Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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CHARLESTON POST TO DATE World War Veterans in City By the ^ Sea Take Active Interest in American Lpgion Affairs By Ben E. Adams, Post Adjutant Individual action brought together /v , i ? by cooperative ertorts may oe creuued with making the Charleston post the largest single unit in the American Legion in South Carolina. This post was organized just two years j ago by a small group of men who were interested in making the organization a power for good in our <Jity. While no systematic drive was made for members all ex-service white men were invited to join and take part in the post. During the sixteen months from September 1919 toDecember 31, 1920 a total of 381 members were * M BttKE?_^H^H6^8 < . . BEN E. ADAMS Adjutant Charleston Post v secured at $3.00 each. At the annual meeting in December 1920 the membership ^ec was changed to $5.00 per year. For the first eighteen months the Dost held its metings and other func tions in the armory of the Washington Light Infantry. It may foe well . said here that the Charleston post owes a great deal to this organization. The management of the armory refused to accept any rent from the Legion and tnereby enaioled the post to carry on its affairs with the small fee of $3.00 per year membership dues. The national guard organizations of Charleston have given their wholehearted support to the American Legion. and the Legion in turn has only the kindest of feelings for the militia organizations. There is every reason in the world why the National Guard j and the American Legion should pull together. While one is strictly a military body and the other a civilian organization they both stand for the / protection of the nation, and the" state. The F?r#t Officers The first officers of the Charleston post were' as follows: Lionel K. Legg, commnader; Richard G. White, vice commander; Ernest L. Visanska, adjutant; Sidney C. Snelgrove, finance officer; Andrew F. Littlejohn, historian and the Rev. Oliver J. Hart, assistant pastor of St. Michael's Episcopal church, chaplain. The executive committee was composed of the first three officers named above and the following members: J. Chesnce Cogswell, J. Lawrence Gantt, Francis R. Lesesne, Harry O. Withington and Miss Alice P. T. Hayne. Despite the handicaps which these officers had to face they ^v.jlt the post up 10 a considerable membership. A condition existed at Charleston, % and no doubt the same thing was true throughout the colintry, which made the organizing of the legion an uphill job. This was the fact that practically everyone who had been in the to-rviro that not onlv did he war.t to get away from the army, navy or marine corps, but wanted nothing to do with any "outfit" which would bring back memories of the "old days" in camp, on the sea and at the . front. However, this state of affairs is passing. Men no longer shun everything pertaining to the war. On the other hand a great many of them welcome the associates which they meet through the American Legion. This is helping the Legion. It will help it more ana more in the future. As time goes on men who saw service will feel a certain bond of comradeship, and this feeling will result in a closer and a better Legion. Satisfactory Growth The American Legion has had a most satisfactory growth in Charles ton during this year. This growth is due to a close cooperation on all sides. The officers of the post never undertake any movement of consequence without first "threshing it out" among themselves. And this policy adopted early in the reign of the present administration has worked to the advantage of the post and to the satisfaction of the membership. Our commander is a man of executive ability and an untiring worker in the ^ interest of the organization. He regards his fellow officers as advistors, and gives their opinions careful consideration. He does not rush into a situation without first studying all sides of the question and being in a (Continued on Pago 7.) !$><$$><$><$><?><$<$><&<?><$><$><&<$><$> | > k THE SOUTH CAROLINA DE{'? PARTMENT OF THE AMERICAN LEGICN v!> A Historical Sketch "The American Legion was cc iceived by practically the entire p< isonnei 01 tine army, iiavq ?uu maw i -corps." These words from the p: face of Wheat's Story of the Ame jean Legion express the determinati 'present in the minds of almost ; ' service men to foster that idealis !with which our nation prosecuted t ,war and at the same time to cheri ! comradeships formed during th< period of service. j At a meeting of twenty, represent j tive officers in Paris on the ndght 'the 15th Feb., 1919, organization I the evterans association took tang it focrm. As officers Lt. Col. Theodo i Roosevelt, Jr., 1st Div., was elect i jftec porary .chairman, Lt. Col., Benrn C. Clark, 88th Div., temporary vi j chairman, Lt. Col. Eric Fisher Woe - ' _ x rr 88th Div . .temporary secretary, x : twenty officers organized themselv ; into a temporary committee. A ca jcus of commissioned and enliste del ,gates was determined upon, and t> Idate of dlt set for March 15 to . jin Paris. j At this caucus the greatest ha | mony prevailed. The action of t self-appointed committee was endoi fed and a tentative constitution adoj ed. After heated discussion the nai American Legion was decided upc Col. Roosevelt was not present atrtl caucus, having returned home, whe 1 1 """"V +-Vio s\r.yui ! ilG clX once LK3g<xll wuiii vif vxtv jzation, and where, due to the retu I of troops, the greatest work was jbe done. j An advance committee was a Ipointed iby Col. Roosevelt and has a j vices to take part in preliminary wo at home. j "Wheat's "Story of the Amerte; Legion" gives the South Caroli committeemen appointed by Roos velt as follows: Sgt. W. C. Cowai Cheraw, Lt. Chas. C. Pinckney, Cte ilesiton, C. T. Trenholm, Charlest< jrnd Maj. W. D. Workman, Gree jville. Other sources of informati i give them as Col. Holmes B. Spring tMaj. J. D. Frost and Maj. E. B. Ca ;tay- ; c- . ;v; ! From South Carolina Mr. R. Fulton, Mr. N. S. Lochico-tte and-1 Tr.r? r> Sm-vser attended the cauc ^ ^r-v itheld at St. Louis on the 8th, 9th a 110th of May, 1919, at which an < Ig-anization was effected, a constiil ition adlcipted. and various resoihitio i .passed^forecasting clearly the acti I ties of the association in the futu: I T*r;<-u offon^oripp <vf these thl TV llil UIV MUirviiUUxw representatives at the St. Louis cs cus, the South Carolina departme of the American Legion had its 1 ginning. Upon their return they vrted prominent ex-service men fr< all over the state to attend a sfc convention in July for the purpose forming a state organization. T convention, held in Florence, was j tended by about forty-five delegat jln formulating a constitution t ; question of admission of negroes '.the Legion became acuite. Sevei delegates from tentative negro < ganizations are said to 'have .be ! present in Florence, ready to atte j the convention. Negroes were j fectively barred from admission l hp rrvnritv DOStS shoi * pi V V IwWK W1IV? V V4*w ? ^ x determine who should be admitted membership and that there should only one post'to each county. I Officers elected at this conventii were: I Julius H. Walker, Columbia, c ;pai'tment commander. i Guy Gullkrk, Greenville, depa ' ment vice commander. I ! Trvirtp- F. Belser. Columbia, ( * ~ * ' , par torrent adjutant. j Executive committee: Jiohn J. McSwain, Greenvi] j Chairman. I W. M. Manning, Columbia, v: chairman. Geo. W. Wannamaker, Jr., < Matthews. I Lloyd Smith, Easley. j C. B. Edwards, Darlington, j Sergeant-at-Arms, J. 0. Williai ! Uberty. i Chaplain, J. W. Fraser, Spart; burg. Naitic-nal executive commjitteemi J. Monroe Johnson, Marion, j Finance committee: Holmes B. Springs, Greenville. J. Monroe Johnson, Marion. S. H. Husbands, Florence. Upon the resignation of Mr. J. McSwain, Mr. Manning was ma -.Unirmon rvf tho executive commit! ; mwii V* v..^ ; and Mr. Lionel K. Legg was add< Mr. Wannamaker was succeeded ; Mr. Henry Johnson. i As both the state commander a adjutant (Messrs vVa. ver and Belsi .were residents of Columbia he; j quarters were at once established j that city, temporary offices being ifered by the law firm of Melton |Belser, No. 309 Loan & Ejcchan jBank building, where in fact t headquarters of the American Legi jwere throughout the first year of 'a | existence. Mr. A. D. Oliphant was ^jat first requested to cooperate in orJ | ganizing the posts throughout th( j state. After a month or so of excellenl v service Mr. Oliphant was replaced b> A Mr. S. L. Latimer, Jr., of the Colunv bia State whose untiring activities ir the line of publicity kept the Ameri' 3r* can Legion constantly 'before th? n p public. Practically two new posts . were organized every week during the period from September, 1919. tc May, 1920. r% I J At the convention of the Legior *m held in Columbia fair week, 1919 , representatives in the next nationa' Sil . convention were selected as follows "irjl. F. Belser, chairman; J. H. Walker, 'J. Monroe Johnson, John J. McSwain, Henry Johnson, John T. Sloan, Geo. ? W. Wannamaker, W. A. Malone, J. , M. McBride, W. D. Workman. )10 Local option as to membership of T0 " negroes in the Legion an-d a condcme | nation of bonus agitation were the ittL 4-U~ tjwo inraiii yimiku m tuc piauv/xm vn . the South Carolina department, and that platform was maintained in the national convention at Minneapolis, 68'Nov. 9, 10, 11, 1919. This action u-1 ' with regard to the bonus was in strict [??. j he | keeping with the high standard set ^ during the solemn hoi#s of the St. Louis caucus. But the allurements of the bonus, dangling as a constant , 'temptation before the eyes of Arner* jican Legionnaires and other ex-ser^ vice men, began to prove too strong, 'and it was as a concession to more or no less general pressure that the nation.* al executive committee introduced in IIS .the spring of 1920 the bonus prore | . .posal, in flagrant violation of former 'resolutions on the subject. rn ^ In view of this tergiversation on the part of the national executive committee, the South (Jarolma execu^ 'tive committee sent Messrs. I. F. Bel' ^ ser and J. M'onroe Johnson to Washington in March, 1920 to enter pro'test with the national committee. At ill ' . jthis time it was found that, 'by vote, na 'the states of Arkansas, Florida, MissIG~) ^ jissippi, and South Carolina were op^'j posed to the soliciting of a bonus, (The South Carolina executive com> n' imiittee went so far as to threaten seplo^f^rs frnw tViP npitfiiftnal oreaniza jaiOUVAi XA VU4*. V.4W ? ? w ition over this issue. This threat :rS * =n' however, met the disapproval of the state convention held at Spartanburg g in June, at which time, nevertheless )r"ja strong resolution, offered 'by Judg< (Mendel L. Smith, was passed, conn(j*demning the action of the national executive comtnittee in soliciting 2 bonus. Thus through its last actioi on this question the South Carolina . Dcipraitment has shown itself worthj of the (beet tradutions of te common wealth, and firm and stea'cff&st in'it; purpose not to chaffer in patriotism , ! nor to sell its 'birthright for a mess oc >nt 1 i pottage. : I The present officers 1920-21 wer< Ml- | elected at this convention, and th( ^ i n^w, administration, pursuant to reso ^jlutions passed by the convention de his1 vo^e^ re^e^ mei . 'disabled in the service. O T ? x All other work was made secon CS. , " dard to this .task and work was be ^ gun first around the U. S. P. H. S >aj hospital No. 26, where some thousan< disabled ?men, coming' from ever: county in the state, were stationed ^ The work then extended, over th< e? state through splendid cooperation , of the. local posts. A closer liason was establishes Uxri.fV> fhfi 'W11rpia.11 fl-p.rf finallv two TCD to I "1V" ? * ; * * j resentatirves were secured from th< '^bureau for work in South Carolina 'and hundreds of unsettled claims were | settled. Later the Legion brough1 je Colonel Forbes, director of the bu ' reau, to South Carolina so that h< ^ could 'be acquainted with the tru( conditions. ^ A campaign to clean up teh entir< state is now under way, every count-; in the state is to be visited by th 1 clean-up squad, and every ex-servic ' | person hvaing a claim of any kin< I against the government is to be see: and his or her claim settled. The present administration has add ed eleven new posts and has gon about its logical task of systematiz ing the organization of the depart iment. Under the head of committeei ' f that on Beneficial Legislation -de serves especial mention, having draw in [repeated praise from the national or ganization. Thus, with its house ii order, the present administratioi looks forward to the convention ii Newberry. F. W. Bradley, Department Historian. Columbia, S. C., ' loth August, 1921. de m tee Oh! 2d. "What's the gentleman having k}' heated altercation with the manage about?" nd ?jje says he wants to patronize th j silent drama." "Well, isn't it a movie house?" "Yes, but he says he can't stand th ?^" groans and sighs of other person & when the hero and heroine clinch. &e Birmingham Age-Herald. ;he m on Half the world is hungry and th? its other half is acquiring indigestion. j <s><s><?><s><8><?><s><s><e>4<?><e><s><?<?><8>' . <8> <$?' > OFFICIAL PROGRAM <$> < > Wednesday. 10 A. M.?Conention called to u,r -ir?i-.rv (inmmariflpr' invoca ui uci u.y mc > ivc , ? -?? 1 tion, chaplain; introduction toast by department commander; address of 5 welcome, five minute talks; response, J William C. McGowan, vice command? er; address, Alvin M. Owsley, nation> al Americanism commissioner; short talks by representatives of national 1 headquarters, federal board and Red ? Cross; appointment of committees. ' 1:30 P. M.?Adjourn. 2. P. M.?B.ir^ecue at Willowbrook ? park; band concert; address, Gen. S. > D. Butler, introduced by J. J. Mcr>t : i; swain. 4:30 P. M.?Ball game at College park. 6 to 7 P. M.?Conference of wo men's auxiliary, sponsors and maids ! of honor; meetings of committee. 9 to 9:30 P. M.?Concert by the Serenaders; reception in Legion hall. 9:30 to 12:30 P. M.?Dancing, Lei gion hall (for delegates only.) Thursday 9:00 A. M.?Concert by the Seren ; aders, convention hall. 9:30 A. M.?Business session: The commander; adjutant's report; report of finance committee; election of officers; election of delegates to na? tional convention; resolutions; designation of location of next annual ' convention; recommending of old executive committee; meeting of new executive commttee. 3 P. M.?Conference of post com' manders and adjutants. , 4 P. M.?Ball game at Gollege yctin.. s 6 P. M.?Automoble ride. 6:45 P. M.?Watermelon feast; band concert at East View park. 9:30 P. M. to 2:30 A. M.?Dance in Legion haH (open to all, delegates ; free.) ??-???-? Hard Her chief object was to make a ' fool of the latest fashianable philos , "Tell me," she coQed, "don't you find it a little difficult sometimes to ' write all those hard things about wo> men?" f 9 * The philosopher regarded her with ' impartial eyes. .r ' r "There is a certain -difficulty, mad' am," he replied, "but is it purely one of selections." , t ? ~ I [ j r'' \**t ? ^ | . VJ 1 Ml) 11 3 carloads just re 3 1 car Veedol. SHI1 a 1 - Cedar, pine, con i E V-Crimp. (A car 1 i- \ xu ^ l weeK.) jrrices me j PLASTER * 1 Large stocks anc * before you buy. * i ye e d " Purina Feeds, for ( Royal Astor Lard, use it again. l> Ballards Flours?F n I Meat?Reach us in n I service. n * No matter what it for you in shortesl We are here to s i a r I Sum] s e M ilJIV I *< There is neither pleasure nor ] man's house. Hara Krtx A ut/tL nit ni< Five rooms and hall, electric lij veniently located, close in, Nance Six rooms, two halls, city watei two acres land, beautiful lawn, on ] Five rooms, electric lights, acre Eight rooms, large hall, city w? street. 86 acres land, two cottages wi ture, well and stream, on the Newl township. ? 205 acres land, four miles fron from Newberry to Whitmire. If you are interested in the hon consult me. J. A. B l Telephor Member Newberry Che , ! i . r\ n ?et uur ri DR OIL BU iceived. This includes Let us figi small and n VGLES y?u money. iposition, galvanized, will reach .us about a We carry; .owest ever. Prices that c AND LATHS LIM! 1 * 1 J ? C< ^ ^ WTa no vrv L rigrii prices, oct; uo i ? v, vunj I line. Prom] GROCERIES ~ :hickens, cows, hogs, and stock, specif guaranteed to satisfy or money refun resh cars reach us often. None better < car lots and kept on ice until sold. your needs are it will pay you to try v t possible time. ;erve you, your business will be apprec I mer Bros. G Wholesale and Retail, W I Liu imm profit in occupying another i .. * ew bargains 'vVj'f c CQHTOVOfTO r?ifv wcitpv pnn- I I A 00 J Ot W V/I ir u i/vi y vv** street. . / * and well, electric lights, about Pope street. jf of land on Shelley street. . j # iter, two acres land. Vincent t- <t > t j 1. 1 th four rooms each, barn, pasjerry-Bush river road, No. 6 k t t 4 v \ Newberry, on the highway %,*?* ' it ?4L tie proposition do not fail to : .. r-i . i.,.? IRTON m*n i 2? I - - . le *>/ 11 a .j, M imber of Commerce jT - 4 % * / * 1 : ices d / ILDING MATERIL are on your needs, no bill too one too large. We can save PAINTS paints and oils second to none. :an't be beat. j E, BRICK, CEMENT nothing but the best standard pt service. ~ - , f I * f ' il feed for each. I aed. Try it once anct you win / ks #vr # on thj market. Will appreciate you using our I is first. We have it or can get dated. " T ^ t Dmpany J