“Spain would, he said, be the most promising country in Europe except for the labor situation there, which had brought it to the verge of Bolshevism.  He said that the most perfect laboratory of Bolshevism in Europe outside of Russia was in Barcelona, Spain, which he said was ruled absolutely by a mysterious secret council, which had censored and fined the newspapers until they quit publication and had enforced its will in all matters by assassinations, which no one dared to punish.

“He said that America alone could save Europe and that its aid must be extended to all countries equally.  He said that this was necessary, not only to save Europe, but to prevent an invasion of America by the forces threatening the social overthrow of Europe.”

Why the American Legion?

There, at least, is one great reason.

Our men of the army, navy, and marine corps got a schooling in the practical Americanism which our military establishment naturally teaches.  Those who were aliens by birth and those native sons with inadequate educational advantages learned a great deal by association with men of better types and by travel.  These men can and will stem the insidious guile of the wolf, and, to aid them in so doing, the Legion has an active speakers’ bureau under Captain Osborn teaching Americanism in every section of the country.  These speakers, in helping to organize the Legion along the right lines, teach the Constitution of the United States and preach that remedial changes in this government can be brought about in only one way, and that is, constitutionally.

Why the American Legion?

America is safe from any real danger if she can keep everybody busy.  Less than two weeks after the caucus, the national executive committee had in process of formation a practicable scheme to aid in solving the reemployment problem.  As time goes on this department of Legion activity will become more and more efficient.

Here is another answer to the question.

All through these pages the reader has found references to this question of reemployment; to anti-Bolshevism; the protection of the uniform; the non-partisan and non-political nature of the Legion; unselfishness; disability pay for the reserve forces; war risk insurance; allotments and back pay; the care of disabled service men; one hundred per cent.  Americanism, and the deportation of those aliens who “bit the hand that fed them.”  The story has dealt almost entirely with these questions because primarily and fundamentally they are The American Legion.  This program is the most important in the United States to-day.  It means the betterment of the most stable forces in our community life, not only of to-day but for the next forty or fifty years.  It means the proper extension of the influence of the most powerful factor for patriotism in our country—­the onetime service man.  It does not mean patriotism bounded on one side by a brass band and on the other by a dressy uniform and a reunion banner.  It means real patriotism in its broadest sense—­a clean body politic; a clean national soul and a clean international conscience.