Racine County, Wisconsin - Chapter 31: The Soldiers' Return; Veterans' Societies, 1920

Chapter 31: The Soldiers' Return; Veterans' Societies

JUST as soldiers and sailors had left their homes in small groups, so they returned. Every train from north, south or west brought back men who were released from service in camp or on shipboard. The first "veterans" to return from "war" were the men who had entrained on the morning of Nov. 11, 1918, for camp, only to receive oflFicial notice of the signing of the armistice when they were en route barely an hour. They made the return trip from Waukegan, 111., on the same train, and quietly dispersed to their homes.

Actual demobilization of the army and navy did not begin for a week or more after the armistice was signed, but as soon as definite word of the complete collapse of German military strength was received, the newer contingents were mustered out. By Christmas th? great majority of soldiers and sailors at American stations had been demobilized and others were hastening back from foi'eign shores.

Because of the way in which the men returned it was impossible for the community to do much in the way of extending a formal welcome. A public meeting was held at the Lakeside auditorium in -March, preceded by a parade of nearly a thousand returned service men, and addresses of welcome were given by public off"icials. A group of men and women had conceived the idea of having a clubhouse where service men could stay while on leave, and this was carried out, but not until January, 1919. This Army and Navy club, as it was called, was maintained for more than a year in a roomy building at 610 Wisconsin street and here returning men could obtain rooms temporarily, and have free use of reading and writing rooms and pool tables. The city of Racine, through the common council, decided to present each service man vnth a bronze badge in recognition of his sacrifice, and these were issued by the city treasurer upon presentation of a certificate of honorable discharge.

The County Council of Defense presented a copy of suitable resolutions, reproduced upon vellum, to the families of men who had died in service, and the Red Cross provided black arm bands of mourning, bearing a gold star, to the mothers of those who had died.

The first opportunity that the community had to show the depth of its feelings toward the men who had rallied to the colors came with the return of the two batteries and the ambulance company. These three organizations had been the first to leave for war and were the only strictly Racine units in the army. They had been away from home nearly two years, and many of the boys had made the supreme sacrifice, while scores of others had been wounded on foreign fields. They had been kept in France for six months after the end of hostilities, when the word finally came that the Thirty-second division was sailing from Brest.

The two batteries, C and F, arrived first. Mayor W. H. Armstrong, ex-Mayor T. W. Thiesen, Lt.-Col. Henry C. Baker and W. H. Reed, and others, went to Boston to meet them upon their arrival. The war department allowed no organizations excepting the First division (regulars) and the regiments from Chicago and New York to parade in home cities, and the batteries were ordered to Camp Grant, 111., for mustering out after a few days spent at Camp Devens, Mass. Arriving at Camp Grant with the rest of the 57th Artillery brigade, they were mustered out on May 19, 1919. In accordance with the request of the mayor, the men stayed there until the following morning and then entrained with practically the entire 121st Field Artillery regiment, headed by Col. Westfahl and staff.

By 9 o'clock that morning everyone in Racine was on the streets waiting to greet the returned heroes. Factories and offices were closed. Streets were a mass of bunting, flags and huge I'eproductions of the Thirty-second division insignia, the tarred red arrow. At Sixth street and Grand avenue the city firemen had erected an arch of extension ladders, upon which twenty firemen served as living adornments. Adjoining the city hall on Third street had been erected a great white arch, fifty feet high, spanning the pavement. Police, State Guards and Boy Scouts patrolled the streets to keep the crowds within bounds. When the first of the two trains bearing the men reached Kenosha the mayor was notified, and at his request every factory whistle in town started blowing and kept it up for more than an hour. The trains arrived at the Junction depot of the North-western railroad at about 10 o'clock, the first one bearing the regimental officers and two Green Bay Batteries. Hardly had they formed ranks on Junction avenue when the second train, bearing the Racine boys, arrived, and as they stepped off the cars there started a cheer that swept on and on through the crowd clear to the center of tovm.

Headed by the regimental band, the 1,500 tanned and husky veterans swung onto Washington avenue and with the long, swinging step that had carried them hundreds of miles in other and stranger climes, they started rn their last march of the war. Through streets jammed with men, women and children who cheered and wept by turns, they proceeded down Washington avenue to Sixth street and thence to Main.

Bells were ringing, toy cannons and firecrackers roaring, whistles shrieking and above all there was the steady tidal wave of noise from the throats of thousand upon thousands of throats. The crowds kept back of th; curb line fairly well while the Milwaukee and Green Bay batteries were passing, but it was impossible to maintain a line after the Racine outfits struck Sixth street. Mothers, sisters, sweethearts, fathers and little brothers dashed into the ranks to kiss their returning warriors, and clung to them as they proceeded toward the city hall. It was a riot of joyous welcome, which served to repay the solc'i?rs for many of their hardships and discomforts. Reaching the corner of Third street, the leading units kept on to State street and then turned west to the North-western depot, to continue their journey to their homes. Batteries C and F turned east under the ai-ch, near which waited relatives who had received tickets entitling them to occupy the space reserved there.

There was a half hour of bustling back and forth to find relatives and friends, and a few minutes of shaking hands with a few hundred of the thousands who sought the privilege, and the boys hastened to their homes for a dinner of the sort that had been in their dreams for months and months.

The next morning there were visible on the streets a hundred or more of uniformed men who had found no civilian apparel awaiting their return. By night these had visited the stores and returned home with arms filled with bundles. One more day and the brown clad host had vanished from sight, apparently forever. Within a week almost evei'y man in the batteries had returned to the work he had left so willingly in July, 1917. The uniforms had been packed away as "souvenirs la guerre." Two weeks later the Ambulance company returned, and was given a similar welcome. Owing to a misunderstanding regarding the time of arrival the crowds on the streets were smaller but the greeting was none the less cordial. The ambulance company had landed at Newport News, where a committee met them, and then had gone to Camp Grant. From there they were brought to Racine in autos, and owing to the long trip the procession got pretty badly scattered. The cars were finally assembled near Corliss and the boys came into town in the middle of the supper hour. Beginning their march at the Junction, they followed the same route downtown and disbanded at the arch of welcome on Third street. The street decorations had been left in place, and all the noise making apparatus was again put hito use. Once again Racine opened her arms to her returning sons and left no doubt in the minds of any as to the cordiality of her welcome. Major Johnston was in command of the returning company, now about 125 strong.

The Batteries and the Ambulance company members were guests a few nights later of the Racine lodge of Elks at a magnificent banquet at the clubhouse on the lake shore at Sixth street. A hundred prominent business and professional men of the city served as waiters at the banquet, and when the affair broke up along about 3 a. m. the guests were ready to admit that the "home sector" had anything beaten that they had seen on their travels.

had gone to war and whose names had been on their honor rolls. On armistice day, Nov. 11, 1919, practically every community had some such affair. In Racine, the War Mothers society presented five handsome flags to the veterans of the two batteries, the ambulance company, and soldiers and sailors not connected with those organizations. The ceremony was in connection with a big meeting, followed by a dance, at the Lakeside auditorium.

By the way, this was one of the last public events to be held in the old auditoinum, which was burned to the ground early in the morning of Dec. 13, 1919. The building was nothing to brag of, but for thirty-five years it had served the city as the one public hall large enough to accommodate two or three thousand people. In it had spoken several Presidents of the United States and other distinguished men. Company F had mobilized there for departure to serve in the Spanish-American war. It had served as an armory for the military organizations formed at the outbreak of the World War. Numei'ous patriotic meetings had been held there during the conflict. The building was situated at the southeast corner of Third street and Lake avenue. It was of fi'ame construction, and when the fire started it burned like tinder. There was hardly a piece of timber left when the flames had finished their work.

The soldiers returning after a long absence found conditions much changed in civilian life. The tremendous amount of war work done regardless of cost had ushered in an era of high wages, high prices and high profits. The value of the dollar had shrunk in comparison with the goods that it would buy. A feeling of restlessness seemed to have struck the nation. Strikes of widespread effect were of every day occurrence, many of them for minor causes. The question of wages did not seem to be the paramount one, as raises were granted with astonishing regularity. But at the same time, prices of raw and manufactured material, as well as food products, continued to mount. Business was unsettled, although experiencing such prosperity as the world had never known. A cult of Russian bolshevists. who advocated government for, by and of day laborers only, gained headway here and th^re. Eventually several hundred alien revolutionists were deported. The railroads were still in the hands of the government, and there were threats from the employes to tie up all transportation svstems. Coal miners struck with the avowed purpose of freezing the nation into submission to concessions which were never clearly understood by the public, but the government finally halted this trouble by invoking the war-time laws, as peace had not yet been formally declared in December, 1919. The miners received an increase of wages and a promise of further investigation as to a proper scale of wages and hours of labor.

Wages of from ?5 to §15 a day wei'e being paid for labor in Racine, as against half as much two years before. At the same time, sugar was now selling at 15 cents a pound instead of 5 cents, and a good ready-made suit of clothes cost $50 instead of $30. Shoes were priced at from $8 to $15 a pair, as compared with $-1 to $8 before the war. Every factory was working to its capacity, and the demand from the whole world for American goods kept pushing prices up and up, with resultant benefits and disadvantages for all. It is likely that no such era of general prosperity was ever known in the history of the world. Yet there was much dissatisfaction at the huge profits made by producers and there was a nervous feeling among big business men and financiers as to the ultimate result of such inflation. European countries were "broke." The value of the German mark had dwindled to 0 cents. The French franc had shrunk to three-fourths its former worth in dollars, and even the British pound sterling was no longer near its former value. That there would come a day of reckoning, everyone knew. In the meantime, the United States Senate spent a year in vain efforts to decide upon what terms it should declare peace with Germany. The President, acting for America at the Allied Peace conference at Paris, had agreed to the terms there drawn up and finally signed by Germany. But the Senate disliked some features of the proposal regarding a League of Nations, and oratorv flowed while the affairs of the world continued in a state of chaos.

Prohibition had been established as a war time measure, going in effect July 1, 1919. As peace was not declared this law remained in force. In the meantime nation-wide prohibition had been adopted as a part of th? constitution by a vote of three-fourths of the state legislatures, to be in effect Jan. 15, 1920. Thirsty voices demanded the formal ending of the war that thev might get a supply of their favorite beverage on hand - but the President declined to say the word while the Senate hesitated over his League of Nations. This dry spell, which gave every promise of being pormanent, was responsible for some of the unrest of labor in centers where there were many foreigners. At the same time it prob- ably did much to keep the violent element subdued and peaceable, for violence in strike troubles usually had been due to rash acts on the part of men who had imbibed too freely.

In the summer of 1919, Racine vi^as kept familiar with the sight of uniforms by the frequent appearance of recruiting parties who sought men for the regular army and navy, and service men returning from the war. Upon one occasion a naval crew brought a surrendered German submarine into the harbor, and it was the object of great interest during the twenty-four hours in which it was tied up at the dock just west of the Main street bridge. Later a balloon company stopped off en route to Minneapolis, and the equipment of this army unit aroused much intei'est. The men travelled by truck, and carried with them an observation balloon, but the gas bag was not inflated here. Army and navy aeroplanes made frequent flights between Chicago and Milwaukee along the lake shore, occasionally landing here.

The Red Cross maintained a bureau to assist returning service men all during 1919. Owing to the rush of business in the office of the Finance section of the War department, and the numerous laws affecting discharged men, there was a great tangle of records there and often it would be months before a discharged soldier could get money which was due him for compensation for injury, travel allowance, or back pay which had been withheld when he was separated from his organization. The government passed a law giving each soldier a bonus of $60 upon dischai-ge, and those who had left the service before the law was in effect had to go through a good deal of correspondence in order to get it. The legislature of Wisconsin also passed a bill granting each service man a bonus of $10 for each month spent in service, with a minimum of $50, and to receive this it was necessai-y to forward the dischai'ge certificate to Madison with an application for the bonus. The army was supposed to issue a Victory badge to each soldier and sailor, but as these were not ready, a button in the shape of a bronze star was substituted temporarily. To get one of these, the discharge certificate had to be shown to an army officer at a recruiting station or foi-warded to a department headquarters. The handling of the government insurance, following th? chanee of status from soldier or sailor to civilian, often resulted in tangles w^hich would have tried the patience of Job. No specific rules could be found regarding compensation for disabled soldiers, and many were discharged from service while unable to work. They had been promised a suitable compensation as a result of paying money into the War Risk Insurance fund, but usually the allowance was inadequate and the disheartened veteran would find it impossible to get any satisfaction by writing to Washington.

The rapidly shifting personnel of the departments made it a hopeless task to get action upon any matter pending. That was not invariably true, but it happened in so many cases that it seemed the rule to men and women who tried to assist men in getting something done, through correspondence.

Shortly after the war ended, a big mass meeting was held in Racine at which were present representatives of almost every civic society. It was agreed unanimously that Racine should erect a suitable memorial to the men and women who had been in service. It was also decided that this should be in the form of a Memorial hall, which should contain room for veterans' organizations to meet, a trophy and flag room, and an auditorium in which public meetings could be held. A committee was appointed to carry out the idea and make plans for financing it. A discussion arose as to the best site, and there were various estimates as to the cost. Up to the opening of the new year - 1920, nothing had come of the plan e.xcepting talk, but the project may become a reality some day.

While the memorial scheme was allowed to mark time, there were numerous "drives" for foreign relief projects to aid the people of France, Russia, Armenia, Greece, India, S?rbia and even Germany. No call from distant and unfamiliar peoples went unheeded.

During the World War, many of Racine's soldier and sailor dead had been brought home for burial from camps where they had died. A military funeral was held In all cases where the families of the deceased service men desired it, and the city had paid all honor to those who had given their lives for their country.

In October, 1919, it was announced that bodies of the American soldiers who had died in northern Russia during the summer campaign there would be returned to the United States, and the ship bearing the 119 bodi?s, arrived at Hoboken on Nov. 7. Among these was the body of Lieut. Edmund R. Collins of Racine, son of Dr. W. P. Collins and the first of Racine's soldier dead to be brought back from foreign fields. The War Department tele-

A Balloon Experience Kemembered By Men Of Battery F.

The American observation balloon which was stationed abov? the battery was ignited by German flyers, near Montfaucon in the Argonne, Oct. 20, 1918. The blazing bag started t3 sa t and finally to drop. The mass of flames came down among the baggage wagons of the battery and the ensuing b!aze did considerable damage. Below is shown a file of French soldiers traveling through a communication trench toward their positions in the front lines.

graphed that the body would be sent to Racine, and would reach here Nov. 12. Arrangements were made for a military funeral on Nov. 14, but when the casket arrived in Racine it was found to contain the body of another soldier instead of Lieut. Collins.' The identification tag on the body bore the name of "Odial," a private in the 339th regiment whose residence was Carlisle, Ind. Inquiry developed that the body sent there had been buried, but it was exhumed and found to be that of Frank Sapp of Summitville, Ind. At Summitville, the body of L. Connors of Hillman, Mich., had been buried by mistake, the relatives having failed to open the casket to identify the body. Wiring to Hillman, Dr. Collins learned that the body of L. Pelto had been sent there and buried under the name of Connors. The casket bearing Pelto's name was still at Hoboken, and when it was opened it was found to contain Lieut. Collins' body. Investigation finally disclosed that twenty-eight of the bodies returned to America had been placed in caskets bearing the wrong names, through some blunder at Archangel, Russia.

Lieut. Collins' body was brought to Racine on Nov. 26, and on Friday, Nov. 28, requiem high mass was held at St. Patrick's church, attended by three hundred former service men in uniform and delegations from many of the leading civic organizations and the veterans of the Civil war and Spanish- American war. Following the services, the body was escorted to the Catholic cemetery by the ex-soldiers and sailors, headed by a full band from the Great Lakes station, and after the brief services at the grave a firing squad from the state guards fired three volleys over the grave and a bugler blew "Taps." In honor of the dead hero, flags were flown at half mast during the day throughout the city.

The government has promised the parents of the men who died in battle in France that their bodies shall be returned to America for burial if desired, but owing to certain laws there it is impossible to exhume bodies for shipment for two years or more after the war. In the meantime, the American dead were gathered from the various battlefields and collected in three large national cemeteries in the Chateau-Thierry, St. Mihiel and Argonne districts, and there the government has arranged to have the graves ca-efuUy marked and cared for. The men who died at the various base hospitals in France and England still lie in the cemeteries where they were first interred, but will be sent home. The cemetery at Romagnesous Montfaucon, near Verdun, contains

Veterans' Organizations. The first national organization to invite the membership of veterans of the World War was the Army and Navy Union. This had been in existence for many years, and all were eligible who had at any time served in the army, navy or marine corps. It also provided for honorary membership of civilians. The Racine post, known as Gen. -John J. Pershing garrison, is in a flourishing condition. The following ofiicers were elected in December, 1919:

Commander, W. W. Johnston; senior vice commander, J. P. Jensen; junior vice commander, Howard J. Rodgers; chaplain, John Diehl, G. A. R.; quartermaster, Charles Kannenberg, Jr.; paymaster, John M. Frey; officer of the day, George W. Seater; officer of the watch, Oswald Rasmussen; officer of the guard, John Bradford; council of administration, William H. Armstrong, D. M. Oram, John Ded?r;ch, Royal E. Schaefer, Charles E. O'Connor; a Ijutant, P. F. Petersen.

While awaiting ti-ansportation from France, the Thirty-second division formed a society which planned to meet in Milwaukee in 1920, and in Detroit the following year. Maj. Gen. William G. Haan was chosen as the first president. Regimental societies were also formed, with the intention of meeting at the same place as the divisional organization in later years.

When the members of this division returned to Racine, they desired a local society and an organization was effected under the name of the Racine Veterans, Thirty-second division. A preliminary meeting was held at the Elks' club on June 19, 1919, and on July 10 a constitution was adopted permitting all who saw service with the division during the war to join. Officers elected were:

During the summer a big picnic was held, and on Armistice day the society sponsored a community celebration of the anniversary of the ending of the war. The organization is purely social, and holds monthly dinners where the members talk over their days in France. There is a membership of about 250, including members of the two batteries and the ambulance company who are still residents of Racine.

The American Legion is a huge national organization of former soldiers, sailors, marines and army nurses who were in service during the World War. It was first organized in France by members of the A. E. F., on March 15, 1919, who arranged at the same time to have a similar meeting held in the United States for action by the men who did not go overseas. Representatives of the A. E. F. held their second meeting in Paris April 7, 1919, and the home contingent gathered in St. Louis on May 8. A constitution was adopted which placed all veterans on an equal footing, regardless of rank and regardless of whether they saw service overseas or not. All branches of the service were to be represented, but membership was to be limited to those actually in the military or naval service during the World War. This constitution was later ratified with but few changes. Following the approval of the organization at St. Louis, a membei-ship campaign was launched and approximately 950,000 members were obtained by Nov. 11, 1919, when the first formal convention of the Legion was held at Minneapolis.

During the fall, posts were organized at Burlington, Waterford and Racine, and early in December the Menzo J. Bixby post was formed at Union Grove. Racine post No. 76 elected as its first officers W. L. Gittings, commander; Harry J. Herzog, vice-commander; H. J. Sanders, adjutant; W. L. Haight, historian; Phillip Clancy, master at arms, and the Rev. W. J. Bott, chaplain. A campaign for members during the last half of November resulted in the enrollment of about 750 as members here, but the number is constantly increasing. While it still is early to guess whether this organization will be universally accepted as the mouthpiece of the World War veterans, it has already received some such recognition from Congress and the press of the country and it is likely that it will soon catch up the torch to be dropped by the rapidly depleting ranks of the G. A. R. and be viewed as the society best qualified to serve as a rallying point for Americanism in times of national peril. The constitution of the American Legion, adopted Nov. 11, 1919, is as

To uphold and defend the Constitution of the I'nited States iif .America : to maint;iin law and order ; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred per cent .\rnericanisni ; to lu-e-erve the memories and incidents of our association in the creat war: to inculcate a sense of individual olilijiation to the community, state and nation ; to comhat the autocracy of hoth the c'asses and the masses: to make rieht the mast'T of might: to promote peace and good will on earth : to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of

Se(T1i>-\ 1. - Ti F. Amerkwx Legion is a civilian organization : membership therein does not affect or increase liability for military or police service. Kank does not exist in the Legion; no member shall be addressed by his military or naval title in any convention or meeting of the Legion.

Section' 2. - The .\MEiiic.iX Legion shall be absolutely non-political and shall not be used for the disseiuiiiation of partisan principles nor for the promotion of the candidac.v of any person seeking public office or preferment. No candidate for or incumbent of a salaried elective public office shall hold any office in The .\mekican Legion or in any department or post tliereof.

AiiTii'i.E III. - Oiijaiii'atioii Seition 1. - The A.mekic.an Legion shall he organized in departmc'nts and these in turn in posts. There shall be one department in each state, in the District of Columbia, and in ench territory of the I'nited States. The National F.xecitive Committee may establish additional departmints in ti-rritoriai possessions of the I'nited Stati's and in foreign countries.

Akticle IV. - EUf/ihilitu Sectio.n 1. - An.v person shall he eligible for membership in The Amehican Legion who was regularly enlisted, drafted, inducted or commissioned, and who served on active duty in the Army. Navy or Marine Corps of the United States at some time during the lieriod between .\pril Ci. 1!I17, and November 11, lOLS. Iiotb dates iuchisive. or who, being a citizen of the fnited States, at the time uf his entry therein, served in aelive dutv in the naval, military or air forces of any of the governments associated witli tlu' United Stati's durinc the great war: Pmridcil. that no nerson sh.ill lie entitled to membership In) who, being in the .\riuv. Navy or Marine Corps of the United States during said period, ref'ised on conscientious, political, or other crroonds to subiect himself to military discipline or nnqualitied service, or [h) who, being in such service, was senarati'd therefrom under circumstances nmo'inting to dishouo-able discharge and has not suhsecpiently been officially restored to an honorable status.

Article V Section 1. - The legislative body of thi' Legion shall ln' the National Convention to he held annually at a time and place to be fixed by the preceding National Convention,

Section 2. - In the National Convention each department shall be entitled to five deh'gates and one additicmal dele.a-atc for each thousand members whose curnnt dues have been received by the National Treasurer thirty days prior to the meeting of s'ld convention, and to one alternate for each delegate. The delegates shall be cho^i n at department conventions to be held not less than two weeks before the National Convention,

Section V,. - Each delegate shall be entitled to one vote. The vote of any delegate absent and not represented bv an alternate shall he ca=t bv the ma.iority of the delegates present from his department. Alternates shall have all the privileges of delegates except that of voting.

Article VI. - Xaliotml Offircrti Section 1. - The National Convention shall elect a Nation.al Commander and five National Vice-Commnnders. No two Viee-Cnmmanders shall be chosen from the same departmimt, and no more than three from those who sru-ved in the Army, These officers shall be members of the National Convention of the National Executive Committee, and the Chairman and Vlce-Cbairmen resi.iectively of both bodies, .V Vice-

Johnson Mrs. H. F. Jjhnson. The center portrait is that of Mrs. John Sid ley and .1, If.- M- D .1. T.-;; r.- ""*'**- A' "'f bottom is pictured the Red Cross Headquarters. The second fiinire from the '^ftjs M.ss Bertha C^ kelley one of the most energetic and efficient workers in the local chapter! In the e«UD at the right are Mrs. J. G. Chandler, (left figure) and Mrs. liernice Sherman (extreme right.)

Sectio-x H. - Such offici'i-.s shall son'c until the adjournment of the succeeding National Convention and, thereafter, until their successors are chosen. \'acancies in these offices occurring between national conventlons shall be liUed by the National Executive Committee.

Sectio.n 4. - The National Commander shall aii|)oint a National Adjutant. The Executive Committee shall appoint a National Treasurer and such officials and standing committees as may be necessary and shall authorize or apjjrove all expenditures All appointed officers shall hold office at the pleasure of the appointing power, and all persons having Ihi' custody of funds shall give adequato bonds.

Ahticle VII. - Xationo-l Jia-eciitiic Ci)iiiiiiiltcc Section 1. - Between National Conventions, the administrative power shall be invested in the National Executive Committee which shall be comi)Osed of the National Commander and Vice-Commanders in office, and of one representative and one alti'rnate from each department to be elected as such department shall determine ; provided that in I'.il'.i the delegates to the National Convention shall elect the Executive Committeeman and alternate from their respective departments.

Section '2. - The Executive Committee shall meet at the place of the National Convention within twimtvfonr hours after the linal adjournmiuit of the National Convention, and tln'reafter at the call of the National Commander. Thi' National Commander shall call a meeting upon the written recpiest of Hf tei n or more meml}ers of said Executive Committee.

AUTici-E \ll]. - DciKirtutciit (irifiiiiizatioit Section 1. - Kepartments shall be chartered by the National Executive Committee and shall be composed of the posts within their respective areas. Eich department ehartei- shall lie signed by the National Commander and National Adjutant.

Section -. - Each department shall ha\'e a ilepartnient commander, a department adjutant, a department executive committee and such other officers as the department shall determine.

Section 1. - Those who desire to form a post shall make application for a charter to the commander of the department in whii'h they reside. The charter shall be issued liy the National Commander and National ,\djutant upon receipt of thi' application properly executed by the charter members of the projected post, but only when such application is approved by the commander of the department, or by the Department Executive Committee. Post charters shall bi' <-ountersigned by the commander and the adjutant of the department.

Section 3. - Each department mav prescribe tin' constitution of its posts. I'ost charters may be revoked by the Department Exeeutivi' Committee with the approval of the National Executive Comrailtee.

Section 1. - The re^-enue of The Ameuhwn EE(aoN shall be d<n-ived from annual membership dues and from such other sources as ma.v be approved b.v the National Executive Committee.

AltTICI.E XT. - Section 1. - The National Executive Committee, after notici' and a hearing, may suspend or revoke the charter of a deicntment wiiich violates this Constitution or which fails a*lequately to discipline any of its I)Osts for any such virdation, and may pro\'idi' for the

Article XII, - Cliaiic/c of Rrsitlcncc Section 1. - Any member in good standing in a post removing from bis department shall be entitled to a certificate from his post stating his membership and the duration thereof.

Section 2. - Membership in the auxiliary shall be limited to the mothers, wives, daughters .and sisters of the members of The Ameiiic.\n Legion, and to the mothers, wives, daughters and sisters of all men and women who w^ere in the military or naval service of the ruited States between April 0, 1017, and November 11, I'.H.S, and died in line of duty or after honorable discharge and prior to November 11. 11120.

Section :i. - The auxiliary shall lie governed in eaeli department of The .\MEiiH'.\N LE<ii()\ l>y such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the National Executive Committee and thereafter approved by such department of The Ameuic.\n Legion.

Article XV. - AinriKlninitK Section 1. - This Constitution may be amended at any National Convention by the vote of two-thirds of the total autllori>;ed reiu-esentation tllereat. provided that the proposed amendment shall have been read at such convention at least twenty-four hours liefore the vote thereon,

At the Minneapolis convention, the Legion delegates refused to be drawn into any political battles and its most severe critics agreed that the organization was about the most democratic and independent of any that had ever convened in America. Two of the typical features of the convention were the refusal of delegates to permit the mention of any member's former army rank even in casual debates on the floor, and the passing of a resolution declining to answer the question of the National Congress as to the soldiers' wishes regarding bonus legislation. The Legion held that it was not organized for selfish purposes, and while it admitted the debt of the nation to the former service men it had no suggestion to make regarding the payment of that debt. It did insist, however, upon the passing of legislation taking cai-e of men disabled in war.

In January 1920, the Spanish-American War veterans presented Racine Post No. 76 with a stand of colors, the first made for any post in the country.

Another organization which grew out of the World War was a society known as the American War Mothers, and a chapter was organized in Racine. It had a membership of 700 in 1919. The first officers were: President, Mrs. Arthur Ehrlich; vice-president, Mrs.

Joseph Pi'ostrednick; secretary, Mrs. Thomas F. Powers; treasurer, Mrs. P. I. Hess; chairman of programs, Mrs. J. F. Sugden. The first meeting was held in September, 1918. In December a bazaar was held at which $600 was raised as a relief fund for returning service men. Mrs. B. A. Oliver was chosen president in 1919. Later the name was changed to "The Service Star Legion."

Besides the American Legion and the Army and Navy Union, there were organized in 1919 a dozen or more veterans' societies. Of thase, eight seemed to be showing some grovrth at the end of the year, although none of them were represented in Racine at that ti;ne. These eight are:

World War Veteraps, which was organized in the Northwest and which has as its main objective the obtaining of suitable bonuses and other favorable legislation.

All of these societies were formed with different ideals in view than those expressed by the American Legion and probably none of them will replace it in popularity. The greatest danger confronting the American Legion is the possibility of some error in policy on the part of the million or more members before the organization is firmly established. If this can be avoided all indications are that it will prove for the next fifty years to be the most influential society in the United States.

War In Pictures

Above: WHEN GERMANS "CALLED IT A DAY. - Our boys got a lot of fun watching the captured Fritz going to the rear, and "kidding" him. Sometimes they got more than fun - a trinket or two.

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Upper: PARADING MAIN STREET IN RACINE - Parading Main street on the way as the drafts began moving in September, iqij, and the city turned out at each entrainment to give the bo^s a sendoff. This scene was typical of many. Ma\or T. W. Thiesen, carrying the foremost flag is seen at the right. Other officials are at the head of the procession with a band. The men of the draft were tagged for their destination, and tags may be seen on some of the marchers. An idea of the thrill that Racine experienced may be gained by a look at the throng of spectators. At the front arc Mayor Thiesen, E.x-Mayor David Janes and H. J. Smith.

Lower: THERE - PARADING ACROSS NO MAN'S L.AND - From Main Street, Racine, to the exposed strip of fighting land in front of the German trenches near Juvigny, is a considerable jump. Yet some of the men who went away with the draft shown above are among the doughboys plodding toward the enemy in the face of a fire that put practically all who are shown there, out of commission - killed or wounded.

Upper: HERE - CHASING OF THE ENEMY (ALIEN) - Under U. S. orders all enemy aliens were registered and classified for purposes of surveillcnce. A number of Racine women who volunteered to do the clerical work connected with the registration are shown at the long table. At the head of the table are a number of enemy alien women who are giving information to be used in filling out their declaration papers. Although the government looked for trouble from enemy aliens within our borders and took this precaution, little developed to justify the suspicion; though the precaution may have had its effect. Chief of Police Baker was in charge of this registration work.

Lower: THERE - CHASING THE ENEMY - The bridge shown here was built over the Marne at Chateau-Thierry after the fleeing Germans blew up the concrete structure that existed there. The Fritz army is about five jumps ahead, hastening to their old trenches on the Vesle river.

Abo\c: READY FOR AN 0BSER\AT10N TRIP - The pilot is testing out his telephone and the parachutes are ready to be unslung, one being attached to each man. In observation work the balloon crew usually jumped as soon as they heard the noise of an approaching enemy aeroplane. The parachute was the most essential article of equipment of a balloon, not excepting binoculars.

Upper: LIVERPOOL GREETS THE YANKEE - In England civilians often tried to show their appreciation of American assistance by gising lunches to passing Yanks. Sometimes they charged for the food and sometimes not. The picture was taken in Liverpool upon the arrival of a contingent of doughboys.

Lower; ENTRAINING FOR THE FRONT - Strung along in the background is a train of the French coaches used to carry the early .American forces up to the front . These men are some of the first regulars to reach France. Some months later few of these cars were visible - "40 Hommes ou 8 Chaveaux" box cars, were the pre\ailing style.

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Above: PRETTY SOFT FOR THESE BOYS - The illustration shows the interior of an army hospital ward. Glimpses of pretty nurses may be seen. There is given a fair idea of the comforts provided sick and wounded.

Upper: AMERICAN TRAINING CAMP IN FRANCE - The army center at Is-sur-Tille was the temporary home of many Racine County soldiers. The picture of Camp "Doughboy" gives a good idea of the establishments wrought by our government in its administration of warfare upon a foreign soil. The barracks and a string of dinky French and German cars arc the outstanding features of the scene.

Lower: A F.AMILI.AR SIGHT NE.AR AN^Y CAMP OR BILLETS - The doughboys used to laugh, at first, when they saw the village women squat alongside a stream and start to do the family wash. In this picture the snow on the ground at the back gives it a little more "atmosphere." Before they ended their hitch in France many soldiers took to the same method of laundering.

Above: RACINE MEN HEADED FOR MEUSE-ARGONNE - Here are some of the boys in Battery F on their way to October fighting in the vicinity of Romagne. They are passing through a village and all look happy enough, probably at the prospects of an exchange with Fritz. The photograph was taken by Lt. Harry J. Sanders. The rider is Sgt. Kahn.

Upper; A CAMOUFLAGED CAMP NEAR FRONT - This illustration shows the method used to protect buildings from aerial observation. In the foreground is a drinking water bag on a tripod. The man at the right evidently has received bad news, perhaps he is scheduled for "K. P." This was taken shortly after arrival of the first groups in France.

Lower: FIRST AID STATION IN THE TRENCHES - This dugout was in a trench held by Yanks and used as a dressing station by the medical corps. An idea of the surface appearance of trenches and the bleak landscape around them may be gained from this picture.

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Above: LUCKY GERMAN PRISONERS, THANKS TO RACINE - The Fritzies captured by the Italians were put at work in the fields, but, as the picture shows, a Case Tractor from Racine is doing the heavy work and the "P. W's." are posing for their photograph.

Upper: THIS IS NOT A HALLOWE'EN PARTY - The men in the trenches may look terrifying, but it is only a little precautionary matter in connection with a gas attack. The explosion of gas shells inspired the transformation of handsome young soldiers into what look like demons. A regular daily affair in active sectors.

Lower: .A TRENCH IN THE FIRST LINE - This earthwork has the appearance of a parlor compared with the trenches where some of the men spent tours of a week or more. It is evident that it has not been subjected to heavy fire recently. Note the perfect condition of communication wires.

Above: RACINE MEN HOLDING FORMER GERMAN FOX HOLES - Photographed at Juvigny as our troops manned the railway embankment. In the foreground the fox holes which were occupied by the Germans who retired are plainly shown. Lined along the top of the embankment may be seen doughboys of the 1 26th Infantry.

Upper: ADVANCE OF 32nd DIVISION IN MEUSE-.\RGONNE SECTOR - The photograph gives a fair idea of what temporary trenches during an advance offered troops for shelter. They were shallow "fo.x holes," but in the heavily grown fields, they gave some protection from observation and fire. These troops are waiting an opportunity for further advance.

Lower: NOT A FUNERAL - IT'S JUST CHOW - The army authorities took no chances with the food supply. While men might go over the top, the provisions for the army were snugly stored in dug-outs. Here is shown a smiling chow detail bringing out the makings for the tank of slurri

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Above: ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF LAVANNES - The 3ind Division passed over this wreck on its pursuit of the Germans. The enemy had destroyed everything in the village excepting the church. The scene is common to hundreds of other French villages.

Upper: LINED UP FOR '-RETREAT" AT SUNDOWN - These are some of the early troops of Pershing's advance guard, lined up for the ceremony of "Retreat" in a small town in France. These men still wore the old campaign hat and canvas leggings. Taken December 1 1, iqi7. The style of houses in the background is familiar to Racine men who went overseas. The commander is saluting the colors, the men are at "Present .'\rms. "

Lower: THE BOYS WHO MADE BALLE.XU WOODS FAMOUS - This picture of a detachment of Marines was taken in December, iqi/, as they were passing along to village billets close up to the western front. An evidence of the spirit of the inhabitants is shown by the little kid who is holding hands with a big marine and helping him on his march.

Above; AFTER REDDY FARM WAS TAKEN - The raw, fearful spectacle of a battlefield is shown vividly in this photograph. The bodies shown are those of Germans. The dead of the Allies had already been removed and buried when the picture was taken.

Upper: READING THE SHIRT - "The Shirt" was the most diligently read of all the reading matter that reached the A. E F. The man who sits on his helmet looks as if he were determined to get through the chapter. Power of suggestion is indicated by the man standing, who is scratching as he looks at his comrades seeking the little visitors.

Lower: MACHINE GUNNERS WAITING ORDERS NEAR CHATEAUTHIERRY - Hardly a man from Racine County who served overseas has failed to find himself in the same fi.x as the boys shown in this picture. The illustration depicts a moment of tension and uncertainty. They don't know where they're going but they sure will be on their way in a few minutes. Not one will admit that he is the least bit worried, however. Excepting on forced marches, most of the movements near the front were carried on at night.

Above: GETTING TANKS UP TO THE FRONT - The picture shows a Whippet tank mo\-ing with a divisional train along a road leading to the front early in October. 1Q18. The appearance and operation of the tank, hundreds of which went over No Man's Land ahead of the infantry, is indicated in the photograph.

Upper: MAKING WAR ON GEN. COOTIES FORCES - The debusing stations were a welcome haven for itching men. Though the clothes that came through the process didn't look as pretty as at the start, they felt a lot better. The Racine Ambulance Company operated one of these mills for a while.

Lower: THIS CHEERED UP MANY A DOUGHBOY - Note the smile on the men back near the portable kitchen. Chow! That word got more speedy action in the A. E. F. than the command "Forward!" The kitchen has been set up in the ruins of an old iiarn, where the walls protect it from the sight of all but aerial observers.

Above: YANKS IN THE WORLD VICTORY PAR.ADE, PARIS - Lieut. H. J. Sanders of Racine took the photograph just as Pershing's men were entering the Place de la Concorde. July 14. In the ranks were several Racine boys. The picture is a most remarkable specimen of photographic art and the scene one of the most interesting the world has viewed.

Upper: ON THE ROAD TO GERMANY - Here is seen the head of an American column crossing through the former German lines on the way to the Rhine.

Lower: AMERICA'S ARRIVAL IN GERM.^NY - Many Racine me.i were with the vanguard of the Army of Occupation which went into the Rhine Country late in November, iqi8. A little group of Germans seen on the wall are giving a reception which is typical of hundreds of other demonstrations by natives when the Allies entered enemv territorv.

Above: WHERE THEY REALLY "FINISHED UP THE JOB" - When the last loan was floated the slogan was: "Let's Finish the Job ' After the "big show" and the men were back, the State Bonus law was passed and Racine County's contingent filed applications at the history office. The picture shows a line that was continuous for nearly a month. Notice the $io-a-month smile along the line.

Upper: BRINGING BACK THE SWAG - It is easy enough to tell these boys are headed for America. A smile on every face! They are carrying in their barracks bags trinkets and souvenirs ofthe world's greatest war. Note the camouflaged tin hats in the foreground.

Lower: GONE WEST - .Another lad is being laid in his resting place in France by comrades. It can be seen that there was not much of a ceremony, but loving hands are rounding up the mound that covers the departed Yank. The scene is a temporary burial ground near a field dressing station.

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HERE LIE TWENTY THOUSAND AMERICAN SOLDIERS - They are buried in this Cemetery, known to the A. E. F as the "Argonne." Twenty acres are covered with the small white crosses that mark the graves of Yanks. It is situated at Romagne sous Montfaucon, France. Several Racine county men are buried there.

GOOD-BYE FRANCE! HELLO NEW YORK! - At the left is one of the familiar landmarks of Brest. When the boys marched under that arch they knew they were through with their troubles, unless sea-sickness bothered them. Then their troubles 'would only begin. The boys on the right are saluting Old New York, hats in the air indicate how they feel.