated by the National Commander, meet prior to the May, 1949, National Executive Committee meeting in order to properly consider -the resolutions on this complicated and vexatious problem; therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee, That the National Commander be authorized to call such subcommittee prior to the Na- tional Executive Committee meeting to be held May, 1949, at a time and place to be designated by the chairman of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee.

Resolution to Study Fiscal Policies and Financial Outlook of the National Organization The above captioned resolution, emanating from the Internal Affairs Commission, was presented by Chairman Wilson with the approval recommendation of the Resolutions Subcommittee; how- ever, after discussion, the resolution was defeated. 98 Eligibility of National Officers The following memorandum, read by the National Adjutant, was duly accepted: November 17, 1948. MEMORANDUM TO: NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THE AMERICAN LEGION In accordance with the action of the 13th Annual National Convention of The American Legion, Detroit, Michigan, September 21-24, 1931, a copy of discharge from service, certified copy of same, or other satisfactory evidence of service record, proving eligibility to membership in The American Legion, has been submitted to the office of the National Adju- tant by the following National officers: Perry Brown, Texas, National Commander; James Lane, Alabama, National Vice-Commander; Leonard W. Moody, Arkansas, National Vice-Commander; James Annin, Montana, National Vice-Commander; Edward J. Kelly, Connecticut, National Vice-Commander; Walter E. Alessandroni, Pennsylvania, National Vice-Commander; Rev. Thomas Grice, California, National Chaplain. The above proofs have been examined by the National Judge Advo- cate, who has certified to the eligibility of the above-named National officers for membership in The American Legion. Proof of eligibility for the following National officers has been sub- mitted and approved at previous sessions of the National Executive Committee: Neal Grider, National Treasurer; Ralph B. Gregg, National Judge Advocate; Henry H. Dudley, National Adjutant. Respectfully submitted, (signed) HENRY H. DUDLEY, National Adjutant. Approved: Ralph B. Gregg, National Judge Advocate.

National Security Commission The following report of the National Security Commission, presented by Lewis K. Gough, California, Vice-Chairman, was accepted and filed: Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Committee: There are a number of new members of the National Executive Committee, and for their benefit particularly, we would like to outline briefly the organization of your National Security Commission. The commission comprises six subcommittees: Army, Navy, Aeronau- tics, Merchant Marine, Civil Defense and Universal Military Training, with a total membership of 143 members. The objective of the commission, as a whole, is to work toward an adequate national security program for our country to the end that never again will our policy for peace outrun our ability to enforce it. At the Miami Convention, just concluded, your commission strongly advo- cated the striking of appeasement from the lexicon of American diplo- macy and in its place to substitute a proper and firm policy and will for peace backed by necessary military strength sufficient to maintain ade- quately our national security. 99 Specifically we recommended a number of essential principles in the interest of justice, peace and world-wide security which were approved by the convention in their entirety. We recommended promotion for the passage of laws inaugurating UMT, a nation-wide plan of civil defense and a Merchant Marine devel- oped for commercial service in peace and maintained for military service as a vital arm of national defense in war. I will not dwell further at pres- ent on these principles as each will be discussed in sufficient detail as priority items of our report. We will outline briefly the commission’s analysis of the nation’s im- mediate problems of national security to meet possible attack on America. A. The convention mandates calling for implementation of the Armed Services and for general security requirements are set forth in detail in the Summary of Proceedings on your desks. Your detailed study of this program is, of course, assumed. B. However, our basic national security now falls into priority con- sideration as to urgency as follows: 1. Military manpower preparedness through UMT. 2. Civilian protection preparedness through Civil Defense. 3. Ocean transportation security through the Merchant Marine. 4. An Air Force second to none and an Army and Navy of sufficient offensive and defensive strength to assure and secure the peace. Without detracting in the slightest degree from the Legion’s continu- ing emphasis upon every phase of completely adequate military and naval establishments, this commission reiterates to you the Legion’s declaration of principle that “Air Power Is Peace Power.” We do this because it becomes increasingly obvious, day by day, that in any future emergency, the air, in the initial phase, will be the first line of defense and the Miami Convention calls for the strongest striking air arm in the world. Your commission desires that you be more fully informed concerning three of the foregoing principles, because of the priority and timeliness involved. We will now discuss briefly with you the Civil Defense, Universal Military Training and the Merchant Marine programs. Civil Defense The relationship of The American Legion to Civil Defense has now taken a new turn. New duties lie before us, and our responsibility has become great. Just as we are convening for this meeting, the report to the Secretary of Defense by the Office of Civil Defense Planning is being released to the public. That report recommends for adoption a very comprehensive plan for civil defense at all levels which it designates “a permanent peacetime system of civil defense.” For your quick reference to the over-all planning involved in this pro- posal, Charts 2, 3 and 4, covering civil defense organization at national, state and local levels have been reproduced and are on your desks. One copy of the report, which comprises something over 300 printed pages, has been available to the National Security Commission for study for the past three days. Obviously, we are unable now to do more than to give you a most cursory report upon it. The Hopley Report (to identify it by reference to its proponent, Russell J. Hopley, the Director of Civil Defense Planning) appears at first glance to embrace and to implement the principles of Civil Defense which have been announced by The American Legion. It appears to include generally the organization table specified by The American Legion at the New York Convention as essential to a proper 100 plan of Civil Defense. Its structure appears to be consistent with the Degion s insistence upon preservation of local autonomy in peacetime and maximum protection of those human rights and liberties which we deem fundamental to our concept of a free America. It sets forth a Model Act as suggested basis for uniform state legislation. But the National Security Commission and the Civil Defense Commit- tee will have to subject this entire proposal to the most searching scruti- ny before we shall be able to give you a final approval upon which to base official Legion action. It is self-evident that the impact of full reg- imentation, under Civil Defense, could be devastating to the American concept of freedom. At Miami, The American Legion reaffirmed its positive position for an effective nation-wide program of Civil Defense, utilizing existing state and local facilities and agencies, where possible, under an articulated nation-wide control and supervision, designed to provide coordination and unity, and based upon basic principles previously declared by the Legion to be essential to an acceptable civil defense establishment. It is now our grave responsibility of citizenship that The American Legion satisfy itself whether the Federal proposal now being released meets those tests of acceptibility. It is the mandate of the Miami Convention (Item 2, Statement of Pol- lcy, p. 78, Summary of Proceedings) that the Hopley proposal “be studied y . he American Legion as soon as the details of the program are made available, and that The American Legion stand ready to furnish direct and immediate support through cooperation, coordination and education m the event the plan meets with final approval.” In all fairness to the present proposal of this plan, it should be ob- served that in his letter transmitting the report to the governors of the states for their consideration, Mr. Hopley emphasized that it “is still only the report of a planning group” and is not an official position of the military establishment or executive branch of the Federal Government; that it may be modified as a result of study and suggestion before it is referred to the President for approval and submitted to Congress for action. Accordingly, the National Security Commission believes that if your body should refer this matter back to the commission for a detailed study and for careful analysis and scrutiny, against the background of the Legion s declarations of principle, we could render the service called for by the convention. This would enable us to have the study and report of the Civil Defense Committee and its expert consultants for our guid- ance. Our report could then be rendered to the National Commander for his instructions as to our proposals for modification or of approval, as the case might be. Final report could then be made for your guidance as to activation of the organization as authorized at Miami. We would not have intruded upon your time to this extent, but for a keen realization of the far-reaching impact upon our whole people of any permanent plan of Civil Defense. It must be acceptable according to the concepts of The American Legion. Universal Military Training Universal Military Training has been advocated by The American Le- gion since 1920. It will take only a few minutes to summarize for you members of the National Executive Committee the progress which has been made and the status of UMT today. Universal Military Training in principle has been the continued policy of oui organization for 28 years. For the last five years, through con- vention mandate and National Executive Committee action, The Amer- 101 ican Legion has approved a specific program. It provides for a short period of basic training in the field under the Armed Services. This would be followed by technical training in educational institutions or industrial establishments or further military training in Civilian Components or the Regular Establishments. The trainee would be given the widest possible latitude in selecting his branch of service, type of training and method of completing his training obligation to the nation. The objective of the Legion’s policy of UMT is to provide our country with a self-replenishing reservoir of trained man power adequate to meet any national emergency at a minimum of cost and with minimum inter- ference with school, job or family planning. President Truman, leaders of the Republican Party, ranking members of the Armed Forces, leaders of the Civilian Components, the Compton Commission and major veterans’ organizations endorsed the Legion’s principles for UMT. This wide adoption of American Legion policy has resulted in the introduction of UMT bills implementing our plan in the last two sessions of Congress. At the last session of Congress, the House Armed Services Committee favorably reported H. R. 4278, which embod- ied the Legion’s program. The American Legion supports a strong National Security program. It urges an Army, Navy, Air Force and Merchant Marine, superior to those of any nation. The fulfillment of these demands will require the training of the man power of our country in three ways: 1. The most democratic way. 2. The most efficient way. 3. The most economical way. We contend that Universal Military Training is the best means to insure all three. We quote one paragraph from the Compton Report, that beautifully summarizes this report’s thinking. “Only through a universal training program could we get the kind of Armed Forces that would be both adequate and within our financial capacity. That does not mean that universal training represents a cheap way to buy security. It does mean that the cost in proportion to the re- turn will be much less than under any alternative method of raising our military potential to the level required in the current state of world affairs.” The national convention of 1948 re-emphasized and reiterated our long-time policy that, in a democracy, adequate national security must be supported by a foundation of universal military training in the follow- ing strong resolution: Whereas, (a) Adequate preparedness is the best protection against wars and the needless sacrifice of human life; (b) A citizenry trained for defense is the bulwark of democracy and the keystone of preparedness and can best be assured through the training of the nation’s youth for national security; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That we urgently request the Congress of the United States to pass legislation similar to H. R. 4278 immediately after convening at the next session, that all members of every Post of The American Legion be urgently requested to petition their Senators and Representatives to vote favorably on Universal Military Training; that each Department of The American Legion be urged to institute forthwith a militant pro- gram of information and education for the benefit of the American people, that they may understand the importance of immediate action on this measure, and the dangers to our homes and to our country which require its enactment without delay; and be it further 102 Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to all United States Senators and Representatives, to the President of the United States and to all newspapers, patriotic organizations and civil agencies. The American Legion plan of UMT provides: A Civilian Commission, responsible only to the President, in control of policy and finance. Training by the Armed Services. Basic training in camp, on ship or in the air for the shortest adequate period, not to exceed six months. Selection of branch of service by the trainee within quota limits. Disciplinary procedure to be modified to conform to civilian standards of justice. Completion of training obligation in one of the following ways which the trainee selects and qualifies for: Enlistment in one of the Armed Services. Completion of advanced training in one of the Armed Services. Enlistment and service in one of the Civilian Components. Special training in industry. Technical training in college. ROTC. The National Security Division has perfected a chart which I will now use to illustrate these principal features of The American Legion plan for UMT. Conclusion Today, Universal Military Training is needed more than at any other time in our history. A milkdown substitute for Universal Military Train- ing cannot possibly give us national security. The time is ripe, the opportunity for passage is ideal. We, the mem- bers of the National Security Commission, do therefore request of the National Executive Committee to authorize the National Commander to take all steps necessary to secure introduction and enactment of legisla- tion embodying The American Legion policy of Universal Military Train- ing at the next session of Congress. Merchant Marine Gentlemen, I have been asked to outline briefly how we, the working staff at National Headquarters, implement the national security pro- grams of our American Legion. Our most active and productive program at present is that of Mer- chant Marine. It therefore offers a good example of our activities. Guided and directed by the mandate of the New York Convention in 1947 to take direct action in educating the American people to the im- portance of a strong Merchant Marine for national security, we have accomplished the following: Shortly after the New York Convention action, the President’s Com- mittee on Merchant Marine issued a factual and comprehensive study on which to base an active Legion program. It was too lengthy and dry, however, for the average American. The report was condensed and dressed up into an attractive booklet. Such a colorful, graphic presentation of the facts challenged the imagina- tion and the thinking of all who saw and read it. Cleared through the Departments for Post mailing, in a matter of a few weeks our supply of 50,000 copies was exhausted. Libraries, college teachers and grass-roots Americans wanted our booklet for study, kews- paper editorials throughout the nation began commenting favorably, and at length, on the Legion’s new Merchant Marine program. The booklet was publicized at every opportunity. Copies were sent to Legion conventions for hand-out and study material, to service groups, to 103 business men’s clubs where working Legionnaires were presenting the story of the Merchant Marine. From secretaries of states we obtained lists of Congressional candi- dates. A personal letter was directed to each candidate, quoting part of the Merchant Marine resolution adopted at the New York Convention, justifying Legion interest and action for maintaining a strong Merchant Marine for national security. A copy of the booklet “Now Is The Time To Build Ships” accompanied each letter. Our files tell the story of an amaz- ing response to our efforts. Some wrote for the complete Legion resolu- tion. Others wrote for additional information. Many pledged support of our efforts. Some asked to be put on our mailing list for all national security literature. One read the contents of the booklet into the Con- gressional Record. The second phase of this program is now under way. Four transcribed radio shows have been distributed to more than 1,000 radio stations regu- larly carrying our successful “Decision Now” series. These shows tell dramatically the need for a strong Merchant Marine. Timed to follow the radio shows is a new Legion booklet, “Ships and America,” to be offered to our vast radio audience. Advance publicity has resulted in re- quests for nearly 5,000 booklets already, and it won’t be off the presses until December 13. This second phase is a grass-roots campaign. Letters are going to every Post on the radio shows. The new booklet will also go to every Post; 100,000 copies will be distributed where they will be most effective. Our policy of “Give the American public the facts” is paying off for the Legion and for our national security programs. The result is a greater appreciation of a strong Merchant Marine down in the Departments where it can do some good. Almost every Department now has a Merchant Marine Chairman, one who is becoming indoctrinated with facts that are and will be passed along to create public opinion. Public opinion will grow as we become better informed and tell more and more persons outside the Legion. We are approaching the time when legislative action is demanded. The 81st Congress will consider a definite long-range program for a strong American Merchant Marine. The Legion will no doubt be called upon for its advice and opinion. The Legion has the wherewithal that can make this program a reality. After education has helped mould public opinion, legislative action is in order. The Miami Convention mandated us to continue our direct action pro- gram in behalf of a strong Merchant Marine so that next year offers new opportunities. Plans are now being discussed to work not only on the immediate needs, but on the long-range requirements for a Merchant Marine adequate for our national security. Perhaps we can tell the story of the American Merchant Marine to the young men and women who will be striving to keep the peace in the next generations. Two new bulletins have been approved for the National Security Divi- sion. The first, “Air Power Is Peace Power,” started as a trial balloon. It was designed to give, in condensed form, sufficient information to keep up the interest of the Aeronautics chairmen in the Departments, and to help direct their efforts along a general plan. It caught hold and through unsolicited requests doubled its circulation. Based on the acceptance given this bulletin, we were asked to develop a similar bulletin, another monthly digest, on the over-all National Security program. This has been done. Its initial acceptance has been encouraging. These activities cost money—the money which you gentlemen allocate us in our annual budget. I know you are interested in how your National Security dollar is spent. In the proposed budget for next year, 511,800.00 has been allocated 104 for salaries. This is a reduction from the $16,150.00 budgeted for salaries last year. Two thousand four hundred dollars is allowed for the travel of the Director. The next budget item is $5,500.00 for two meetings of the National Security Commission. Six thousand dollars was budgeted for this item last year, but experience shows it does not cost that much to have two meetings, hence, we reduced that item by $500.00. For the Aeronautics Committee to hold one meeting this next year in Indianapolis, it will cost $2,200.00. A meeting of the Civil Defense Committee will cost $2,000.00. This item has been increased from the $1,750.00 allocated last year because last year’s experience showed that such a meeting could not be held for less than $2,000.00. The budget allows $2,200.00 for one meeting of the Merchant Marine Committee. Our proposed budget allocates $3,000.00 for the meeting of the Mili- tary Affairs Committee. This is $400.00 greater than last year’s allow- ance for this item. Once again experience showed that an increase was necessary for such a meeting. The Naval Affairs budget has also been increased. It actually cost $300.00 more than the $2,200.00 allocated last year, hence, the request for $2,500.00 in the 1949 budget. The items, travel for the UMT Executive Committee—$1,000.00; travel for the chairman of the Security Executive Committee—$2,000.00 and the Telephone and Telegraph budget—$1,000.00, are the same in the proposed budget for 1949 as they were in the budget for last year. Our experience has shown these budget items to be reasonable and necessary. The next budget item is Stationery, Printing and Supplies. This has been reduced from $8,500.00 to $8,000.00 because it is believed that greater economy can be exercised in our printing account. Postage and Express, $2,500.00, is the same as in last year’s budget. Although we have effected a surplus this year, we anticipate a wider distribution of Division publications next year and will have need for this amount of money. The last item, that of Building Maintenance, has increased slightly, due undoubtedly to the high cost of living. It amounts to $465.00 as com- pared with $451.00 last year. The proposed budget for 1949, $46,565.70, is $4,385.77 less than the budget required for operation of the National Security Commission in 1948. Closing Remarks My comrades, the action of the 30th National Convention of The American Legion has recommended that the National Executive Commit- tee take the necessary steps to effectuate these policies. Not only the members of this committee, but all Legionnaires must act with intelligence, far-sightedness, courage and concerted effort to exert America’s strength to establish and maintain PEACE. All that we can do will not be too much. As Legionnaires, under our obligation to God and Country, we must not do less.

Maritime Service Under Navy in Wartime The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was approved: Whereas, In World War II the personnel of the U. S. Maritime Serv- ice were not members of the Armed Forces and consequently not subject 105 to military rules and regulations as to hours of work, rates of pay, proce- dure and discipline; and Whereas, Members of the Armed Forces of the United States served in World War II on the same ships with personnel of the U. S. Maritime Service at lesser rates of pay and different rules and.regulations as to procedures and discipline; and Whereas, This policy of having the U. S. Maritime Service separate and distinct from the Armed Forces of the United States and the non- combatant ships of the United States manned by personnel under two to- tally different rules and regulations imperiled the effectiveness of our military effort; therefore, be it Resolved, That The American Legion, Department of Michigan, at the spring meeting of the Executive Committee supports and urges appro- priate legislation be enacted immediately by the Congress of the United States to provide that if the United States shall ever again declare war, the members of the U. S. Maritime Service shall be under the jurisdic- tion and control of the Navy Department and each individual in the Mari- time Service in time of war shall be a member of the Armed Forces.

Distinguished Service Award to Major General Frank Parker Resolution, emanating from the National Security Commission, was presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcom- mittee, and motion adopted to refer it to the Trophies, Awards and Ceremonials Committee. The resolution recommended the award of the National Distinguished Service Medal of The Amer- ican Legion posthumously to Major General Frank Parker.

Universal Military Training The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was approved: Whereas, The 30th Annual National Convention of The American Le- gion has iterated the urgent need for the adoption of The American Le- gion Plan of Universal Military Training as the foundation of adequate national security; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Commander is authorized and directed to secure the introduction of legislation into the Congress of the United States at its next session which would enact The American Legion prin- ciples for Universal Military Training into law and to take all proper and necessary steps to support the adoption of such legislation.

Subcommittee on Reorganization The following report, presented by Wm. G. McKinley, New Jersey, Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Reorganization of the National Organization, was approved: William J. McKinley, Vice-Chairman of the committee, submitted the following report: The Subcommittee on Reorganization of the National Organization met in Indianapolis, Indiana, beginning Wednesday, November 17, 1948. It will be recalled that by Resolution No. 95 of the May meeting of the National Executive Committee all national commissions were directed to submit to this subcommittee a report of their operations under the commission plan inaugurated last November with recommendations as 106 to what further authority might be required by them to carry out their assignments and whether further adjustments in their structure was re- quired. All commissions have complied with this instruction. Most of these re- ports give a, detailed analysis of the programs of the commissions which is indicative of careful, thoughtful and extensive research. All of the so-called program commissions, and the Rehabilitation, Child Welfare, Economics, Internal Affairs, in particular, submitted recommendations which require considerable further study. Many of these recommenda- tions are of far-reaching import and of progressive thought. It is defi- nitely apparent that what these commissions seek is the advancement of their programs along more extensive lines and by more direct and effi- cient methods. Broadly, the Reorganization Committee is sympathetic with the intent of these new ideas and recognizes that by their adoption, in one form or another, all of the greater programs to which The Ameri- can Legion is committed will prosper and advance. This is the basic pur- pose of reorganization and the Reorganization Committee is not only grateful for the cooperation given it by the several commissions but commends them to this National Executive Committee for their sincer- ity, loyalty and wholehearted devotion to their assignments. One important suggestion contained in several commission reports is the establishment of areas over the country, similar to the area organi- zation of the Rehabilitation and Child Welfare Commissions whereby leadership and direction of national programs could be brought closer to Departments and in most instances, to the Posts, for example, Mem- bership Activities. Nationally, membership appeals have been conducted on such a broad and generalized plane as to be of minimum productive good and gives little assistance to Departments and Posts. A number of other programs seem to yield to area decentralization. Certain programs of the Americanism Commission, the Economic Com- mission and Internal Affairs Commission would seem to prosper, if more active leadership were provided in the field. The Reorganization Subcommittee desires to explore this program of area organization. Without committing itself to fixed opinion at this time, the committee has in mind five area groupments which would con- template association of Departments along natural geographic arrange- ments, commonality of economic circumstances and local customs, sim- plicity of intercommunication and efficiency of operation at minimum ex- pense either to the National Organization or the associated Departments. Should such a plan prove feasible, most major programs could be adjusted to meet the field conditions in much the same fashion as is now done with Rehabilitation and Child Welfare programs. With these generalizations as to the current considerations in reor- ganization, it is recommended that the Reorganization Subcommittee be continued and that it be permitted to meet sometime early in the new year, well in advance of the May meeting to draw up more specific and detailed recommendations. The present objectives of the Reorganization Subcommittee are: 1. Development of a manual for commissions to more specifically de- scribe and prescribe their functions and scope, more definitely fix the membership of commissions and their terms of office, and to define their general authority and rules of procedure. 2. Development, in cooperation with the National Adjutant, of a stand- ard operating practice which will govern the assignment of full-time per- sonnel, define their duties, and cover other essential administrative de- tails. Finally, the Reorganization Subcommittee recommends the aboli- tion of one present committee: 107 1. The Postwar America Committee. This committee has outlived and fulfilled its purpose and its functions are now performed by other committees. A resolution to effectuate this abolishment has been submitted through the Resolutions Subcommittee. Respectively submitted, JAMES F. DANIEL, JR., South Carolina, LEO V. LANNING, New York, THOMAS W. MILLER, Nevada, ROY T. ANDERSON, Minnesota, JAMES W. DOON, New Hampshire, WM. G. McKINLEY, Vice-Chairman, New Jersey. Absent: RAY MURPHY, Chairman, Iowa, ROANE WARING, Tennessee.

Liaison Committees The following resolution, emanating from the above report, was presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcom- mittee and adopted : Liaison Committees (Submitted by Reorganization Subcommittee of the National Executive Committee) Whereas, Liaison committees were created by Resolution No. 29 at the meeting of the National Executive Committee of The American Le- gion, Indianapolis, Indiana, October 30, 31-Nov. 1, 1947; and Whereas, Said resolutions provided for the appointment of said com- mittees for the term of one year and to expire with the November, 1948, meeting; and Whereas, Such committees have proved their value during the past year and it is considered desirable to create similar committees for the current and succeeding years; therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Le- gion assembled in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 18-20, 1948, That the National Commander appoint from the members of the National Execu- tive Committee the following liaison committees: Liaison with National Americanism Commission—five members. Liaison with National Child Welfare—five members. Liaison with National Economic Commission—five members. Liaison with National Rehabilitation Commission—five members. Liaison with National Security Commission—five members. Liaison with National Convention Commission—three members. Liaison with National Finance Commission—three members. Liaison with National Foreign Relations Commission—three members. Liaison with National Internal Organization Commission—three mem- bers. Liaison with National Legislative Commission—three members. Liaison with National Public Relations Commission—three members. Liaison with National Publications Commission—three Members. Be it further Resolved, That such appointments shall be for the current year, shall run concurrently with the term of the National Commander and shall expire at the end of the National Commander’s term of office; be it further 108 Resolved, That in the event of the termination of membership of a member of any liaison committee on the National Executive Commit- tee, membership shall automatically terminate on such liaison commit- tee and the vacated position shall be filled by the National Commander from members of the National Executive Committee; be it further Resolved, That the above and foregoing resolution shall remain in full force and effect for the current and succeeding years until the same is amended or repealed by action of the National Executive Committee.

Abolition of Postwar America Committee The following resolution, also presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Whereas, The report of the National Economic Commission recom- mended the abolition of the Postwar America Committee for the rea- son that the functions of this committee are properly performed by other existing committees; therefore, be it Resolved, That the Postwar America Committee be abolished.

Subcommittee on Revising Rules of the National Executive Committee The report of the Subcommittee on Revising Rules of the National Executive Committee was presented by Wm. G. McKin- ley, New Jersey, Chairman, and adopted ad seriatum, with amend- ments as noted below, after which the entire report, as shown following, with amendments, was adopted: Rules of the National Executive Committee of The American Legion The following rules are based upon the report of the Special Code of Procedure Subcommittee of the National Executive Committee, as adopt- ed at the November 21-22, 1940, meeting, to take effect ten days from the date of such adoption, and amended at the May 1-2, 1941, December 13-15, 1945, and subsequently revised by the November 18-20, 1948, meetings of the National Executive Committee. The Code of Procedure, as set forth on the following pages, except as may be amended in the future, will govern all future meetings of the National Executive Committee. HENRY H. DUDLEY, National Adjutant. RULE 1 Self-Governing The National Executive Committee of The American Legion, as pro- vided by the national Constitution of The American Legion, shall be a self-governing committee and transact business in accordance with the rules hereinafter set forth, subject only to the Constitution and By-Laws of The American Legion and mandates of the national conventions. RULE 2 Officers The National Commander shall be the Chairman of the National Ex- ecutive Committee, and the National Adjutant shall serve as Secretary. Any temporary vacancies, in such offices of Chairman and Secretary, 109 shall be filled by action of the committee, for the respective meeting in which the vacancy occurs. RULE 3 Duties and Powers The National Executive Committee is specifically empowered to exer- cise the following powers and rights, and may delegate to any subcom- mittee composed of members of the National Executive Committee au- thority to investigate and report back to the committee on any of the following powers and rights: (a) To make decisions on all matters, executive or administrative: Provided, however, that the said action so taken shall not be contrary to, nor in derogation of, actions of the national convention, except as pro- vided by the resolution adopted at the Cleveland National Convention in 1936, as follows: “Resolved, That any policy adopted by the National Organization of The American Legion by convention action shall be a mandate during the year of its adoption and thereafter shall continue as the national policy of the National Organization unless changed by action of the National Executive Committee,” except that mandates pertaining to legislative action by the Congress of the United States shall extend only to the next succeeding session of Congress. (b) To determine the number of members of all National Commis- sions, National Committees, Boards or Subcommittees of the National Ex- ecutive Committee created by the National Commander not in conflict with the Constitution and By-Laws of The American Legion or the Na- tional Executive Committee and to ratify the appointments made by the National Commander. Such National Commissions, National Committees, Boards or Subcommittees of the National Executive Committee shall re- ceive full instructions from the National Executive Committee by reso- lution specifying their purpose, scope, function and authority and each National Commission, National Committee, Board or Subcommittee of the National Executive Committee which has met since the last meeting of the National Executive Committee and prior to the next ensuing meet- ing of the National Executive Committee, shall prepare preliminary re- ports for distribution by the National Adjutant to members of the Na- tional Executive Committee preceding any meeting, regular or special. (c) Upon any report made to the National Executive Committee by any National Commission, National Committee, Board or Subcommittee of the National Executive Committee and containing any recommenda- tion as to future conduct, or as to future policy of matters within their scope the receiving, accepting or approval of such report shall not mean the adoption of such recommendations, and each specific recommenda- tion as to future conduct or as to future policy shall be embodied in a separate resolution for the consideration and action of the National Exec- utive Committee. (d) To make decisions when necessary relative to expenditures for which appropriations have been made by the National Executive Com- mittee, and to make emergency appropriations necessary to implement action by the National Executive Committee. (e) To make appropriations, from funds not otherwise appropriated, of such additional amounts as may be recognizable as emergency require- ments. (f) To explore matters requiring the attention of the National Execu- tive Committee and offer recommendations thereon to the National Ex- ecutive Committee. 110 (g) To advise the officers or National Commissions with regard to problems arising in the performance of their duties or functions. (h) In general, to perform between national conventions any and all actions necessary and consistent with the exercise of administrative pow- er by the National Executive Committee.

RULE i Powers of the Committee Over Its Members (a) If a quorum is not present, the National Commander may order a call of the National Executive Committee and send for the absentees. (b) In the case a less number than a quorum of the National Execu- tive Committee shall convene, those present are hereby authorized to send the Sergeant-at-Arms, or any other person or persons, by them au- thorized, for any and all absent members present within the city where the meeting is being held. And this rule shall apply, as well to the first meeting of the National Executive Committee at the legal time of meet- ing, as to each day of the session, after the hour has arrived, to which the National Executive Committee stood adjourned. RULE 5 Decorum (a) No member of the National Executive Committee, or other person except the Secretary and his assistants, shall visit or remain by the Sec- retary’s table while the yeas and nays are being called or counted. (b) No member shall speak more than twice upon the same subject without leave of the National Executive Committee; nor more than once until every member choosing to speak shall have spoken. (c) While the Commander is reporting or putting a question none shall entertain private discourse, read, stand up, walk into, out of, or across the National Executive Committee room. •> (d) No question shall be debated until it has been propounded by the Chair, and then the mover shall have the right to explain his views, in preference to any other member. (e) While the Commander is putting the question, any member who has not spoken before to the matter may speak to the question before the negative is put. (f) During any debate, any National Executive Committeeman, though he has spoken to the matter, may arise and speak to the orders of the National Executive Committee, if they be transgressed, in case the Commander does not; but if the Commander stands up at any time, he is first to be heard. RULE 6 Committee of the Whole (a) When the National Executive Committee shall resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole, the Commander shall leave the Chair and appoint a chairman to preside over the Committee of the Whole. (b) The Committee of the Whole shall consider and report on such subjects as may be committed to it by the National Executive Committee. The rules of the National Executive Committee shall be observed in the Committee of the Whole, so far as they are applicable, except the rule limiting the time of speaking, concerning the previous question, and tak- ing the yeas and nays. The proceedings in the Committee of the Whole shall not be recorded on the minutes of the National Executive Com- mittee, excepting so far as they are reported to the National Executive Committee by the chairman of the Committee of the Whole. Ill RULE 7 Order of Business The order of business of the National Executive Committee shall be: 1. Posting of the Colors. 2. The Invocation. 3. Call the roll. 4. Read the minutes of the former meetings. 5. Dispose of letters or communications. 6. Receive reports from National officers of The American Legion. 7. Receive reports from National Commissions, National Commit- tees, Boards and Subcommittees of the National Executive Com- mittee. 8. Receive resolutions, motions and petitions. 9. Act upon unfinished business of the preceding day and resolutions lying over from the previous day. 10. Appointment of members of standing or special commissions, committees, boards or subcommittees of the National Executive Committee. 11. Miscellaneous business. 12. Retirement of the Colors. RULE 8 Fiscal Policy All matters of business affecting the fiscal policy of The American Legion, or financial matters outside the scope of mandates of the nation- al conventions, including the making, cancellation, abrogation or modifi- cation of any contract to which the National Organization is a party, shall be considered under a first and second reading, with not less than four hours intervening. The second reading of the said matter so pre- sented shall be held not less than four hours after the first reading of the matter under submission, and it shall be required that the subject matter, i. e., the motion or resolution or report, be printed, typewritten or mime- ographed, and a copy thereof placed on the desk of each National Execu- tive Committeeman attending said meeting at the time of the first read- ing, for the purpose of consideration of such motion, resolution, or re- port between the first and second reading. Final action shall be taken only upon the second reading thereof. Provided, however, that matters and resolutions approved by and contained in the report of the National Finance Commission with favorable recommendation for immediate action may be considered at the time of the report of said National Finance Commission. RULE 9 Procedure (After discussion, several amendments were made in Rule 9. and the rule adopted, as amended, as follows:) (a) Letters and communications addressed to the National Executive Committee or to the National Commander, the National Adjutant or any other National officer and by them referred to the National Executive Committee shall be read (or published to the members, if such be of import) by the National Adjutant. Such letters or communications shall be disposed of in one of the following ways: 1. By a motion to accept. Such a motion shall have the effect of approving the subject matter and should include specific instructions for further disposition, i. e., by directions to the National Commander, Na- tional Adjutant, or other proper officer; by reference to an appropriate commission or committee; or other proper instruction. 112 2. By a motion to receive and file. Such a motion shall denote neither approval nor disapproval of the subject matter and shall require no action on the part of National officers or others beyond a formal reply, should such be required. 3. By a motion to reject or decline. Such a motion shall mean disap- proval and should include specific instructions for further disposition as contemplated in paragraph 1 above. (b) Reports of officers shall be acted upon directly by the National Executive Committee except that by direction of the National Executive Committee a report of any officer may be referred to a subcommittee of the National Executive Committee for study and report thereon, provided, however, that such reference shall not continue beyond the meeting of the National Executive Committee to which such officer’s report is first submitted. Reports of officers shall not be altered or amended by the National Executive Committee nor may any such report be rejected. In the event that the National Executive Committee shall not agree with the report or any statement therein contained, then, and in such event, if the presid- ing officer or National Executive Committee so determines, a separate memorandum shall be prepared setting forth the objections, which such memorandum if approved by the National Executive Committee, shall be filed with the report. Any such memorandum, when submitted, shall be subject to amendment. Reports of officers shall be disposed of by motion as follows: 1. To approve the report. Such action shall constitute approval of the statements made in the report. 2. To disapprove the report. Such motion shall have the effect of disapproving any or all statements in the report but such motion shall prevail only in the event that a memorandum setting forth the objections to such report shall have been adopted. 3. To receive and file the report. Such action shall constitute only a routine disposition of the report. A negative vote on motions 1 or 2 shall automatically cause the report to be received and filed. (c) Reports of National Commissions shall include a report of the National Committees assigned to them, except that for good reasons by direction of the National Commander, a National Committee may report direct to the National Executive Committee. Reports of National Commissions, National Committees, Boards, or Subcommittees of the National Executive Committee shall be received and shall then be subject to disposition on the following motions: 1. To approve the report. Such action shall constitute approval of the statements made in the report. 2. To receive and file the report. Such action shall constitute only a routine disposition of the report. 3. To re-commit the report. Such action shall return the report to the commission or committee of origin for further study and report and may be accompanied by specific instructions. 4. To commit the report to a special subcommittee of the National Executive Committee. Such action shall contemplate specific study and such subcommittee shall return the report with recommendations. 5. To commit to the Committee of the Whole. Upon adoption of such a motion, the National Executive Committee shall resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole and may thereafter alter or amend the report in whole or in part. The results of such action, however, shall again be submitted to the National Executive Committee for final disposition. A negative vote on motion 1 shall automatically cause the report to be received and filed. 113 (d) Any member of the National Executive Committee shall be privi- leged to present a resolution in his own right in any of the following ways: 1. Under a proper order of business, in which case, the subject matter thereof shall be germane. 2. Under miscellaneous business. 3. Upon unanimous consent of the committee at any session of the National Executive Committee, at an appropriate interval in the order of business. 4. Under a suspension of the rules. (e) All National Commissions, National Committees, Boards or Sub- committees of the National Executive Committee shall be required to present in resolution form all recommendations as to their future con- duct or future policy as to matters within their scope and functions upon which it is desired or required that the National Executive Committee take action as contemplated in Rule 3, paragraph (c). Such resolutions shall be filed with the Subcommittee on Resolutions prior to the first session of any meeting of the National Executive Committee at which action thereon is contemplated. The Subcommittee on Resolutions shall report such resolutions to the National Executive Committee with appropriate recommendations imme- diately following the disposition of the report of the National Commis- sion or Committee concerned. (f) Matters emanating from Posts, Departments or other sources, and from the American Legion Auxiliary or the National Society of the Forty and Eight shall be defined and classified as: 1. LEGION-SPONSORED MATTERS: (a) Resolutions of properly constituted American Legion organiza- tions, to-wit: Posts and intermediate bodies which have been approved by their Department Convention or Department Executive Committee, Department Convention, National Convention, or resolutions submitted by any National Commission or Committee. (b) Resolutions emanating from the National Organization of the American Legion Auxiliary or any official component thereof. (c) Resolutions emanating from the National Organization of the Forty and Eight, or any official component thereof. (d) Official communications or directives of the National Commander. (e) Official communications of National officers of The American Legion. 2. OFFICIAL MATTERS: Official matters are those which originate with American Legion offi- cers or officials such as Commanders or other officers of Posts, intermedi- ate bodies, Departments, the President of the National Organization of the American Legion Auxiliary, or the Chef de Chemin de Fer of the Forty and Eight. 3. GENERAL MATTERS: General matters are those which originate with individual members of The American Legion, individual citizens or as a result of communica- tions from organizations or their officials, not affiliated with The Amer- ican Legion, or from agencies of Government. Such matters shall be disposed of as follows: Whenever matters or communications are received at National Head- quarters of The American Legion, the National Adjutant shall analyze the subject matter and take action in one or more of the following ways: 114 (a) Determine, in accordance with his good judgment, whether or not such matter or communication is basically administrative in nature, and if so, refer the matter to the appropriate administrator, director or executive for disposition. (b) If, in the judgment of the National Adjutant, the subject matter be of primary concern to, or related to, a program or function of one of the National Commissions, he shall refer the same to the appropriate commission for action, or for consideration by the commission looking toward presentation to the National Executive Committee. (c) Matters which do not fall within the above classifications or which, in the opinion of the National Commander or National Adjutant, involve questions of organizational policy of sufficient importance to be considered directly by the National Executive Committee shall be re- ferred to the Subcommittee on Resolutions of the National Executive Committee for disposition. (d) The National Executive Committee, with the exception of the latitude in paragraph (c) above, will directly consider only matters which bear the prior approval of a Department Convention or Depart- ment Executive Committee, or referred to it by the national convention, or which may be recommended to it by the National Commander, or be presented to it through the governing body of either the American Legion Auxiliary National Organization or the Forty and Eight National Organi- zation. All other matters, as hereinbefore defined, which do not have the sponsorship specified in this paragraph may become eligible for considera- tion by the National Executive Committee only in the event that they have been recommended for approval to the National Executive Commit- tee by a National Commission of The American Legion. (e) The National Adjutant shall keep and maintain a register of all matters officially received from a Department (i. e., from any Depart- ment Convention, Department Executive Committee) or sponsored by a National Executive Committeeman, referred to commissions, and shall report these referrals to the National Executive Committee in written form at the regular May and November meetings of the National Execu- tive Committee, in order that National Executive Committeemen from the respective Departments shall be informed of the referrals previously made concerning matters which originate within their respective Depart- ments. This register will be continuous from meeting to meeting and continue to list a subject once placed thereon until it is reported as dis- posed of. (f) National Commissions, when submitting their reports to the National Executive Committee, shall include therein a record of the dis- position of all matters previously referred to them, and shall designate each by its register number if in that category. Resolutions referred to commissions and upon which such commissions shall have acted in an administrative or in such other manner or shall satisfy the purport of the resolution need only be reported to the National Executive Committee as to disposition. Resolutions referred to commis- sions for study and report and referred by such commissions to the •National Executive Committee for final action shall be filed with the Subcommittee on Resolutions as contemplated in paragraph (e) above, with recommendation as to their disposition.

RULE 10 Form of Resolutions (a) Resolutions which shall be offered as the direct action of the National Executive Committee shall be prepared in appropriate form containing such informative preamble in the form of “Whereas” followed by statements of fact and shall conclude with a resolving clause or claus- 115 es which shall specifically set forth what statement or declaration is to receive action of the National Executive Committee. Such resolving clause or clauses shall contain the following leading language: “Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion in regular (or special) meeting assembled in Indianapolis, Indiana (or other place), on (date or dates), That, etc. . . .; and be it further “Resolved, That, etc.’’ (b) Resolutions of Posts, intermediate bodies or other officially con- stituted subordinate organization which shall have received favorable action by their respective Department Conventions or Executive Com- mittee, and which shall have an appropriate endorsement thereof in res- olution form shall be acted upon by the National Executive Committee in the form of a final resolving clause in the following leading language: “And be it finally Resolved, by the National Executive Committee in regular (or special) meeting assembled in Indianapolis, Indiana (or other place), on (date or dates), That, etc.” (c) Resolutions of Department Conventions or Department Execu- tive Committees shall be similarly acted upon by the National Executive Committee in the form of a final resolving clause as contemplated in paragraph (b) above. RULE 11 Subcommittee on Resolutions Following discussion, Rule 11 was held over for consideration as the first order of business at the Saturday session. At the Saturday morning session, the rule as amended, was again pre- sented. After discussion, the rule was recommitted to the sub- committee for further study. Upon later presentation, the rule, amended as follows, was adopted: The Subcommittee on Resolutions of the National Executive Commit- tee shall meet at least two days prior to any regular meeting of the Na- tional Executive Committee held in May and November of each year, or any adjournment thereof. The subcommittee shall prepare a digest and such supplements there- to as may be necessary of all resolutions considered by it and for pres- entation to this committee, together with the recommendation of the subcommittee. The digest of resolutions and supplements thereto shall be placed on the desk of each committeeman at the opening of the various sessions. The subcommittee shall have the cooperation of all officers, employes and members of committees and commissions to obtain such information, facts and advice as it may deem necessary to carry out its responsibili- ties and duties. The subcommittee shall have authority to alter, amend, re-draft, or substitute for any resolution submitted to it for presentation to the Na- tional Executive Committee provided, however, that the subcommittee shall report the original resolution and its reason for any change.

RULE 12 Transaction of Business by Mail, Telegraph or by Telephone The National Executive Committee, without meeting together, may transact business by mail or by telegraph or by telephone on a matter of extreme urgency not involving the establishment of any new policy and on which action cannot be delayed to the next regular meeting, by voting upon proposed resolutions mailed or telegraphed or telephoned to 116 them by the National Adjutant, with the approval of the National Com- mander. Thirty days shall be allowed for the return, by mail or telegraph or telephone, of the votes thereon to the National Adjutant. The voting shall be considered closed at the end of the 30 days: Provided, that three- fourths of the members of the National Executive Committee have re- turned their .votes by that time, or it shall be considered closed at any time prior thereto if and when all the members shall have returned their votes: Provided, further, that in the event one-third of the committee, in writing, objects to the ballot by mail or by telegraph or by telephone, the matter shall not be decided and will be considered as the first order of business at the next regular or special meeting: Provided, further, that thereafter the National Adjutant shall notify the committee of the action taken. RULE 13 Suspension of Rule No standing rule or order of the National Executive Committee shall be suspended without one hour’s notice being given of the motion there- for, and no rule shall be suspended except by a vote of two-thirds of all the members present. RULE 14 Robert’s Rules of Order to Govern Except as otherwise herein specifically provided, Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern.

Appeal of Massachusetts Post The following report of the subcommittee to hear the appeal of the Quincy Post No. 95, Department of Massachusetts, The American Legion, presented by Dr. L. W. Esper, Illinois, Chair- man, was approved: Your committee, appointed pursuant to the orders of the National Commander, met at Indianapolis, Indiana, November 16-17 for the pur- pose of considering the matter of Quincy Post vs. Joseph McCarthy. After studying the large volume of evidence, it is the opinion of this committee that the matter is too involved to permit your committee to render a decision at this meeting. We are, therefore, requesting that this matter be held over until the May meeting* of the Executive Commit- tee, during which time we are asking the Department of Massachusetts to permit Quincy Post No. 95 to continue its activities in the regular manner. Respectfully submitted, JACK M. BALDWIN, Washington. WM. R. KENNY, Wisconsin. DR. L. W. ESPER, Illinois, Chairman.

Subcommittee on Appeal Relative to the Expulsion By Bermuda Post The following report, submitted by Dr. L. W. Esper, Illinois, Chairman, was approved: Mr. Commander, Members of the National Executive Committee: Pur- suant to appointment by the National Commander, your Subcommittee on Appeals met at National Headquarters of The American Legion, Indian- apolis, Indiana, on November 16-17, 1948, for the purpose of considering the appeal of one Karl H. Frederick, formerly a member of Bermuda 117 Post No. 1, Hamilton, Bermuda, who had been expelled from member- ship in said Post under the provisions of Section 2, Article IV of the Na- tional Constitution and By-Laws, which provides as follows: “Members may be suspended or expelled from the Legion only upon a proper showing of cause. Charges shall be based upon disloy- alty, neglect of duty, dishonesty and conduct unbecoming a member of The American Legion. All charges must be made under oath in writing by the accusers, and no member in good standing shall lose his membership until given a fair trial by the Post or Department in much manner and form as the Department By-Laws and Department Executive Committee shall prescribe.” No appeal could be taken to a Department Executive Committee as required by Section 3, Article IV, National By-Laws, due to the fact that Bermuda Post No. 1 has not been assigned to any Department but is under the direct supervision of National Headquarters; and it was rec- ommended by the National Judge Advocate that the appeal be heard by a subcommittee of the National Executive Committee, in order that the accused might be afforded the right of review. After considering the charges made by the Post, namely, disloyalty, neglect of duty, dishonesty and conduct unbecoming a member of The American Legion, and the verbatim testimony in support thereof, we are of the opinion that all of said charges were sustained by substantial and competent evidence submitted at the trial. We further find that all of the proceedings, including the trial, were conducted in a legal manner and in accordance with established pro- cedure. We, therefore, recommend that the action of Bermuda Post No. 1, in the expulsion of Karl H. Frederick from membership therein, be affirmed. Respectfully submitted, DR. L. W. ESPER, Illinois, Chairman. JACK M. BALDWIN, Washington. WM. R. KENNY, Wisconsin.

Expulsion of Karl H. Frederick from Bermuda Post No. 1 The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was approved: Resolved, by the National Executive Committee in regular meeting assembled, November 18-20, in Indianapolis, Indiana, That the action of Bermuda Post No. 1, Hamilton, Bermuda, in expelling from membership one Karl H. Frederick, be and is hereby sustained.

Legislative Program Subcommittee After discussion, the following report, presented by George L. Cleere, Alabama, was approved: Your committee met in The American Legion Headquarters at 10:00 a. m. on Tuesday, November 16. The committee was in session on the 16th and 17th, meeting with the Legislative and other commissions re- viewing the mandates of the Miami Convention and other conventions and actions of the National Executive Committee. As a result of two days of intensive study and deliberations, we herewith submit for your con- sideration the adoption of the following program of priority of legisla- tion: 118 I. REHABILITATION (a) Across-the-board cost-of-living increase for the disabled veterans, widows, orphans and dependents. (b) Housing—All mandates calling for relief of veterans in the field of housing. (c) Pensions—In view of the fact that there are points of conflict between Resolutions Nos. 44 and 456, adopted at the Miami Convention, dealing with the subject, we therefore recommend that a subcommittee of the National Executive Committee be appointed by the National Com- mander to reconcile those differences and to submit a directive to the Legislative Commission for preparation of legislation and its implementa- tion in Congress. (d) Social Security—Resolutions amending the Social Security Act with emphasis on those pertaining to Social Security Credit for time spent in the Armed Services. II. NATIONAL SECURITY (a) Universal Military Training. III. AMERICANISM (a) . Continuation of the House Un-American Activities Committee— as the eyes and ears of the Congress in the field of subversive activities. (b) Give full endorsement and approval to a bill similar to the Mundt-Nixon Bill of last Congress. Practically all of the mandates of The American Legion merit the continuous support of the Legion, but your committee feels that to adopt a too comprehensive priority program would dissipate the effectiveness of our legislative program. We take this opportunity of bringing to the attention of the National Executive Committee that at the present time there are 348 mandates on the agenda of your Legislative Commission. Therefore, we urge the necessity of the membership of the Executive Committee and that all of the commissions and committees of The Amer- ican Legion to use their influence to combat the tendency of segments of our organization utilizing the machinery of The American Legion to pro- mote programs not germane to The American Legion. Respectfully submitted, JOHN R. QUINN, California. JAMES F. O’NEIL, New Hampshire. CARROLL LOCKHART, South Dakota. GEORGE L. CLEERE, Alabama, Chairman.

Clarification of Convention Mandates The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was adopted. Whereas, Resolutions Nos. 44 and 456, adopted at the national conven- tion in Miami, Florida, and involving pensions to veterans, are conflict- ing; and Whereas, It will be necessary to reconcile said conflict before the pres- entation of any legislative program with reference thereto; now, there- fore, be it Resolved, That a subcommittee consisting of three (3) members of the National Executive Committee be appointed by the National Com- mander to reconcile these differences and to submit a directive to the Legislative Commission for the preparation of legislation and its imple- mentation in Congress. 119 Memorial Resolutions The following memorial resolutions were unanimously adopt- ed, the members of the Natiotial Executive Committee standing in silence for a moment: ARTHUR G. BOUTON—New York Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God, the Great Commander, to summon to His immortal legions our beloved comrade, Arthur G. Bouton, who served the Department of New York as Emergency Relief Chairman during the years 1936-39; Department Commander, 1942-43; and served as Alternate National Executive Committeeman during the year 1943-44; and Whereas, We humbly bow to the will of Divine Providence, while ever cherishing in our hearts the memory of his distinguished service to our country and his outstanding contributions to American Legion com- radeship; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Executive Committee of The American Legion, in regular meeting assembled on this eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth of November, in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and forty-eight, does mourn the passing of our distinguished Legionnaire, Arthur G. Bouton; that we commend to all men his works, and to God his spirit; and be it further Resolved, That in token of our common grief, a copy of this resolu- tion be presented to his family.

Similar resolutions were adopted for the following persons: Horace C. Parrish, who served the Michigan Department of The American Legion as Department Service Officer during the years 1944-1948; Christian Pfeiffer, who served the Department of New York as Sergeant-at-Arms for several years; James A. Raper, a distinguished Legionnaire of the Indiana Department, who at the time of his death was serving as a mem- ber of the National Publications Commission; Harry J. MacSherry, who served the Department of Nevada as Vice-Commander, 1922-24; Finance Officer, 1923; member of the Department Executive Committee, 1924; First District Com- mander, 1931-32; Department Commander, 1941-43; Department Child Welfare Chairman; Emergency Relief Chairman; Education of Orphans of Veterans Chairman; Veterans’ Employment Com- mittee Chairman and Department Community Service Chairman in 1943, and Department Judge Advocate, 1944-45; Brown W. Wilson, who served the Department of North Caro- lina as Junior Baseball Chairman during the year 1945; Depart- ment Vice-Commander in 1945, and was a member of the National Sons of The American Legion Committee during the years 1946 to 1948.

At 5 :15 p. m., the meeting adjourned. 120 SATURDAY MORNING SESSION November 20, 1948 The meeting convened at 9:30 a. m., National Commander Perry Brown presiding. Invocation by the National Chaplain. Roll call by the National Adjutant indicated a quorum present.

Project to Finance the Repair of Saint Die Preventorium Lynn U. Stambaugh, North Dakota, Past National Command- er, addressed the National Executive Committee as follows, after which motion was made, seconded and adopted that, at the re- quest of the American Legion Auxiliary, permission be given that organization to go ahead with the project, with neither moral nor financial obligation to The American Legion: I have before me a letter that was received by your National Com- mander from Mme. Abel Ferry, of Saint Die, France. You will recall that three years ago, when France was liberated, this body approved and sponsored a project to send packages, food, and clothes, and so forth, to the children of Saint Die, France, and requested that the Auxiliary carry out that project, and the Auxiliary did that. You will recall that the significance of Saint Die to a patriotic Amer- ican organization is due to the fact that it is the place that the name “America” was first originated or conceived, and that Past National Commander John Emery visited Saint Die at the time he was National Commander, and dedicated a bronze plaque commemorating the spot upon which the name “America” originated. You will also recall that Saint Die was almost completely destroyed by the Germans as they evacuated the town, during the second World War. Madame Abel Ferry, who is the President of the Committee to Aid Saint Die, is the widow of a French hero by the name of Abel Ferry, who was the nephew of the Premier of France at the time that the Statue of Liberty was presented to the United States. She is visiting this country at the present time for the express purpose of expressing her thanks to the American Legion Auxiliary for the splendid job that those ladies did in sending relief over to the children of Saint Die. She has made an appeal to your National Commander and to Mrs. Goode, the President of the American Legion Auxiliary, in Washington, at a time when I was present myself, with regard to an institution in Saint Die which she founded in memory of her husband who was killed in the Battle of Saint Mihiel—an institution they call a Preventorium. What that is in simple terms is a tubercular hospital founded for occu- pancy by children of disabled French soldiers—homeless children of dis- abled or diseased French soldiers. The hospital, when she founded it back following the first World War, was turned over for operation by her to a group of sisters. The cost of operation is taken care of by some form of social security which they have over in France for this express purpose, but the build- ing is in very bad condition and they can’t go through the winter with the building. In other words, they can’t keep these children in this hospital during the coming winter unless very extensive repairs are made. The roof apparently has to be completely replaced. 121 In view of the fact that the Statue of Liberty was paid for by collect- ing a cent apiece from each school child in France, Madame Ferry has made the suggestion that possibly a campaign of that nature could be put on in the United States to raise the funds necessary for these extensive repairs. She estimated the amount will be in the neighborhood of $100,000, and Mrs. Goode has told your Commander that the Auxiliary is very much interested in this project and would like to undertake it. She has asked that the matter be presented to the National Executive Committee so that it can be approved as a project by The American Legion, so that the Auxiliary may take it on. I believe that they cannot undertake a project unless The American Legion approves of it, and so, at Mrs. Goode’s request, I am presenting it to you npw. National Vice-Commander Moody assumed the Chair.

Final Report of Resolutions Subcommittee Uniform Poppy Day E. Meade Wilson, Chairman of the Resolutions Subcommittee, read a memorandum from the National Adjutant, quoting Reso- lution 443 from the Miami Convention. He stated that the sub- committee had discussed the matter of “All Veteran Organiza- tions Have a Uniform Poppy Day” with the American Legion Auxiliary, inasmuch as the Poppy Day program was placed under jurisdiction of that organization by action of the 1925 National Convention, and the subcommittee was advised that there already is a uniform Poppy Day, this being the Saturday preceding Memorial Day. No action was recommended or taken on this matter.

Dividends from Democracy Program After discussion, the following resolution, presented by Chair- man Wilson, was approved: Whereas, A resolution (No. 266) was presented to the national con- vention at Miami to continue the “Dividends from Democracy” program- and ’ Whereas, The national convention referred the resolution to the Na- tional Executive Committee with the recommendation that the program be discontinued after the present promotion campaign has been consum- mated and that no new series of booklets be started; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee in meeting assembled November 18, 19 and 20, 1948, That the program “Dividends for Democ- racy” be discontinued after completion of the publication of the series of 12 booklets already approved.

Pacific War Memorial The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Whereas, The Pacific War Memorial was organized for the advance- ment of knowledge through research and conservation in the Pacific Ocean areas and dedicated as a living memorial to all who served in the U. S. Armed Forces in the Pacific; and 122 Whereas, The American- Legion has been asked to support this memo- rial and specifically to donate $10,000 to launch the program; and Whereas, The National Finance Commission, meeting in Miami in October, 1948, disapproved such donation; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Executive Committee in meeting assem- bled, November 18, 19 and 20, 1948, while commending the idea of such a memorial, will not financially commit The American Legion in any man- ner in connection with the program.

Distinguished Service Medal Award Under suspension of rules, the following resolution, presented by William B. Stone, National Executive Committeeman repre- senting the Department of Missouri, was adopted: Whereas, The Missouri Department, The American Legion, has been signally honored by the election of its outstanding member as President of the United States; and Whereas, President Harry S. Truman is the first member of our organization so honored; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the Missouri Department, The American Legion, That we respectfully request National Commander S. Perry Brown to nomi- nate President Harry S. Truman for The American Legion’s Distin- guished Service Medal, and that we petition the National Executive Committee meeting assembled in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 18, 19 and 20, 1948, to approve the request and that the Distinguished Service Medal be presented at the next national convention of The American Legion.

Painting of President Truman Upon motion by Wm. B. Stone, Missouri, the National Com- mander was authorized and instructed to appoint a subcommittee of the National Executive Committee to investigate the matter of production of an oil painting of President Harry S. Truman, to be displayed in the new National Headquarters Building, in the new National Executive Committee Room or some more appro- priate place if so determined; the report of such subcommittee to be considered at the spring, or later, meeting of the Finance Com- mission and the National Executive Committee for appropriate action.

National Rehabilitation Commission The following report of the National Rehabilitation Commis- sion, presented by W. Rex McCrosson, New Jersey, Chairman, was adopted: Just a month ago, I had the pleasure of appearing before your group and giving a brief account of the proceedings of the Rehabilitation Execu- tive Committee meetings held in Miami just prior to the last national convention. Resolutions Six resolutions were proposed and adopted at that time, which will be before you for consideration at this session. They are on the following subjects: 1. Prima Facie Eligibility to Out-Patient and Hospital Care. 123 2. National Rehabilitation Conference. 3. Continuance of National Medical Advisory Board. 4. Rating Schedule Committee. 5. Service Officers’ Manual. 6. Rheumatic Fever Project. It will be noted that three of these proposals involve financial outlay and accordingly will have to be channeled through and considered by your National Finance Commission. The 1947 Convention at New York adopted Resolution 850 which asked that there be at least one meeting of the full membership of the National Rehabilitation Commission. This has been done before, but it is the feeling of the general members themselves and of your Rehabilitation Executive Committee that if this could be done at the time of the National Rehabilitation Conference, there would follow a greatly increased interest in and activity on the part of the commission membership in this program. The proposal with reference to the Rating Schedule Committee springs from the fact that for nearly three decades The American Legion has been in the forefront in suggesting and contributing to rating proced- ures, disability evaluations and other subjects relating to the adjudication ot disability claims by the Veterans Administration. The 1941 Convention at Milwaukee adopted Resolution 5 which brought into being a Rating Schedule Committee of practicing service officers. This group contributed much to what became the 1945 Schedule. It is the considered opinion of your Rehabilitation staff that further contributions can and should be made and the time is opportune for another special committee to join in this effort. With reference to the Service Officers’ Manual, the requests are com- * mg in for a new edition. We have endeavored to bring one out every two years. The cost has gone up considerably, but your Rehabilitation Executive Committee thought that in view of the circumstances, Depart- ments and Posts might be willing to buy their supply at actual cost.

Budget and Personnel

the resent 39on in^ the branchP officestime weand have 32 in71 the employes main office on the at RehabilitationWashington. Ofstaff— this number, 53 are veterans and 18 Auxiliary members. Better than 60 per cent or 33 veterans, served in World War II, and of these, six also served in World War I. The balance—20—had World War I service. Three of the secretaries are World War II veterans in their own right and are included in the total of 33 given above. Those who are Auxiliary mem- bers are divided as follows with reference to the two World Wars- Nine World War I, nine World War II. I wish to attest to the diligence, loy- a.t^,and effectiveness of all these people in carrying on the day-by-day staff work of your commission.

T 6 Rehabllitation We have^ not only operated budget within approved the limitationsfor 1948 amounted of that budget, to S347 but 444 for99

6 m n hs f the calendar 82sol 39OQT less "r than budget? !; ° allocation. These year savings 1948, wereexpenditures effected primarilywere $8,- m the payroll account and the stationery and printing account. e are determined to carry on this business in keeping with the inancial allocation which you, the National Commander and the National C mi n f el iS proper :rristill suffer rfrom rthe lack; f of stenographic- 1 wanthelp, especiallyt0 say, however, in the Washing- that we ton office, and this despite the fine help accorded us by the Assistant Na- tional Adjutant in charge of that office. We understand from him it is practically impossible to keep his stenographic pool up to strength be- cause of the increased pay accorded typists and stenographers by the Government. Your commission also feels that there should be more fre- 124 quent supervision of our outlying Posts in the branch offices. This ne- cessitates travel on the part of the Director or one of his assistants, and full coverage was not possible during this year because the travel account would not permit. It is hoped that additional funds might be made avail- able for this purpose. With reference to the branch offices, we have in mind a shifting of personnel which will fill the place left vacant by the resignation of Charles C. McGonegal in San Francisco. If this can be accomplished, it will obviate the employment of an additional representative, thus effect- ing a saving. Extra stenographic help in some of the branch offices is needed from time to time and this also entails an extra budget allocation.

Work Clinics and Area Conferences The experiment of having work clinics has proved successful. These meetings are usually held in the cities where the VA branch offices are located and are arranged to suit the convenience of the ^.rea Rehabilita- tion Chairmen, participating Department Service Officers, Rehabilitation and Field Representatives. The branch officials of the Veterans Admin- istration have been most cooperative iq taking part in these meetings and furnishing information and taking action on procedural matters brought to their attention. A resolution from Area A, comprising the same states as those in VA Branch 1, calls for the return to Area Rehabil- itation conferences. We see no objection to that type of meeting being resumed there, feeling that the greatest good in consideration of rehabil- itation subjects will be derived by and from those attending the type of get-together best suited to the prevailing circumstances and their desires. In the other branches there has been some talk of rotating the work clinic among the Departments comprising the branch territory. Such an arrangement will entail additional expense by way of travel on the part of the Rehabilitation Representatives, but we see no objection to this amendment to the original plans. These clinics are attended by the Area Chairman or Vice-Chairman and other committee members who find it possible to be present. Thus there is a tie-in between the working force in the field and your Nation- al Rehabilitation Commission. The 1948-49 series of meetings has started, and before the next calen- dar year is up, we look for at least one and probably two such meetings in each branch area.

Our Staff and the Veterans Administration This is a broad subject that might call for long and involved para- graphs. But I am not going to inflict those on you at this time. I would like to call your attention to pages 217-219 and 229-288 of the printed Reports to the 30th Annual National Convention. There you will find a detailed analysis of our staff operations in relationship to the divisions of the Veterans Administration handling the program of veterans’ affairs. In the field of claims the pending load is steadily going down and our people are continuing to stress quality adjudication as contrasted with what some have termed “productionitis” or quantity rating of claims. In our own activity we have striven for full development of claims before they are submitted to the VA, and this is something that requires con- stant attention not only by members of this staff but also by co-workers in the field. We constantly urge a closer understanding and liaison be- tween medical and adjudication people in the Veterans Administration. We will come upon inadequate examination reports, reports presumably by specialists but in fact by general medical men, and ratings which do not fully serve all findings and diagnoses set forth in medical reports. I want to acknowledge the full cooperation of the VA people and their 125 willingness to work with our folks in correcting these fundamental and procedural deficiencies wherever and whenever they show up. In medical and hospital matters the VA is still beset with difficulties in the recruitment of sufficient doctors to operate all beds. There is also the difficulty with reference to nurses, and the Legion has argued for the elimination or liberalization of the over-40-year age rule in the em- ployment of nurses. Progress has been made and efforts will continue so that available nurses who are over the age of 40 and who may not meet all educational requirements but who are competent and diligent nurses can be considered and assigned to nursing positions in the VA. Many of them have been, but we feel there are still more who are avail- able. The Chief Medical Director of the Veterans Administration is moving ahead in the task of improving the out-patient service. Internships have been authorized and are being initiated in two of the hospitals. The deans’ committee plan and residency training programs are proving most beneficial both in enhancing the quality of medical and hospital care in the VA, and in elevating the status of the VA with the medical profes- sion. Yes, there are wrinkles and defects possibly, as there are in all new procedures. The Rehabilitation staff and service officers throughout the country recognize this and continue their watchfulness as to how the arrangement is working out. Fortified by an excellent Medical Advisory Board, we feel we are prepared to view and make suggestions on this procedure in the interest of what is best for the disabled veteran, and at the same time what is the quickest and most economical way for the Government. The construction program of veterans’ hospitals is progressing, but all too slowly. Four years have elapsed since the then Administrator an- nounced the broad outlines of an expanded construction program. Since that time only two hospitals have been completed. However, as of Sep- tember 30, 1948, construction contracts had been awarded for 30 new hospitals; the design for seven additional ones had been completed, but contracts not awarded, and plans for 50 others were in progress. The ramifications attendant upon these construction efforts during the past four years involve site acquisition, material, construction difficulties, new authorizations to meet increased costs, new designs to come within finan- cial limitations, etc. The lack of beds for tuberculosis and neuropsychi- atric patients is becoming more acute. Legion service officers in the af- fected areas and your staff are constantly pounding away at speeding up the production bf beds and resorting to the acquisition of additional ones from existing Army and Navy hospitals. The difficulty of getting doctors to staff these wards is illustrated by the plea sent out by the VA on Armistice Day. The agency called for 100 full-time doctors for imme- diate duty in VA TB hospitals. The extent of that one field alone may be gained from the fact that during the past year 18,222 tuberculosis vet- erans were admitted to the VA hospitals for treatment, and during that same period 18,701 were discharged. In the insurance field, some improvement has been noted in the han- dling of the insurance business. The Administrator has given assurance that before long all holders of insurance contracts, those interested in reinstating or converting, the beneficiaries and families of veterans, will have a business-like and prompt administration of the insurance opera- tion. The computation of dividends to be paid and the issuance of Na- tional Service Life Insurance policies are progressing. We look for real tangible results in both efforts during 1949. In the educational field, our staff member continues to represent the organization in presenting to the Veterans Administration complaints and criticisms indicating the need for improvement in this procedure or that. 126 He is also the special representative in attending conferences and meet- ings dealing with the education and training of veterans, and in repre- senting Departments who have special situations with reference to insti- tutional training and state approval agencies. Special Programs The appropriation of $25,000 by The American Legion, and an equal amount by the American Legion Auxiliary to the cause of rheumatic fever and heart disease a few years ago stimulated a nation-wide drive, with generous responses on the part of the American people. During the past year the American Heart Association announces a return of ap- proximately $3,000,000. Next year they aim to raise $5,000,000. Your Rehabilitation Executive Committee has recommended approval of Le- gion support for the information and educational campaign, leaving to the individual Posts and Departments the decision as to plans of further par- ticipation. Two Legion fellowships held by young doctors of World War II in the research on rheumatic fever and heart disease are in the third year and will be completed in 1949. That fact itself has done much to establish the name of The American Legion high in the councils of medi- cal research. The Miami Convention also called upon the organization to support a nation-wide mental hygiene program. We feel this is in line with our rehabilitation efforts for the reason that so many veterans are affected by what may be termed mental ailments or disorders. Specialists in this field tell us that much repair can be done through mental hygiene clinics, thus saving years of productive activity for those who suffer these at- tacks, and also years of expensive care at private or public institutions. With the possibility of salvage of a great percentage of these folks if they are given early treatment and guidance at these clinics, we feel we cannot do otherwise than lend our support. Conclusion For those who might be interested, we have endeavored to put in chart or graph form the line of organization and flow of work in your National Rehabilitation Commission. We are no experts in graphically portraying our set-up but I feel that these sketches will give you a fair idea of how the whole set-up hangs together. Although the National Or- ganization has only 71 people actively engaged in the Rehabilitation Di- vision, we want to cite the larger and more important segment of this activity. I refer to the 17,000 volunteer Post service officers; and the 1,695 accredited representatives, most of whom are engaged full-time in rep- resenting veterans. There is also the National Field Service with 23 Rep- resentatives who devote more than half their time and effort to the reha- bilitation program. In addition to the annual expenditure by the National Organization to carry on the rehabilitation program, Departments and some of the larger Posts expend an aggregate of many times that amount in so-called service work. Most states have state agencies supported by appropriations from taxpayers’ money. The question might naturally arise: Does not all this entail duplication and a set-up far more extensive than called for by actual requirements? Our answer to that is that there is very little if any duplication, and wherever it shows up as far as The American Legion is concerned it is immediately eliminated. The work of the Post service officer, the De- partment service officer or Director of Rehabilitation, the Rehabilitation Representatives and the Rehabilitation Staff at Washington, forms a chain of procedure or operation which assures those who seek American Legion help full coverage and service. The big percentage of claims settlements of all kinds handled by the Veterans Administration is ac- complished at regional and branch offices. Special, involved, appealed, 127 and foreign cases are channeled through for settlement at the central office. It is in connection with those in which the Legion is named the representative that your staff at Washington is actively engaged. In addition, hereto, it has as its duties the processing of reports or recommendations by Field Representatives, the accreditation of recog- nized representatives, the distribution of VA literature and instructions, the preparation of bills on rehabilitation subjects and testifying in sup- port of same, affording representation before the military establishment review boards, and generally carrying on that phase of The American Legion program dedicated to the disabled veteran, the dependents and beneficiaries of those who have passed on. Any summarization of this broad work would not be complete without a word of tribute to the American Legion Auxiliary and the grand job it is doing through its volunteers, rehabilitation committees and hospital workers. Not only does the Auxiliary carry on that nation-wide collateral activity, but it also makes a substantial cash contribution to the national rehabilitation program of the Legion each year. Thanks to you of this committee, the Department and Post officials, the American Legion Auxiliary, our colleagues on the other commissions of the organization, and to the Veterans Administration. The work goes on. The caliber and quality thereof must improve from year to year.

Supplemental Report National Rehabilitation Commission Herewith a brief statement on the disposition of resolutions appearing on the Register and previously referred to the Reha- bilitation Commission: Register 18, Department of Illinois Executive Committee—complete service record to be incorporated on back of original discharge certificate. COMMENT: Taken up with Illinois Department Rehabilitation Direc- tor on the point that to attempt to change back from the present system of a separate record or sheet to entry of service data on back of discharge document would cause confusion and retard the machinery of preparing and issuing these documents. Register 19, Department of Pennsylvania Executive Committee— restore prima facie eligibility for out-patient and hospital treatment. COMMENT: See Digest No. 2. Resolution passed by Rehabilitation Executive Committee. Register 20, Department of Pennsylvania Executive Committee— pensions for World War I veterans. COMMENT: See Miami Convention Resolutions Nos. 44 and 456. Register 42, Department of New Jersey Executive Committee—pen- sions for World War I veterans. COMMENT: See Miami Convention Resolutions Nos. 44 and 456. Register 43, Department of New Jersey Executive Committee—pen- sions for World War I veterans. COMMENT: See Miami Convention Resolutions Nos. 44 and 456. Register 44, Department of New Jersey Executive Committee—pen- sions for World War I veterans. COMMENT: See Miami Convention Resolutions Nos. 44 and 456. Register 45, Department of New Jersey Executive Committee—pen- sions on basis of disability for World War I veterans. COMMENT: See Miami Convention Resolutions Nos. 44 and 456. 128 Register 46, Department of New Jersey Executive Committee—extend term National Service Life Insurance for another five-year period. COMMENT: Accomplished by Public Law 838, 80th Congress, June 29, 1948. Register 47, Department of New Jersey Executive Committee—Na- tional Service Life Insurance policies and dividends. COMMENT: Policies are now being issued, and program will be speeded up after installation of additional mechanical equipment within the next ten days. The audit and study as to the dividends are under way, and the formula or date of such dividends is expected to be deter- mined in the spring of 1949. VA states that more funds will be needed for additional man power to complete the audit and computation. Purpose of resolution being substantially accomplished. Register 73, Department of New York Executive Committee—exten- sion of term for National Service Life Insurance for another five-year period. COMMENT: Accomplished by Public Law 838—80th Congress—June 29, 1948. Now, I appreciate the opportunity of being here. We have had an opportunity to appear before your Finance Committee, and we have had the opportunity to be present and participate in the deliberations of the subcommittees of this committee, and the Legislative Committee on the pension problem. I think we have made progress this year, and I hope in the coming year that the progress will be more than that which we have made so far.

Rating Schedule Committee The resolution above captioned, emanating from the National Rehabilitation Executive Committee, was presented by Chairman Wilson, and motion that the resolution be rejected, in accordance with the recommendation of the Resolutions Subcommittee, was approved.

Prima Facie Eligibility to Out-Patient and Hospital Care The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Be it Resolved, by the National Rehabilitation Commission in session at Miami, Florida, October 16-17, 1948, That the principle of prima facie eligibility to medical and dental out-patient treatment and hospital treat- ment as set forth in Section 1 of VA Circular 17, February 14, 1947, and discontinued as of January 1, 1948, by VA Circular 92 dated December 16, 1947, be put into practice again and extended for two years; and be it further Resolved, That the National Executive Committee of The American Legion, in meeting duly assembled, November 18, 19 and 20, 1948, be requested to go on record in support of the action contained in the first resolving clause set forth above.

Service Officers’ Manual The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Be it Resolved, by the National Rehabilitation Commission in session at Miami, Florida, October 16-17, 1948, That the Service Officers’ Manual 129 be brought up to date, republished, and placed on sale at cost, such price to be printed on the face of the Manual.

Continuance of National Medical Advisory Board The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Whereas, The National Medical Advisory Board has established its value and place in the Legion Rehabilitation program; and Whereas, Further development of the medical advisory system in Departments and Posts is essential; therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Rehabilitation Commission, in session at Miami, Florida, October 16-17, 1948, That the National Medical Advisory Board, as presently constituted, be reappointed and continued; and be it further Resolved, That each Department and Post be urged to appoint a medi- cal advisor and medical advisory board, as they see fit, in keeping with New York Convention Resolution 823; and be it further Resolved, That the National Executive Committee of The American Legion in meeting duly assembled, November 18, 19 and 20, 1948, be requested to go on record in support of the action contained in the resolv- ing clauses set forth above.

National Rehabilitation Conference The following resolution, presented by Chairman Wilson, was approved: Be it Resolved, by the National Rehabilitation Commission, in session at Miami, Florida, October 16-17, 1948, That the Annual Rehabilitation Conference of The American Legion be held in Washington, D. C., during March, 1949, for a period of three days; and be it further Resolved, That the National Executive Committee of The American Legion in meeting duly assembled, November 18, 19 and 20, 1948, be requested to go on record in support of the action contained in the first resolving clause set forth above. Chairman Wilson expressed appreciation to members of his subcommittee and to others who had assisted.

Citation of Appreciation and Recognition to Thomas M. Owen, Jr., Former National Historian The following citation, presented by George L. Cleere, Ala- bama, was adopted: Whereas, Thomas M. Owen, Jr., with tireless effort and superior appli- cation in the performance of duties as National Historian of The Amer- ican Legion since May 5, 1933, to date, has added much to the well being and prestige of The American Legion; and Whereas, The splendid records of great historical value to The Amer- ican Legion, which Thomas M. Owen, Jr., has created, developed and maintained, are invaluable; and Whereas, Thomas M. Owen, Jr., has, through his devotion to the high ideals and principles of The American Legion, brought added lustre to the name of The American Legion; and Whereas, His own personality has been a continued bright star in the firmament of illustrious American Legion leaders; and 130 Whereas, After more than 15 years of continued and highly efficient service to The American Legion, Thomas M. Owen, Jr., an outstanding Alabamian and exemplary American, has resigned his post as National Historian of The American Legion; and Whereas, The resignation of Thomas M. Owen, Jr., has been accepted with reluctance and regret by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion in session in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 18, 19, 20, 1948, That we commend the splendid services of Thomas M. Owen, Jr., and express our deep appreciation and thanks for his untiring efforts in behalf of these principles we hold dear; and be it further Resolved, That a copy of this expression of appreciation and recogni- tion be forwarded to our comrade Thomas M. Owen, Jr., to his family and to his mother.

National Commander Brown resumed the Chair.

College Campus Posts , After discussing the subject, George N. Craig, National Exec- utive Committeeman representing the Department of Indiana, presented a resolution, which resolution was approved. By unani- mous consent, Preston J. Moore, Commander, Department of Oklahoma, also discussed the subject. The resolution adopted follows: Be it Resolved, That the National Commander be and he is hereby empowered to appoint a committee, the number to be fixed by the discre- tion of the Commander, whose duty it shall be to investigate and survey the needs, desires, problems and ideas of the many thousands of World War II men and women now on our college campuses and elsewhere, and to make such recommendation to the Commander as their findings war- rant in order that The American Legion, on both state and national levels, may render service to these veterans and in return receive their problems and ideas for our future guidance and planning. Introductions Guests introduced during the course of the meeting included: Ernie Johnson, Consultant from Montana; Eugene F. Naegele, Commander, Department of Montana; Rush Limbaugh, Junior Commander, Depart- ment of Missouri; Clarence W. Bird, Adjutant, Department of Vermont; James M. Wilson, Alternate Committeeman, Texas; Harold N. Ferris' Commander, Department of Colorado; Paschal C. Reese, Commander, A. Reid Mann, Adjutant, Department of Florida; General Raymond S. Mc- Lain, in Charge of Publications for the Department of the Army, and Colonel Notestein; Captain Atherton Macondray, Director, Civil Rela- tions, Department of Navy; Col. Robert E. L. Eaton, U. S. Air Force; Erie Cocke, Jr., Commander, Department of Georgia; Rex Whittemore’, Commander, Department of California; Joe L. Hearne, Commander, De- partment of Arkansas; Homer Nordling, Commander, Department of Alaska; Corydon D. Kingsbury, Commander, Department of New York; Lawrence Trainor, Commander, Department of Pennsylvania; Wm. L. Windsor, Alternate National Executive Committeeman, Pennsylvania; P. J. Cassidy, Adjutant, Department of Hawaii; Wiley K. Stewart, Jr.', Alternate National Executive Committeeman, North Carolina; John D. Carmen, Commander, Department of Maryland; Walter A. Loiselle, Corn- 131 mander, Department of Rhode Island; Frost T. Patterson, Commander, Department of Iowa; Halsey W. Stickel, Commander, Department of New Jersey.

National Commander Brown National Commander Brown addressed the committee as follows: Mr. Fellow Legionnaires, My Comrades: We appear to be moving on schedule and perhaps a little ahead of time, and I am wondering, with your permission, if I may talk to you for just a few minutes before the last matter comes up on the program. This has nothing to do with it. May I again express my thanks and the thanks of all of you to the fine type of Vice-Commanders who have been elected by The American Legion to represent you. There may be some criticism on the part of some of you as to my not occupying the Chair more. I dislike looking at the back of a speaker, but beyond that is the fact that these men whom you selected as your National Vice-Commanders are the character of men who should fill that Chair and do it remarkably well, and I thought it only fair to give them that opportunity. Again, thank you. Now, George Craig brought up a question a moment ago in a resolu- tion that you passed, that I do not want to speak on, but I would like to call your attention to. Remember the night before last when I had the pleasure of dining with you, you had five young speakers, and may I go back to the comment I made before I introduced them? The failure which we had at Miami was the fact that the proportionate number of young veterans were not there, and to me it is a challenge that if the younger veteran cannot be there in proportion to his number that the Commander and this committee are charged and challenged to see that The Amer- ican Legion is taken to them. Now, how can you take it to them? There are three or four members, I believe, of this committee who are World War II veterans. It is so much easier and so much simpler to let the younger veterans take this message, because those fellows will listen to them quicker than they will to an older man. That is one of the objec- tives I would like to stress this year, and ask each of you, when you need young men, when you need a speaker for any particular activity, where you think these younger veterans can be of service to your Departments, that you feel free to call upon me to ask them to serve in that capacity. Now, this is off the record. (A further discussion was had off the record.)

Subcommittee on Committees The following report, presented by J. E. Snee, Louisiana, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Committees, was adopted: Comrade Commander and Members of the National Executive Com- mittee : Your Committee on Committees has been in constant session since the morning of November 15. When it was possible for our National Commander, Perry Brown, to assist us in our deliberations, we have had the benefit of his advice and counsel. It is obvious to this entire group that it has been an impossibility to place every comrade who has been recommended on a national commit- tee or commission. We ask you, should you discover any errors in addresses or non-listing of the same in this report, that each National Executive Committeeman 132 notify National Headquarters before leaving Indianapolis, where such mistakes are found, and correct them immediately, if possible. We desire to express our sincere thanks to the personnel and clerks of National Headquarters for their painstaking cooperation in working additional hours overtime when called upon to assist in preparing a report of this nature. Your committee, therefore, unanimously recommends the following appointments on committees or commissions: Americanism Commission James F. Green, Chairman, Nebraska Dan C. Hartbauer, Vice-Chairman, Pennsylvania Carl H. Smith, Vice-Chairman, Michigan To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Dan C. Hartbauer, Pennsylvania Ben Hilbun, Mississippi Alfred W. Shepherd, Idaho Lee R. Pennington, District of Columbia Douglass D. Getchell, Illinois Chester C. Brewer, Kansas Richard C. Cadwallader, Louisiana Accident Prevention Committee Clarence E. Lynch, Chairman, Vermont Eugene W. Biscailuz, Vice-Chairman, California To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: John Kennelly, North Dakota John B. Goodrich, Indiana Ward H. Oehman, District of Columbia Clarence E. Lynch, Vermont Dixie Dryden, Pennsylvania Boys’ State Ed R. Stirling, Chairman, Pennsylvania Hayes Kennedy, Vice-Chairman, Illinois To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Floyd W. Bartling, Wyoming Ed R. Stirling, Pennsylvania Arthur Choppin, Louisiana Vernol R. Jansen, Alabama Leo Murphy, Massachusetts Law and Order Committee John Gurley, Chairman, New Mexico Charles W. Crush, Vice-Chairman, Virginia

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE To serve until close of November meeting, 1953: C. B. Horrell, California Erwin R. Lehmann, Alabama Dale Braussard, Texas GENERAL MEMBERS Alabama California William Beck A1 Guasti Arkansas Clinton Duffy Lee Ward Howard P. Gleason Dale Ledbetter Canada Allen Harrow 133 Colorado Iowa Charles F. Vincent Jasper J. Jones Robert Houtchens H. Sam Hoyt Sherman Walrod B. C. Sullivan A. C. Sheely Shirley A. Webster Dr. Harold H. Hays Dr. Walter F. Peer Kansas Earl R. Cummings Clayton S. Flood R. D. Saunders Douglas G. Hudson Clarence Couch Kentucky Connecticut Jack McPherson Patrick Davey Thomas Mamby Frank H. Morrison Price J. Brandon Roy Tower James L. Clay Peter Weber Harry M. Hansbrough Harold Bruce George D. Miller S. B. Butler Thomas P. Sneff Maurice Smith Louisiana George Barton George E. Oldenburg Frank Roberts J. W. Richard William F. Winschel J. C. Crowder J. Dean Spencer Edgar Cory Raymond Pender John Phillip Godfrey District of Columbia Claude E. Haswell Floyd Culbertson Hon. Tom C. Clark Edward Higgins Geoffrey Creyke Charner Lyles John J. A. Ager, Sr. V. W. Brignac John McGinty Basil McAllister Maine Howard S. Fisk Cecil J. Sidell Florida Wesley Mewer Jasper Lysette Jim Barney Albert Sullivan Walter Wolfolk Francis J. McCabe Phil O’Connell Frank E. Seutherd, Jr. J. T. Reilly, Jr. Geo. L. Carter Jack Dempsey Dr. Clinton Clauson Hugh Culbreath H. Neil Kirkman Maryland Frank Williams A. Freeborn Brown III Georgia Grafton Lee Brown, Jr. Robert H. Archer, Jr. William T. Darby Prentiss W. Evans Tom Smith George P. Welzant Frank H. Moxley Robert E. Clapp, Jr. J. Ben Warren John P. Zebelean, Jr. Henry H. Green Edward J. Ryan W. L. Kilroy, Jr. George G. McLeish J. Walter LeCraw John Alexander Illinois Kenneth R. Hammer Harry Hartman Michigan William Tuohy George Coutrakon Charles W. Miller Dan O’Leary Indiana Ernest W. Reinke Frank Jessup Earl Waldon William Bray William H. Tenter 134 Minnesota Philippine Islands Walter Rogesheski Frank S. Tenny James F. Lynch Phil Richardson Rhode Island Frank L. King Lawrence M. Moody Mississippi South Carolina E. P. Littlejohn C. Ted Olson Jack Harper Wilson E. Davies Dave Crawley Jake R. Wise R. Brent Foreman Frank K. Ayer J. E. Owens Missouri Julian W. White Truman I. Ingle John E. Kessler, Jr. Charles L. Middleton Clyde M. Gaffney, Jr. A1 Schaeffel Joseph W. Jenkins Thomas Spencer James Weakly Texas Thomas Mahorney Robert Massingate Carl Lippman Henry B. Wiener Frank Gollohfer Louis Murfee, Jr. Jack Trift John F. Crooks Edwin Kerber Melvin M. Combs Fred “Red” Harris Nevada Nat Selinger Charles E. Brown Walter Elliott New Hampshire Utah T. Casey Moher William Stanley Dunford Robert A. Jones Will P. Hoyt Edward Jacobson Washington New Mexico Hart Snyder Conrado Lucero West Virginia Brad H. Keyes L. Randolph Huyett Earnest Gorman John Chenoweth Vincent C. Steele Nelson E. Matthews A. B. Elder Conrad Brevick Miles Gaston Thornton Berry, Jr. D. H. “Tiny” Reed Dwight Allison Arthur H. Gallup R. E. Trujillo Wisconsin William Hollis Charles Curran North Carolina Nicholas Lesselyoung Kenneth Greenquist Hector C. Blackwell Wyoming North Dakota Charles Ernst Harry Edblom Miss Florence Eklund Ohio Virginia George Mingle Sylvester Smith Oklahoma R. M. Wilson John D. Reid Floyd W. Williams Robert G. Goodman Pennsylvania Raymond P. Stultz Herbert Kitchenman Robert L. Cocke Jess Juliante Walter Coburn William Fuoss 135 Marksmanship James W. Woolrey, Director, Colorado. ADVISORY MEMBERS Arkansas Minnesota Andrew N. McCurry Goodrich M. Sullivan California Harlan Bynell Maynard Turner Mississippi Charles Kolbert John A. Rasberry Walter S. Runckel Montana Colorado Harry McGraw Matt Roth Clyde Scharn Harry W. Forrest Nevada E. L. Evans J. A. Nelson Gilbert E. Parker Connecticut New Hampshire George L. Dunkelberger Joseph H. Killourhy Earl Willand District of Columbia David Hamilton New Mexico Daniel Ventras John Thomas Whittaker Floyd A. Truscott Omar D. Blair Robert Starling John Martinez Cleo Wall Florida Harry Yanaga Jack G. Holst North Dakota Georgia Roger W. Snyder Duncan Hancox Brown George M. Sweeney Oklahoma William Y. Van Hook Ralph Harrison Illinois Ohio Carl J. Ekenberg Leo Barrett Ray Everley Pennsylvania Guy Risk Wm. German N. Morrison Deen Frost South Carolina Indiana Brown W. Hamer Frank L. Tyree Victor Liddill J. Floyd Phillips Iowa D. Ernest Foster Rex G. Dory Texas Harry D. Linn William F. Elkins Kansas William J. Sohl William King Gene Aleshike Paul Sullivan Utah Maine Harold Calder Thomas Brennan Vern N. Davis Alben DeBerry Washington Maryland Roscoe L. Tipple Charles Wilbur Limpscomb West Virginia Joseph W. Dye Dana R. Hamilton Massachusetts William C. Beckett Thomas Gorham Ira J. Barber 136 Robert Lester Charles K. Carson Roy G. Coen C. P. Taylor Thomas Stark Virginia G. Howard Mitchell Marshall Geoghegan Sons of The American Legion W. M. Brown, Chairman Joe Kise, Vice-Chairman, Minnesota Paul Rozell, Washington Peter J. Navarro, California Joe Kise, Minnesota To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Walter H. Hall, North Carolina (Replacing Brown W. Wilson, deceased.)

Child Welfare David V. Addy, Chairman, Michigan Dr. A. H. Wittman, Vice-Chairman, Pennsylvania

ADVISORY MEMBERS Mrs. Hubert A. Goode, Oregon Paul Wilcox, Kansas Mrs. Leo C. Colton, New Jersey Dr. H. Murphy, Pennsylvania Harold J. Riley, Michigan Rev. Wm. Golightly, Pennsylvania Charles W. Ardery, Washington Florence E. Wagner, Pennsylvania John D. Crowley, Massachusetts Harry G. Miller, Arkansas Harry C. Kehm, South Dakota William A. Dodge, Georgia AREA CHAIRMEN Area A—Thomas P. Athridge, Massachusetts Area B—George Ehinger, Delaware Area C—Brad Risinger, Oklahoma Area D—Cliff R. Bomberger, Kansas Area E—Clayton B. Orth, Arizona

AREA VICE-CHAIRMEN Area A—Morgan E. Holcomb, Connecticut Area B—John C. Donovan, Washington, D. C. Area C—Charles M. Mitchell, Louisiana Area D—Glenn Hillis, Indiana Area E—Reed Mulkey, New Mexico

GENERAL MEMBERS AREA A To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Thomas R. Haley, Vermont John A. High, New Hampshire AREA B To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Tomas Vera Riera, Puerto Rico Dr. Samuel A. Loveman, New Jersey Miss Elsie J. Beatty, West Virginia

AREA C To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: John W. Clay, North Carolina Dr. James Spencer, Hough, Alabama Fred W. Young, Mississippi C. R. McQuown, Georgia 137 AREA D To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: David V. Addy, Michigan Judge F. H. Cooney, Iowa Cliff R. Bomberger, Kansas Douglas Misfeldt, Minnesota Harry T. Fuller, South Dakota

AREA E To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Frank E. Chalfant, Idaho Perry S. McLain, Alaska Clayton B. Orth, Arizona Reed Mulkey, New Mexico Dr. Theo J. Rasmussen, Washington

Education of Orphans of Veterans P. C. Harris, Chairman, Georgia Amos O. Hughes, Vice-Chairman, New Mexico

AREA DIRECTORS To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Maurice F. MacDonald (Central), Pennsylvania Chas. Larson (Central), Wisconsin To serve until close of November meeting, 191f9: T. N. Touchstone, Mississippi

GENERAL MEMBERS To serve until close of November meeting, 191/9: E. H. Gentry, Alabama W. Archie Schiffley, South Carolina Fletcher M. Miller, Colorado D. Waldo Tieszen, South Dakota Thomas Marino, Connecticut Dr. Philip W. Oden, Virginia Art J. Ryan, Florida Anker C. Bjornstad, Washington George K. Fisher, Michigan A. D. McKinnon, North Dakota F. C. Sheppard, North Carolina

ADVISORY BOARD Mrs. Hubert A. Goode, Oregon Harold J. Riley, Michigan Mrs. Leo C. Colton, New Jersey Mrs. W. E. Alexander, North Carolina Mrs. Carl W. Zeller, Ohio W. M. Brown, Connecticut Carl R. Gray, Jr., District of Columbia

Convention Commission Vincent A. Carroll, Chairman, Pennsylvania John W. Slacks, Vice-Chairman, Maryland To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: James P. Ringley, Illinois

ADVISORY MEMBERS Edward A. Linsky, Pennsylvania Matt Monaghan, Louisiana Maurice Stember, New York

138 Contests Supervisory Committee Stephen A. Manning, Chairman, Massachusetts J. Earl McCurdy, Vice-Chairman, Indiana To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Frank E. McCaffrey, Rhode Island William H. Grist, Maine Chester V. Morris, Kansas J. M. (Pete) Henry, Minnesota Otto D. de Heus, New York Albert V. LaBiche, Jr., Louisiana To serve until close of November meeting, 1949: Archie Pozzi, Sr., Nevada (Replacing J. Dayton Smith, Nevada)

Distinguished Guests Committee A. L. Starshak, Chairman, Illinois John Hale Hackley, Vice-Chairman, Ohio Nathaniel Spear, Jr., Vice-Chairman, Pennsylvania Charles Rochester, Vice-Chairman, New York Gen. Frank Schwengel, Vice-Chairman, New York Edward J. Barrett, Vice-Chairman, Illinois Dan W. Emmett, Vice-Chairman, California Dr. Martin Spellman, Vice-Chairman, Massachusetts Glenwood H. Sherrard, Vice-Chairman, Massachusetts Jerry J. Brown, Vice-Chairman, New York

GENERAL MEMBERS To serve until close of November meeting, 1949: Alabama Bert Strand Carl Elliott Joe Noya Edward DeGraffenreid Ben Curleh Laurie Calvin Battle Harley E. Knox George W. Andrews Richard R. Dolwig James E. Folsom N. S. Dilworth John J. Sparkman Earl Coffman Lister Hill Robert I. McCarthy George W. Grant Canada Robert Emmett Jones L. G. Hedman Otis L. Cooper Allen Harrow Arkansas Colorado Boyd Tackett Marcus C. (Mike) Bosco Brooks Hays Porter Carson James W. Trimble Quigg Newton W. F. Norell Gene Luethi John L. McClellan Charles A. Stoddard Heber L. McAlister W. R. Egan T. H. Barton Myron McGinley Homer M. Adkins Dr. Schuyler Parker Ben T. Laney John A. Cross Elgan C. Robertson Clarence S. Bullock Sidney McMath Wm. H. Luby John A. Brown California Wilkie Ham James K. Fisk Dr. Franklin McDonald Wilbur Davis Wayne N. Aspinall Harold C. Schaffer H. Elwyn Davis Dr. George Campbell Eugene D. Milliken 139 Connecticut George Smathers John M. Haymon Dwight Rogers, Jr. Clifford H. Case Spessard L. Holland John D. Griffin Claude Pepper Mrs. Jessie Fallotti J. Hardin Peterson Anson C. Proper Brown Patten Fred Harris Abe Tarapani Richard Ryan Elwin Thomas Ray Cooper Tom Sebring Mrs. Anne O’Malley R. A. Gray Albert Markovics John Dunn James A. Driver Albert Bibeault Joe Adams Charles A. Ryan C. E. Chillingsworth Omer J. Fontaine George Compton Arthur Petit Ollie M. Thompson J. Donald Gill Albert H. Blanding Henry Kamens Tom Bailey Dr. Frederick Heney Charles E. Bennett Michael M. Hastings Fuller Warren Harold H. Bushnell Harry Twiss Georgia Charles A. McCabe A. Sidney Camp Emil P. Migliorati Don Wheeler Delaware Prince Preston John S. Wood J. Caleb Boggs A. M. Anderson John A. Wilker Felix A. DuPont, Jr. Phil M. Landrum George R. Miller S. Marvin Griffin George W. Ayars Herman E. Talmadge James D. Davis District of Columbia Richard B. Russell William Brennan DeLacy Allen John Smith Ben T. Watkins Julian Tokey Warren McDonald Hawaii Horace Lineburg William F. Dillingham Ben Aronson Idaho Edward G. Comingore, Sr. Norman Grant J. T. Davis Mrs. Ann Frame Harry Benoit Paul McGahan Larry F. Evans Dr. Luther W. Gray William F. Galloway James J. Murphy E. B. Smith Jerome McKee W. T. Marineau Walter Morgan Dale C. Michael W. S. Benjamin Leslie Pierce Miss Ann Pryde J. Russell Myers George Landis E. W. Horner Frank Peckham George Donart Percy Hampton Henry McQuade John F. Barry Ralph Comstock Miss Emily Carey J. C. Bangs William Johnson Harry Christy Russell Randall Florida E. S. Rawls Alto Adams Wm. S. Hawkins Bob Sikes Ennis Thomas 140 Illinois Harry Greenberg Ed King George Shidell Charles F. Ruth Jack Bouma Lou Rosset Kentucky Harry Wernsing William M. Horn L. M. Stacy Leonard T. Bean Joe Nemanich Tom Bullington Grover Kirchen Hiram E. Redman John W. Kapp Edward G. Dunlap Ray Hubbs E. Paul Lyon Joseph Rostenkowski Jack Connely Walter W. Stevens Gilbert Flack C. Wayland Brooks Harold Dodson C. A. Hack Charles Hill George Bauer Dwight H. Green Louisiana Ivan A. Elliott Gus W. Kraus Adlai Stevenson Albert J. Laburre Ross Anderson Bruce Baird, Jr. Frank Miller Richard Landry • Wm. Green Harold K. Landry W. C. Voght Robert Malinowski Stanley Bros Harrison Tucker Paul J. Hartrick Harry M. Atteberry Floyd Meseke Bernard Caillouet Ralph White Indiana Robert Charles Smith William E. Brown Warren Pierrotti Clarence U. Gramelspacher C. Shea Mooney Carl J. Suedhoff Leo J. Theriot Henry E. Siebenmark Robert D. Talbot Harold E. Morris James J. Delhom Ralph E. Klare Wilfred A. Fortier George R. Perry Iowa J. A. Dunnam, Jr. L. L. Richard Walter E. Keir William J. Sheffield Guy M. Gillette Joe M. Clark Bourke B. Hickenlooper Jay Paul Wade Milan E. DuBois Minos D. Miller, Jr. William R. Davenport F. F. Ryder Ben Summerwill W. Glenn Arthur E. H. Strobbe Roman A. Guidry Glenn A. Ewing Mrs. Faye Thomas Dr. John J. Martin Martin A. Mayer Charles B. Hoeven Clyde Cannady Ben F. Jensen Lester Schloeman James I. Dolliver Sam J. Fertitta Paul Cunningham L. A. Cayer Karl M. LeCompte Walter Stagg H. R. Gross Stanley H. Berthelot Henry O. Talle Lawrence W. Zimmer Thomas E. Martin Milton Reed William S. Walton C. L. Marcantel Ralph G. Neppel Alton W. Harper Kenneth A. Evans Callais Beverly I. L. Nervig A G. Root A. H. Christensen, Jr. James Leithead 141 Kline L. Kleinpeter Mary Lynch W. C. Fullilove Alfred M. Gulden Grover D. Burgess, Jr. William Gehory Maine Claude Phillips Arthur Reed Karekin D. Sahagian Dr. Clement F. Lynch Gardner Rogers Charles F. Slowey Reno Daigle Harry Aaronson Howard Kyes Donald Kershaw Alexander A. LaFleur William McNamara Frank J. McDonnell Thomas Buckley Peter J. Farley John T. Sherman Michigan Roy H. Burton . Andrew J. Kirkpatrick Martin Leo O’Reilly Louis F. Dorman, Jr. Philip N. Beckett Robert C. Matson Wilbur W. White Maryland Leo C. Markey John G. Schuchman Charles E. Shipley Minnesota Howard A. Petz Luther W. Youngdahl Henry B. Graham Edward Thye John H. Taylor M. J. Hoffman Dewey P. Williams Stafford King Raymond J. Donaldson Mississippi Lansdale G. Sasscer Earl Elkin Milton A. Reckord George Abbott Hugh A. Meade M. J. Weeks Herbert R. O’Conor Jimmy Robbins Dr. W. O. McLane, Jr. Richard McArthur Wm. Preston Lane DeWitt DeWeese Wm. H. Rankin, Sr. Missouri Massachusetts Ben Eldridge Dr. Martin Spellman John Robinson John E. Gorey Harry Winterer Clement Kennedy. A. B. Weyer William J. McMorrow Herbert Wiess Julius F. Haller John Holden Daniel O’Dea August A. Busch, Jr. Louis Patkin Richard F. Paul Montana Carl J. Peterson Ben W. Barnett Dr. Thomas J. Powers Vic Overcash Dr. James A. Redden George Snell Matthew Scullin James Burnes Glenwood J. Sherrard Joseph L. Montgomery Donald B. Stanbro William Steinbrenner, Jr. John C. Clougherty Howard Nelson Dr. Walter Cronin Nebraska James Henchey Val Peterson Mayland Lewis Gustave Everburg Nevada Michael Barry O. E. Rhoades John M. Fee New Hampshire Dr. John Boland Clarence B. Fielden William J. L’Ecuyer Earl S. Hewitt Robert F. Savitt Charles H. Barnard Ann Anyan Frank E. Lawlor 142 New Jersey Victor E. Johnson Frederick W. Hauser Dave Drennen S. Hubbard Scott New Mexico Dudley P. Whipple James D. Kilkenny Albert E. Turrell E. L. Hinton D. L. Sears Arthur Ortega Justin A. Rollman John Yarbrough Joseph V. Patterson Newton V. Nix Herbert R. Mooney Wayne Drysdale Richard L. Lindemann Wayla C. Ellis Frank J. Lausche George Quesenberry John S. Knight H. W. “Jim” Neely Kenneth Kerr Richard M. Krannawitter James W. Huffman Blanchard L. Pritchard Thomas J. Herbert W. Miles Brittelle J. E. Giffin New Yorlc Paul F. Herbert Harold W. Burton Michael F. Boland John W. Bricker Herbert W. Hamann Paul Bellamy James F. Mulholland William C. Duval Thomas J. Russell P. M. Jones Clarence F. Morse Thomas F. Callahan Oklahoma Howard C. Wagner Robert Howe Isadore M. Urfirer Jesse Worten, Jr. James Beha W. W. Hunter Raymond A. McLaughlin Pat Jones Daniel O’Hair Allen McPherin George H. Enos Bill Hobson Robert E. Patterson Berry Dickson - William A. Newburg Dr. Bell Earl J. Keough Vernon Kawitsky Francis D. Meehan Clyde DeMerrett Edward Dunlap Jim Whitley James V. Varley O. G. Ogle Alfred T. Stewart W. R. (Dutch) Cullen Chester Buckley Byron Bolar James Noonan John Dulin Glenn D. Tomb Raymond Trapp Herman P. Forman Oregon Vincent Claffey William F. Duncan Walter Norblad Frank LaRocco Guy Cordon Francis J. Boyd Harris Ellsworth Christopher Moran George LaFontaine John A. Nelson P. L. Jackson Edward K. Inman W. E. Wilkins George O. Pilcher North Carolina Earl Mowbry Thurmond Chatham Douglas McKay W. Kerr Scott Pennsylvania William B. Umstead R. Gregg Cherry Harry Kalmine Roland Garrett Stanley Kocian James A. Abernethy, Jr. Harry Kenvin Charles Bartsch Ohio Abe Shelley Thomas E. Wood Charles Duffey William J. McDermott Fred Simpson 143 Grover Cleveland W. F. Yoakum Herb Smith E. F. Minor, Jr. Errol L. Sollenberger Wesley Davis Paul Faux James Burnette William B. Healey Gray Hutchinson John Masciantonio Clarence Sullivan Dennis Swank C. F. Schubert Leonard Bradley Charles Kellenberg Charlie Boone Robert Ogilvie Alfred H. Barker, Jr. Joseph Huss Sam Morris Matthew Dombrowski Joe Washington Edward Rauch Charles W. Baggenstoss George Koch Tommy Brock Joseph K. Schmid E. O. Brody Joseph Eisenbrown Briggs Smith Kenneth P. Kressler A. T. Silver Hobart Kopkins Joe Frank Hudgens Alex Macenka Albert Oettel Charles J. Lewis R. C. Johnson Daniel Devenney E. P. Lassiter Roland Lord R. L. Dunford Louis Krebs James L. Simmons Clarence A. Hagan John Laminack George Reinert N. B. McDonald Packey Long James L. Bomar Arthur C. Pabst Jesse Wiser Rhode Island Charles Hopson Tom Burks Walter R. Dolliver Chick Brown John Ryer Kenneth Woods Raymond Richard Shelby McDaniel Louis Reed Paul Williams Louis Silva Staton Davis, Jr. South Carolina Cecil Smith L. D. Perkins Charles D. Loyd W. C. Lott William S. Redford L. B. Eargle James B. Hallums Perical Rodgers G. B. Dickey, Jr. H. H. King W. Earl Farmer T. Keller Cogswell Jesse L. Anderson, Jr. Edgar Haywood Tom Potter Robert D. Bell Charles Rhoten Herbert D. Black Dewitt Viar W. C. Henderson M. M. Bradley J. Oscar Wilson Charlie Corcoran Walter N. Smith Fulton Beasley Dr. C. M. Baty John Cantrell Joe T. Rogers Gil Abernathy Robert N. Durant C. E. Lance Miss Harriett Mason Leighton Irwin Tommy Vaughn Tennessee R. C. Chambers J. Harry Ferguson E. H. Kemp Howard Poston John Bolen W. Max Ellis R. P. Phillips Guy Beeler Blake Wright Donald McSween E. G. Woody R. H. Ballance Melvin Weakley 144 Ben Dodd Guerino Filosa Grooms Herron Frederick L. Greeno W. T. Willis Lyman Frary R. P. Alexander Clarence D. Jennison Guy Mobley Donald S. McKeen H. P. Townsend George E. Roscoe George T. Lewis, Jr. Donald E. Yates Rodney Baber Warren D. Hopkins Bert Bates Julian Bondurant Virginia Paul E. Shoaf Frank S. Tavenner C. E. Burger James N. Donaldson William T. Jacobs Harry B. Dyche William M. Tuck Texas Willis Robertson George E. B. Peddy William J. Gibson George S. Berry Ernest A. Dervishian Price Daniel J. Brady Allman Allen Shivers J. Vaughan Gary Beauford H. Jester J. Lindsey Almond, Jr. F. C. Cooley Perley A. Covey Andrew Patton Raymond B. Pinchbeck Joe Spurlock Sam R. Heller Carl Phiney E. H. Thornton Washington James F. Taylor E. C. Kaiser Dr. J. W. Long Eugene T. Mahoney Walter Tynan Joe E. McCauley John Gray Herbert G. West John Koucrek J. S. “Ted” Cooper W. F. Neuney James O. Ballou James Logan Roy W. O’Hara Tom Pollard John J. Langebach St. John Garwood Jack Folley West Virginia Fen Brewster Okey L. Patteson Chris Fox James W. Bartlett, Jr. Randolph Bryant Myron R. Renick Earl Earp Monroe Click Harry B. Glass, Jr. Utah Stephen J. Russek David C. Forney W. C. C. Perry Dr. John L. Jorney Wisconsin Richard Isbell P. K. Hayes A1 Ledrowski Roy Williams James R. Durfee Herbert B. Maw Judge Ryan Duffy J. Bracken Lee Joseph McCarthy D. Clarence Neslen Patrick Stone Wallace A. Goates Oscar E. Rennebohm James Kallas Emil H. Wingad Jack Lewis Herman C. Runge Evan H. Mickelsen Leo Promen John F. O’Melia Vermont Edward H. Brophy Milton L. Barnes William McEwen Philip E. Bisbee Harold Kuehl Samuel Dobbins Harold Baker William F. Dutton R. S. Tummons 145 John Mullen Charles Shaw Lawrence Smith L. R. Felter Jack Spore Lester C. Hunt Wyoming Raymond J„ Lackey Stanley C. Weeks John F. Brooder Ben G. Nelson Tony Kline Transportation Committee Fred Baird, Chairman, Ohio Frank H. Wilson, Vice-Chairman, Florida F. H. Fitzpatrick, Vice-Chairman, Illinois Charles McKnaught, Vice-Chairman, Kansas Thomas Garbett, Vice-Chairman, Pennsylvania To serve until close of November meeting, 19&9: Thurman Penn, Arkansas Willard W. Smith, Nevada A. L. Jackson, Arkansas Patrick J. Hinchey, N. Hampshire T. Louis Chess, California Ray Harrison, New Mexico H. Earl Cromas, California William P. Erxleben, New Mexico Richard Barrett, Connecticut W. P. Christiansen, North Dakota Frank M. Wilson, Florida M. L. Mikkelsen, North Dakota Edward H. Smith, Georgia James Brady, North Dakota John E. Minter, Georgia Paul Ord, Pennsylvania Ralph A. L. Bogan, Illinois I. J. Hetherington, Pennsylvania Harold Crary, Illinois Orio Everett, Pennsylvania F. G. Fitzpatrick, Illinois James L. Carter, South Carolina William Ross Hornsby, Sr., Md. Wm. J. Kane, South Dakota O. G. Petrie, Massachusetts Allen C. Ater, Texas John English, Massachusetts L. A. Stewart, Texas Eugene Houck, Michigan William E. Hagain, New Mexico Harley S. Merritt, Michigan Vann V. Secrest, North Carolina Harry Wilson, Minnesota Edward Gerlach, Washington Dr. C. A. Ross, Missouri Frank R. Murray, Utah Calvin Wineberg, Missouri Douglas Gleason, Kansas Economic Commission Lawrence J. Fenlon, Chairman, Illinois John Lewis Smith, Jr., Vice-Chairman, District of Columbia To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Thomas Whalen, North Dakota Jay C. Hormel, Minnesota Lyon W. Brandon, Mississippi Agricultural and Conservation Committee Robert D. Morrow, Chairman, Mississippi To serve until close of November meeting, 19^9: E. G. Bayliss, Oregon Mark R. Kulp, Idaho Robert G. Kelley, California To serve until close of November meeting, 1950: Lee Dirks, Texas Geo. Kellogg, California Herbert J. Barr, Kansas To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Percy A. Lamoine, Louisiana Fred Henderson, Alabama Robert'L. Morrow, Mississippi Henry C. Jones, Wyoming 146 Employment Committee Spence S. Boise, Chairman, North Dakota E. F. McNally, Vice-Chairman, Michigan To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Edward B. Nowak, New York John Brock, Georgia Clark S. Hafdy, Nevada Spence S. Boise, North Dakota Salvatore A. Capodice, California E. F. McNally, Michigan To serve until close of November meeting, 191/9: Charles M. Blackburn, Kentucky (To replace B. I. Madden) To serve until close of November meeting, 1950: Wm. R. Bourdon, Arizona (To replace John R. Stille) Frank J. Collins, Minnesota (To replace Jay C. Hormel)

Housing Committee EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE To serve until close of November meeting, 191/9: Levi P. M. Gaylord, New York Walter Kellogg, Louisiana Bertram E. Giesecke, Texas Rex F. Whittemore, California Elliott Finkel, Pennsylvania

GENERAL MEMBERS Alabama Illinois Davis S. M. Under Elliodor M. Libonati Alaska Indiana Perry S. McLain Martin Klein California Iowa A. E. Eickholt Allan R. Holmes Conrad J. Hanson Kansas Colorado Ray S. Schulz Fred E. Sisk Louisiana Connecticut Paul Aucoin, Jr. Theodore Haase Walter W. Kellogg Maine Delaware Erven L. Curtis Paul J. Green Robert M. Hume District of Columbia Maryland Sylvan King James P. Lazzati Florida Michigan James Nemic Wilfred G. Bonvouloir Georgia Minnesota James N. Peacock, Jr. William Dokken Emanuel Javetz Mississippi E. T. Hughes Clyde McGehee Hawaii Missouri Chad Dunstan Ted Kiser Idaho Nevada C. R. Stillinger L. A. Robertson 147 New Hampshire South Carolina Charles A. Woods George Bell Timmerman, Jr. New Mexico South Dakota Seaborn P. Collins Boyd Knox North Carolina Virginia Gibson L. Smith Maxwell H. Elliott North Dakota Alfred S. Morgan . Oscar Fode Wisconsin Pennsylvania Arthur I. Marcus Russell B. Kirby Washington Jacob Hulitt Thomas W. Riley Labor Relations Committee To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Fred G. Fraser, District of Columbia John F. Burns, Connecticut Veterans’ Preference Committee Ray R. McEvoy, Chairman, Massachusetts Gray A. Mann, Vice-Chairman, Louisiana Herbert J. Jacobi, District of Columbia

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Ray R. McEvoy, Massachusetts Francis McDonnell, Maine Willard W. Smith, Nevada Thomas Byers, Connecticut GENERAL MEMBERS Alabama Jacob Milwit Pete B. Jarman James Googe Arkansas Charles Bell Truman Baker Lucius Kenerson California Florida Irving Klein Frank J. Falsone Ronald Soucey T. Eugene Austin Connecticut J. L. Burgess Ivilla A. Duquette Georgia G. Fred Butler William M. Todd Edward D. Krauth Harold Waters William E. Powers W. B. Streeter George Mulligan A. Sydney Dodd, Jr. Stanley Przygocki Clifford M. Clarke Guy Torsani Hawaii Joseph Soldi Phil Cass C. Russell Day George W. Morrison Illinois Peter Strycus William L. Castleman Arthur J. Duprey Indiana Paul Jansky Harvey Stout John Darcey Thomas Flanders Iowa Joseph Valvano Jack Hamaker District of Columbia Kansas Donald Van Houton True Foster Edward Marthill Kentucky A1 Duff James W. Hammond 148 Louisiana North Carolina James A. Leithead Albert J. Ellis Maine North Dakota Nathan C. Fuller Ed Kibler Maryland Oklahoma Raymond A. Burke Robert D. Smith Thomas P. Conlon, Sr. Ohio Edward Thomas Scanlon Frank C. Hilliard Silas B. Hall Oregon Larry J. Burns David Blakeman Joseph Marsheck Pennsylvania Robert K. Danner Robert Fish Michael F. Bonadio William Stern Frank T. Powers William Crowe Massachusetts Ralph Fargotstein Ralph W. Gray J. Shiftman Thomas Driscoll Joseph D. Walsh Bernard N. Webster Carl Peters Frank A. Pike John Swartz Edward Convery Paul Sine Harlow Jones William J. Newhart Thomas Greehan Raymond Smith Dwight Bardes Michigan John F. Reidy John L. Farley Joseph McKenna Johan Nyhof Raymond Rosazzo Fred E. Garrity Norman Streicker Leo N. Braun C. Elmer Olson Rhode Island Francis D. Hogan Howard E. Pratt South Carolina Minnesota Luther K. Brice D. B. Hunt South Dakota Mississippi Emil P. May E. E. Wedding Texas Claude Shofner Howard Hudgins Missouri H. J. Barnard Francis Spencer John A. Rawlins Thomas Halloran T. D. Kimbro Robert L. Hoy Steven Catalina James Kenny Tom Saling Robert Chatman Roy Porter Robert Uhrig A. L. Ahrens James A. Young Utah Albert Pendleton Theodore R. Maughn Clem White Vermont Thomas A. Walsh Emilio Iglesias Montana Virginia Russell H. Hart Robert E. Harden Nevada Hal Renkin Clark S. Hardy F. Earle Lutz Robert C. Smith New Hampshire Joseph C. Fusco John E. O’Brien W. C. Daniel Adelon J. Plourde S. J. Higgins New Mexico William T. Luck M. A. Campagna Harry P. Holt 149 Washington Wisconsin Harry R. Lawton William H. Siemering Finance Commission Sam W. Reynolds, Chairman, Nebraska William J. Dwyer, Vice-Chairman, New York To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: William P. Roan, Pennsylvania William J. Dwyer, New York John D. Ewing, Louisiana Emblem Committee Julius Levy, Chairman, Pennsylvania Dee Holder, Vice-Chairman, California To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: W. Elliott Nefflen, West Virginia Louis Drago, New York D. L. Haffner, Indiana Investment Policy Committee Earl F. Knoob, Chairman, California To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Earl F. Knoob, California Von E. Luscher, Minnesota Overseas Graves Decoration Trust Perry Brown, Chairman, Texas James F. O’Neil, Vice-Chairman, New Hampshire Neal Grider, Treasurer, Indiana Henry H. Dudley, Secretary, Nebraska To serve until close of November meeting, 1949: Paul H. Griffith, Pennsylvania To serve until close of November meeting, 1950: James F. O’Neil, New Hampshire To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Perry Brown, Texas To serve until term of office expires: Neal Grider, National Treasurer, Indiana Henry H. Dudley, National Adjutant, Nebraska Sam W. Reynolds, Chairman, National Finance Commission, Nebraska Retirement Committee To serve until close of November meeting, 1954: William A. White, California Foreign Relations Commission Leon Happell, Chairman, California Charles A. Gonser, Vice-Chairman, Washington Oscar B. Rohlff, Vice-Chairman, Wyoming To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Leon Happell, California Philip G. Cashman, Massachusetts Rogers Kelley, Texas Charles S. Cook, Pennsylvania 150 Internal Affairs Commission Eli Dahlin, Chairman, Kansas William J. Lowry, Vice-Chairman, Connecticut To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: C. Francis McCarthy, District of Columbia Eli Dahlin, Kansas Frederick T. Devlin, New York Fred Downing, Virginia To serve until close of November meeting, 1950: Wm. J. Lowry, Connecticut

Constitution and By-Laws Samuel M. Birnbaum, Chairman, New York Walter Roundtree, Vice-Chairman, Florida To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Henry N. Press, Vermont James Donohue, Pennsylvania Theo. F. Cangelosi, Louisiana Walter Roundtree, Florida Joseph Avella, Massachusetts To serve until close of November meeting, 1950: John Sinclair, California Graves Registration and Memorial Committee Mancel Talcott, Chairman, Illinois Norman John, Vice-Chairman, Pennsylvania To serve until close of November meeting, 1953: Shag Floore, Texas Robert E. Klicker, New Mexico James T. Watters, New York Armand Daviau, Massachusetts To serve until close of November meeting, 1950: J. C. Jacobs, Mississippi Membership and Post Activities Irvin R. Snyder, Chairman, California Louis Nagy, Vice-Chairman, Pennsylvania Robert C. Potter, Vice-Chairman, New York William D. Bottini, Vice-Chairman, Nevada Don W. Wilsen, Vice-Chairman, West Virginia Leonard Jackson, Vice-Chairman, Louisiana Walter Rose, Vice-Chairman, Wisconsin Alabama Georgia John Wienand George J. Hearn David R. Solomon Bona Allen, III California E. H. Conner Robert Cooke Willis Conger Connecticut Idaho William A. Dennis Charlie F. Peterson District of Columbia Illinois Joseph A. Walker, Sr. Charles Shaw Florida Patrick P. Petrone Broward Williams Henry Schroeder 151 Howard Summers North Carolina Robert McClure Ralph J. Shell Walter Herpstrite Ohio Clarence Wood Floyd R. Hartpence Indiana Oklahoma W. I. Brunton J. Earl Simpson Iowa Oregon Paul A. Tornquist Harry Pinkerton Kansas Pennsylvania Claude C. Bradney Harry Fox Kentucky Joe Clerc John F. Hagner Robert Hershey Louisiana Dan Crumrine Irwin W. Dowd Fritz Marley Jack Atwood Ed Green Maryland Frances Brady Abe Sherman Herbert Walker Thomas Plummer Massachusetts Ed Strickler John Gorey Julius Haller South Carolina Earl Kingsbury Paul M. Sealy Michigan South Dakota Arthur H. Clarke Ralph E. Sarlette Minnesota Texas Barlow Ross William S. Traill Missouri Utah Earl Shackelford Dale L. Whitesides Montana Vermont George M. Gosman Clarence W. Bird New Hampshire Virginia Lawrence D. Walker T. Whitt Greer New Jersey Washington William P. Dow Fred M. Fuecker New Mexico Wisconsin James D. Kilkenny Walter A. Rose Pilgrimage Committee Chas. L. Scheuttler, Chairman, District of Columbia Ward L. Vehman, Vice-Chairman, District of Columbia To serve until close of November meeting, 19J,9: District of Columbia Frank Felker Wm. L. McMahon, Jr. Fred Money Guy C. Jackson Robert Thren James F. DeForce Byron Dunn Rudolph Blick Louis Goldberg Dr. Wm. B. Adams Harold Eales Roy Miles James Arrington John Anderson Sylvan King C. E. DeVivo Walter A. Jackson Nicholas Pagnotta William Shannon Paul Davis Leo McGuire Dan M. Goodacre Chester A. Bennett William DePrez Lester H. Steinem Edward Joseph Clark Gail T. Judd M. V. Spici George Lee 152 Georgia Lyndon Johnson John Lyle, Jr. Basil Stockbridge Wingate H. Lucas W. L. Kilroy J. Frank Wilson Maryland Virginia Samuel D. Lipsy Paul L. Sweeney Albert H. Reisinger Sidney Weil Francis L. McGaha John E. Minnigh Carl Brittle John W. Haggerty Francis J. Pontier Elmer E. Payne Andrew Melvin E. A. Hileman W. E. Marvel, Jr. Peter E. Dolan Charles H. Ecker Wendell P. B. Flynn Louis Kintz Samuel T. A. Crawford Frank H. Riley Melvin A. Silver E. L. Bain, Jr. T. Jeff Owen Leo J. Sullivan, Jr. George W. Trimble Joseph L. Ferri Owen S. Livsie James Latgis A. L. Philpott Carl Ward Benjamin L. Campbell Texas Leroy A. Redford Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. Warren Lambert Tom Connally Richard S. Gillis, Jr. Olin E. Teague Linus A. Williams Tom Clarke Joseph Savage Wright Patman Theodore M. Forne Eugene Worley Resolutions Assignment Committee Thomas J. D. Salter, Chairman, Nevada Harry Benoit, Vice-Chairman, Idaho To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Max Wyman, Kansas Edward L. Blake, West Virginia R. H. Bassett, Oregon Max Bloomberg, Pennsylvania Term expiring November, 1949: Dr. Joseph R. Hawn (Replacing Earl C. Hitchcock, New York), New York

Trophies, Awards and Ceremonials Committee Clyde E. Rankin, Chairman, Pennsylvania D. Trotter Jones, Vice-Chairman, Alabama To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Edmond J. O’Keefe, New York John J. Burkhard, Wisconsin D. Trotter Jones, Alabama National Legislative Commission Ernest S. Goens, Chairman, Texas Lynn G. Peterson, Vice-Chairman, California Miles D. Kennedy, Vice-Chairman, New York To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Ernest S. Goens, Texas Bradley R. Taylor, Wisconsin Frederick Mellin, Massachusetts Raymond F. Gates, Connecticut 153 Miles D. Kennedy, New York Alcee S. Legendre, Louisiana Lynn G. Peterson, California Douglas A. Graham, Michigan John Gleason, Illinois Publications Commission EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE To serve until close of November meeting, 191^9: Roland Cocreham, Louisiana Emmett Safay, Florida Lang Armstrong, Washington Max Slepin, Pennsylvania Earl Hitchcock, New York MEMBERS To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Roland Cocreham, Louisiana George D. Baron, Connecticut Lang Armstrong, Washington Earl Hitchcock, New York Edgar G. Vaughn, Minnesota Harold A. Shindler, Indiana

ADVISORY MEMBERS To serve until close of November meeting, 191^9: William Haughton, California Edward J. Quinn, Maine William T. Marineau, Idaho Walter S. Travis, South Dakota William Kleuskens, Illinois National Public Relations Commission Frank J. Becker, Chairman, New York Herman F. Luhrs, Vice-Chairman, Michigan EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Herman F. Luhrs, Michigan Edward F. McGinnis, District of Columbia Frank J. Becker, New York William S. Konold, Ohio John Cotter, Massachusetts To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Edward F. McGinnis, District of Columbia William G. Earles, Maine Mermon H. Potter, Alabama Jason S. Joy, California Madison B. Graves, Nevada R. C. Cusman, Texas John Cotter, Massachusetts Robert A. Reed, Kansas

Rehabilitation Commission John H. Walsh, Chairman, Massachusetts Robert M. McCurdy, Vice-Chairman, California Watson B. Miller, Consultant, District of Columbia EXECUTIVE SECTION To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Joseph G. Leonard, Connecticut Robert M. McCurdy, California 154 John H. Walsh, Massachusetts W. Bea Waldrip, Michigan Earl V. Cliff, Minnesota Sam Brolund, Kansas ADVISORY BOARD Alabama Guy E. Bonney George W. Cameron Charles Gordon Beck Iowa California Dr. Walter L. Bierring William A. Knost E. Lamont Johnson Louisiana John Dunn C. B. Knight C. Lee Youngblood Colorado John Links, Jr. Richard D. Dittemore Manuel P. Ott Frank Doll, Jr. Maine Dwight Sexton Owen McCorty John Vivian Frank Rainoehl Connecticut Joseph Siciliano John W. Clark John Robertson Joseph P. O’Brien Maryland John Morrison Richard C. Manning Arnold H. Watrous Francis T. Welsh Massachusetts Mrs. Edith Van Campen Delaware Armand Daviau Thomas B. Egan Dr. Elton V. Faass District of Columbia Dr. Joseph A. Doherty Sam Rose Edward T. Mulkern Florida • Albert G. Beckman Dr. T. H. Bates Mrs. Mary P. Mooney Dwight Sullivan William F. Whalen, Jr. Ann H. McLean Charles H. Slowey P. G. Mitchell Mrs. Mary Cutell George R. Smith Miss Catherine Esler John A. Day Louis Howland J. Martin Deer James Haslam Dr. H. C. VonDahm Daniel Murphy Press Nicholas Michigan N. C. Yon Walter J. Baker Clayton C. Codrington Harry E. Barnett M. Bryson Ray Amhler John M. Faulkenberry Dr. Charles J. Gray Georgia Thomas A. Fitzgerald Dr. W. E. Burdine Mississippi Dr. A. W. Davis Cecil Connerly L. E. Carter Thomas W. Carr W. B. Streeter O. W. Freeman John K. Williams Missouri •J. Pat Kelly Morris Glaizer Hawaii Nat Snider Mrs. Winifred McKaig Downing Robert Blanke Illinois John A. Cannon Dr. R. D. Short Thomas Casey Dr. Elmer W. Moseley Ruth M. Roberts Dr. L. Robert Mellin Mary F. Corzine Edward A. Hayes Wm. Anfahr Homer G. Bradney Irwin Walker 155 North Carolina Richard Hatfield Dr. J. T. Mackie William J. Hetherington C. A. Pennington Earl Leslie Vann V. Secrest Joseph T. McKenna Dr. I. T. Mann John Coogan Ohio Mike Kane A. J. McCracken Philippines Joseph R. Koch Oregon Roy B. Clark Texas Roy O. Young Fred E. Young Robert W. Akers Oklahoma Frank -N. Ikard Dr. W. F. McCauley Rene Garza Panama Joe M. Daniel Louis A. Kaufer Lewis P. Fields Pennsylvania Robert Steinhagen Effle E. Innis Tom McHale Ella H. Tomlinson C. A. Hubbard Mary Welsh Dr. L. N. McAnally John Harrison Dr. Giles A. Deason Dr. Elmer Williams Melvin M. Combs Mrs. Regina Simimonis B. J. Rupart Joseph A. Halka Utah Leo McDonald B. K. Farnsworth Emma Gardner Jones Virginia Bernard Stansfield Dr. G. Hunter Wolfe George Bowman J. William Clement Myer Abrams Carl C. Brown Fred Evans Lyle Rosser Charles A. Gebhart F. Nathanial Thompson Robert J. Hanna Angus M. Grimes AREA CHAIRMEN To serve until close of November meeting, 191/9: Area A—Frank J. Lawn, Connecticut Area B—Frank A. Kanter, Pennsylvania Area C—Clarence C. Horton, Alabama Area D—N. Curtis Cation, Illinois Area E—I. A. Lougaris, Nevada

AREA VICE-CHAIRMEN To serve until close of November meeting, 191/9: Area A—George M. Daly, New Hampshire Area B—Everett E. Borton, Delaware Area C—Jack Stallings, Texas Area D—James F. Burns, Wisconsin Area E—John Dunn, California

GENERAL MEMBERS AREA A To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Sidney J. Harris, Massachusetts George M. Daly, New Hampshire Patrick J. Crawley, Rhode Island

AREA B To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Daniel J. Hanley, Sr., Virginia Richard C. Manning, Maryland Frank Kanter, Pennsylvania AREA C To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Jack Stallings, Texas Dr. Frank Acree, Mississippi Roy R. Reed, Louisiana C. A. Pennington, North Carolina AREA D To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: James F. Burns, Wisconsin Herbert E. Michaels, Ohio Carle B. Lenker, South Dakota N. Curtis Cation, Illinois AREA E To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: E. J. Callaghan, Montana K. Klemmetson, Washington Steve Halligan, Washington John Dunn, California Insurance Advisory Board To serve until close of November meeting, 1949: Milo J. Warner, Chairman, Ohio MEMBERS Lew Fields, Texas Y. W. Scarborough, South Carolina William O. Hall, Idaho Cecil W. Duncan, South Dakota Fred W. Hubbell, Iowa Theodore P. Otjen, Wisconsin Fred Hildebrand, Missouri Stanley Van Dyke, Illinois P. Paxton Stephens, Louisiana John Decker, Wisconsin Rehabilitation Medical Advisory Board To serve until close of November meeting, 1949: Dr. Leonard G. Rowntree, Florida Dr. Waltman Walters, Minnesota Chief Medical Adviser Dr. C. Raymond Wells, New York Dr. Charles W. Mayo, Minnesota Dr. William D. Stroud, Pennsylvania Asst. Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Winfred Overholser, D. of C. Col. Louis H. Renfrow, D. of C. Rear Adm. Herbert L. Pugh, D. of C. Asst. Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Esmond R. Long, Pennsylvania Dr. Howard A. Rusk, New York Dr. George F. Lull, Illinois National Security Commission Erie Cocke, Jr., Chairman, Georgia Ray Garber, Vice-Chairman, Iowa Frank Lowe, Vice-Chairman, Maine To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Edward Martin, Pennsylvania William H. Kroll, Illinois Aeronautics R. B. Gardner, Chairman, Ohio Roscoe Turner, Vice-Chairman, Indiana Barney Keegan, Vice-Chairman, Illinois To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Thomas E. Walsh, Michigan Frank A. Weber, Pennsylvania John Dwight Sullivan, New York Herman G. Nami, Texas R. B. Gardner, Ohio Civil Defense Neil R. Allen, Chairman, Oregon A1 Mills, Vice-Chairman, Florida To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Damis Bouchard, New Hampshire Albert C. Larsen, Illinois Laurence Trainor, Pennsylvania Hugh Garrity, Massachusetts 157 Merchant Marine Albert B. Stapp, Chairman, Alabama To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Harry L. Foster, California Perry Compton, Missouri Charles J. Hughes, Wyoming Edmund Stafford, Washington Paul Geer, Minnesota To serve until close of November meeting, 1950: L. D. Marshall, Mississippi Military Affairs Omar McMackin, Chairman Ed. J. Zoble, Vice-Chairman, Wyoming To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Donald P. Chadwick, Connecticut George S. Reynolds, Georgia Raymond F. Hufft, Louisiana Thomas Mackey, Massachusetts Paschal C. Reese, Florida Everett J. Holland, Rhode Island

Naval Affairs Arthur J. Duffy, Chairman, New York Paul Dever, Vice-Chairman, Massachusetts To serve until close of November meeting, 1951: Clarence P. Oakes, Kansas Harry Levy, Alaska Emmett G. Lenihan, Washington Paul A. Dever, Massachusetts Arthur F. Duffy, New York

Universal Military Training Committee Granville Ridley, Chairman, Tennessee Daniel B. St.rickler, Vice-Chairman, Pennsylvania Michael T. Kelleher, Vice-Chairman, Massachusetts To serve until close of November meeting, 191f9: Alabama Illinois James S. Saliba John A. Stelle, Jr. Alaska Jacob Arvey R. H. Stock Indiana Arkansas Jack McIntyre R. M. O’Day Sheldon A. Key California John Weaver L. Burr Belden Iowa Harry Bramble Rt. Rev. Msgr. Edw. J. Smith Harry Hooper Leo A. Hoegh Neil C. Clemens Kansas Colorado Fred Bramlage Charles J. Traylor Louisiana Connecticut Bernard J. Bagert Frederick Reinke Joe J. Tritics Florida Maryland Mark W. Lance Milton Reckord Georgia Michigan David H. Hirsch Owen J. Cleary Blake R. Van Leer George T. Metcalf C. H. Alexander Minnesota John S. Bell Rev. A. L. Rustad Idaho Missouri Paul DeF. Mortimore James M. Reeves 158 New York A1 Gillette Michael Erceg Lew Conn Nevada John Swartz Perry G. Means South Dakota New Hampshire T. C. Kasper Franklin J. Bills South Carolina North Carolina R. K. Wise Rev. James A. Hudson Alfred Plowden Frank M. Harris Texas Louis F. Parker A. B. Knickerbocker John H. King Fred Army Ohio Virginia Crete Anderson Norvell O. Akers Pennsylvania Washington Rev. Geo. Hickey George E. Flood Your committee recommends that the National Commander, after consultation with the National Committeemen of the Departments in- volved, be authorized to All existing vacancies on committees or com- missions. Signed: JAMES E. SNEE, Chairman, Louisiana. ARTHUR J. CONNELL, Connecticut. LEONARD W. ESPER, Illinois. HARRY K. STINGER, Pennsylvania. THOMAS W. MILLER, Nevada.

After retirement of the colors, and invocation, the meeting adjourned at 12:25 p. m., November 20, 1948. Respectfully submitted,

HENRY H. DUDLEY, National Adjutant.

159