Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 156, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1920 — AMERICAN LEGION IN STATE MEETING [ARTICLE]

AMERICAN LEGION IN STATE MEETING

Historic Vincennes Greets Allies Of Armies, Which Once Visited It on Errands of War. Vincennes, Ind., June 28.—Historic Vincennes, which in its day has witnessed the coming of British and French troops on errands of war, is entertaining another army, the Indiana department of the American Legion. Oddly enough the guests of 1920 were the allies of the British, and French in the wcrld war, which gave birth to the new organization. British and French and American flags are intertwined in elaborate decorations that mark the welcome to several , thousand legionaries present for their annual convention. The -convention, which is to continue through Tuesday, was called to order at 10 o’clock this morning in the auditorium of Vincennes High School by Judge Raymond Springer, ■of Connersville, commander of the Indiana department. L. Russell Newgent, of Indianapolis, is the adjutant of the department. Dr. T. Victor Keene, of Indianapolis, executive board member for Indiana, arrived Saturday afternoon and participated in several of the meetings preliminary to the convention. Caucuses of the delegates representing Indiana districts also were held today to arrange for committee appointments and other details. Vincennes Mayor Speaks. The opening session consisted of the usual formal proceedings, including an address of welcome by J. D. ’ McDowell, mayor of Vincennes, ahd a response by Judge Springer. Robert Mcßride, of Indianapolis, department commander of the Indiana department, Grand Army of the Republic, greeted the Legion, the logical successors of the G. A. R. as the protectors of Old Glory. Homer Dale, Indiana department commander of the United Spanish-American War Veterans, added his greeting to that of Mr. Mcßride. Franklin D’Olier, national commander of the Legion, drew a great hand when he arose to accept the felicitations of the other commanders of war veteran bodies. Robert L. Moorhead, chairman of the state Americanism committee of the Legion, read his report at the afternoon session. He touched first on the organization of the national Americanism commission, with Arthur Woods of New York, as chairman. He reveiwed meetings held in Indianapolis, national headquarters and an address to the commission by Franklin D’Olier the national commander. Lucius B. Swift, of' Indianapolis, an authority on education and internaitonal problems, also addressed the Commission. Mr. Swift outlined to the commission his ideas on the furtherance of the propaganda to compel the teaching of- only one* language, English, in American schools. Mr. Moorhead told of the organization of an Americanism committee in Marion county and of a meeting held on Lincoln’s birthday as “Americanization day” in the public school of the state. . The conventipn showed much interest in Mr. Moorhead’s discussion of anti-American incidents m Adams, Decatur and Spencer counties, where the teaching of German in the schools is insisted on by certain influences. ’

The convention is expected to ■ take condemnatory action on the following clauses in Mr. Moorheads “In April I received information , that it was the purpose to abandon some of the township public schools in Adams county, and to substitute in their place parochial schools, so that the law prohibiting the teaching of German could be evaded. An investigation of this was made ana the county superintendent, one ot the township trustees, and one of the ‘school-teachers metwith your chairman in the office of the 8^ e superintendent of public instruction. This matter was thoroughly gone into and the report found to be correct. As far as lam able to learn, it is the present intention to abandon several public schools m Decatur county this summer and to substitute in their place P ar schools, directly under the charge of the German Lutheran church, f* the sole purpose of teaching german reading, writing and religionOwing to the power of this. cnurch in politics in that county, it is apparehtly impossible to secure any action in the matter through the local courts. This is a effort to defy the state ' a ’ B ’ n ? matter in which the basis of Americanism is assailed and is one which, in my judgment, should be strongly condemned, and «very effort " be made to circumvent this attempt to abolish our public schools. Unable to English. ' “Complaints have likewise been ‘ made that the parochial schools m . Harrison township, Spencer county, are teaching German to the ehfldren in spite of the protests of the parents. Many of these children are said to be unable to speak English. An election clerk in the recent primaries reported that many of the first voters, although born in the township, were unable to read the '• name* of the candidates on the tick- ' et, understanding Genrfan only. < Complaints have also been made about the use of Polish in the paro-

chial schools in Indiana Harbor and Whiting, to the exclusion of English. In all the cases referred to, this matter has been taken up by the local school officials and in some instances with the local post of the Legion, but without results. The report also condemned the attempt in several quarters to make St. Patrick’s day a day devoted to the condemnation of England, an ally of the United States in the war. The report urged the abandonment of the celebration in America of all holidays of foreign countries. The report also hinted that the American Legion should look into the patriotic records of several men on state tickets of the political parties and that, rumors being found correct, publicity be given these records prior to the election.