seen, felt, heard, and heeded by the voters of
the United States. Furthermore, these platforms, tenets, and
principles will be supported regardless of political party, political
affiliations, or partisan sponsorship.

CHAPTER IX

OBJECTORS--CONSCIENTIOUS AND OTHERWISE

The first of the committee reports of the morning was that of the
Publication Committee. This report is perhaps not so interesting a
document now as it may be in later years, when, with a circulation of
millions weekly, the official organ will be a tremendous power for
Americanism throughout the country, spreading in every home, in every
vale and hamlet the same dragnet of Americanism as the draft law did,
having in its tentacles the same power for culture, breadth of
experience, and abolition of sectionalism.

In view of this, the report possesses tremendous potentialities. Here
it is:

"The Committee on Publication recommends that this caucus of the
American Legion inaugurate a national publication which shall be the
Legion's exponent of Americanism; that this, the sole and only
publication of the American Legion, be owned and directed by the
Legion for and in the interest of all Americans; that the Publication
Committee be continued that it may proceed as organized with the
details of founding this publication, with the advice and under the
control of the Executive Committee of the American Legion which shall
add such specially qualified members to the Publication Committee as
it may see fit; that this publication shall be a National,
nonpartisan, non-sectional organ for the service of the American
people, a champion of Americanism which means independence, security,
health, education, greater contentment, and progress for every
patriot, to be the torch, the beacon light thrown into our hands by
the Americans who fell, and held as a unique and living monument to
that other legion which did not come back.

"(Signed) G.P. PUTNAM, _Chairman._
"CHARLES D. KELLEY, _Secretary_."

As an aside it may be interesting to say that there were at least half
a dozen publishers, some with veteran journals already started, in St.
Louis with the most alluring offers. Each wanted to have his
publication designated as the official organ. Several other
propositions were made, one syndicate offering to publish the
magazine, bear the entire expense, give the Legion fifty per cent. of
the stock, and allow it to control the editorial policy. All the
syn