quently, it wasn't long
after the armistice before several veteran's organizations and
associations were in the process of formation. As it was a pertinent
news topic, the newspapers gave a great deal of prominence in their
columns to several of these organizations. They were of various types
and characters. One was for enlisted men only. Another was for
officers only. There was an organization for officers who had fought
in France, Italy, or Russia and there was one or more organizations
which had the breadth of vision to see that men of all ranks and all
branches of the military and naval establishments must be eligible.

Such was the situation confronting Colonel Roosevelt when he arrived
home to help start the American Legion in its own country. The fact of
his arrival and his announced intention to aid in the organization of
the Legion was duly heralded in the press of the United States.

At first the army and navy men were inclined to say, "Here is another
of those mushroom Veteran's Associations bobbing up." In fact I heard
one officer make just that remark, but another was quick to correct
him by saying, "Its bound to be a straight and honest organization or
a Roosevelt wouldn't stand for it." That was the crux of the initial
success of the Legion, because just that was true. Every man who wore
the uniform had known Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., and although he may not
have agreed with him in all of his political opinions still he knew
that neither he nor any member of his family would back any
organization or proposition that was not morally sterling.

There were those who did not like the American Legion. There were
those who were willing to let a past political prejudice deter them
from aiding in the most important movement in American life to-day.
There were those who stated that Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., was
prominent in organizing the American Legion for his own political
advancement. The answer to that misapprehension will develop later and
will prove one of the most striking incidents in this story.

Colonel Roosevelt has a peculiarly happy faculty of keeping those who
work with him cheerful and optimistic. He gathered around him, to
launch the movement in America, a set of cheerful, competent
optimists, prominent among whom were Colonel Richard Derby, Colonel
Franklin D'Olier, who figured in the Paris Caucus, Major Cornelius W.
Wickersham, Assistant Chief of Staff of the Twenty-seventh Division,
Captain H