been of little avail. The national commander and the national adjutant have been responsible for much of our membership progress through their determination to coordinate activities and to keep constantly after those responsible for making the personal contacts. This, together with their membership messages in public addresses, has proven very productive. The national organization is tremendously pleased with the 1930 record. The unprecedented achievement has encouraged us to start the 1931 activity earlier than ever before and to have practically the entire 1931 membership program out of the way by January 1, 1931. A quickly reenrolled, automatic membership will mean a lot toward stabilizing and building up a solid membership which can be relied upon for the duration of the organization. To each and every individual who has contributed in any measure whatsoever this year toward membership progress, we desire to express our eternal gratitude and appreciation. We can do no more than to venture the hope that a fair degree of satisfaction and gratification has come to each and all through the consciousness of a job well done. EMBLEM-FILM DIVISION E. O. MARQUETTE (Indiana), Director The emblem-film division is the commercial department of the national organization. It is composed of two departments, emblem and film, each operating independently. The emblem division controls exclusively the manufacture and sale of all articles incorporating the copyrighted and patented American Legion emblem. It presents through a special catalogue, a complete and very fairly priced line of American Legion emblem regalia. In addition, it serves the American Legion Auxiliary with an adequate and well-adapted line of specially-designed regalia, which is presented in a separate catalogue. The film division features a practical plan of raising funds through the exhibition of appropriate war and patriotic films. FILM DEPARTMENT Created originally as a service unit, the film service has continued to operate as such, serving thousands of posts since 1922, with profit a secondary consideration. During this time, it has not only augmented post treasuries, but has in addition, given wide and favorable publicity to Legion ideals and purposes. During the past year, however, the rapid development of, and the increasing demand for talking pictures, has made it impossible for the film service to be self-sustaining. It has been continued, however, as the majority of departments wanted this service available to their posts. It may, however, be necessary to discontinue the division, if a study of the situation, now being conducted, convinces national headquarters that it can not be operated without a loss. EMBLEM DEPARTMENT The sales of the emblem department are limited to the direct mail type. No agents or personal representatives are employed. All purchases are made on the competitive contract basis. Contracts are awarded principally on the basis of price, as concise specifications have been provided which leave nothing of importance to the option of the bidder. The steady growth of the American Legion and the record of achievements this year were anticipated in the policy, adopted early, of concentrating various publicity efforts upon a single objective at a time so far as possible. The value of centering all the guns of publicity upon one subject until that campaign was concluded, then of taking up the next one, as its importance was directed, was demonstrated in the results obtained. First came early membership, then the hospital construction program in Congress last December; then other efforts of the national organization as directed. In all of these the importance of early membership, as the self-evident and well-advertised proof of the sincerity of the service men and women of the country in the work of the Legion, was emphasized with good results, both in membership and in the success of the endeavors. The gauntlet in membership as indicative of the veterans' support in our program was daringly and publicly thrown at the feet of the veterans, and it was taken up with that promptitude and courage which characterizes Legion affairs. This splendid response in membership was continuously made a matter of public information, available to Congressmen and Senators in Washington. Its effect on national legislation is seen in the record of success in the Legion's sponsorship of major laws in the interest of veterans. Special attention was paid to the expansion or reduction, as the case happens to be, of our news releases in close accordance with the fundamentals of news value, so far as the annual budget would allow. Copy was liberally distributed when the right opportunity occurred, and it was conserved when the lack of such news opportunity made the copy of less value to the editors. This policy has continued to build up the prestige of the American Legion New Service, as the mailing lists of newspapers which have indicated their desire for Legion news indicates by its rapid growth. NATIONAL COMMANDER There is no continuous and regular means of creating news opportunities so good as the travels from State to State of the national commander. His appearance is the occasion for programs and demonstrations carrying with them a demand for newspaper attention which often is national in scope. This gives the Legion, both locally and nationally, the opportunity of making known through the newspapers, in an area much greater than the locality where the national commander appears, the message which will advance a particular effort or campaign. In instances where the demand and pressure resulted in more than one address in the same department, day by day, or in the same place in one day, the releases were arranged to supply separate copy, with a different angle if it were on the same subject, for the afternoon and the morning papers, if possible, thereby making the releases following the first one of more news value. Newspapers are becoming more and more mirrors for the reflections of happenings after they have happened, and it is of importance that local legionnaires make the happenings, such as state-wide attendance at national commander's visits, great enough to impress the editors. This is imperative in the larger cities. The expansion of news services and the facilities of communication bring into every metropolitan newspaper office many more columns of actual news action than any paper can print. Often news that could be used as first-page stories are discarded because of more startling ones. Legion affairs must compete with other news and, while a majority of newspaper owners and editors are sympathetic with Legion ideals, the editors judge the Legion program and Legion news to some extent on the basis of the interest their Legion readers and their friends show in the subject. A large state-wide attendance on the occasion of the national commander's visit to a department and an attractive parade or other demonstration, expected of the Legion, naturally impresses the reporters assigned to cover such meeting. This is promptly relayed to the editors. It has its influence on the amount and the position of the space given the event and the national commander's message. Likewise, this has influence on the news wire services that carry the story to other cities. The national commander carries the heaviest part of the load, but some of the success of the event, from a publicity viewpoint, depends upon the local arrangement and turnout. That this fact is becoming better understood is shown by the increase in newspaper publicity in this regard, and it is safe to predict that greater demonstrations and as attractive settings as possible for the appearance of the national commander in the large cities will continue to produce corresponding newspaper attention in those cities. REGULAR SERVICES The national publicity division issues a regular weekly service of not less than four multigraphed or mimeographed pages to newspapers by direct mail. It is called the American Legion News Service. Copies also are furnished 290 American Legion posts and department publications. Under the name of the American Legion Press Association is issued a weekly service of not less than four mimeographed pages to the Legion publications, in addition to the news service. The American Legion Hospital News Service, composed of two pages written in the office of the national rehabilitation committee for this purpose, is sent to 225 veterans' hospital publications, and is used in some instances as bulletins in hospitals where there are no publications. It likewise is available to Legion publications if they desire it. A popular feature inaugurated this year in the news service was Carrying On for a Principle, in which each week is an inspirational message that explains one of the ideals of the Legion, and how a current program is being applied to that ideal or principle. Nearly 1,000 newspaper in the United States print this feature, because it is brief and carries wholesome advice, has an attractive heading, and deals with a current news announcement. This also is popular with Legion publications. One newspaper in a city of 138,000 population uses its as the basis for an editorial each week. Many post publicity officers receive the news service. It is available to all who request it. Local officers find it of value because it carries an explanation of national objectives and can be used in connection with local action on such objective. This makes it local news, which is more valuable to a newspaper of a particular community concerned. RADIO Radio has become so widely used by departments and posts that it now is considered a major channel in publicity work. It is more the usual thing than not for Legion speakers to face the microphone on banquet and other occasions. The publicity division keeps this in mind in all the material issued, and its continued service to departments, and the field, furnishes up-to-the-minute information on current objectives available for broadcasting. Fourteen speeches issued in the regular national speakers' information service, and a 1-minute radio news service, issued upon proper occasions, were sent to a list of 115 "active" broadcasting stations for use by local speakers on programs appropriate for Legion participation. Replies to a questionnaire were received from 50 that such service would always be used, at least once, and from the other 65 that they would be used if suitable and the occasion presented itself. Among outstanding broadcasting events was armistice night, 1929, with a national hook-up, when President Hoover, National Commander Bodenhamer, and Past National Commander McNutt participated. Another was July 9, when the national commander reviewed the Legion's legislative accomplishments. The world series junior baseball games, play by play, were broadcast in a national hook-up; others of a regular nature were used by the national rehabilitation committee, which sponsored the July 9 national hook-up; the national convention corporation employed the radio to good advantage, including airplane broadcasting on the flight of the Arbella, and numerous posts did regular broadcasting which extended beyond local, or even departmental, boundaries. An exceptional radio success was the prepared catechism on the universal draft principle, printed in pamphlet form, and furnished broadcasting stations and Legion officials for that purpose. It is recommended that American Legion bands be induced to take every advantage of broadcasting, because band music is popular, it is in harmony with the Legion spirit, and holds the attention for brief announcements which carry Legion messages perhaps better on the radio than speeches. GROWTH INCREASES OUTPUT The publicity division has continued its policy of making every dollar of its allotted budget go as far as possible in meeting the increased demand for material, due to the growth of the organization and added activities, including the Fidac congress. This increase has been met without any noticeable increase in the total expenditures. Annual dues to Legion publications receiving matrices have been eliminated, the membership of the press association trebled, and the spirit of cooperation advanced to where material contributed by the publications, together with the splendid cooperation of the American Legion Monthly, have eliminated nearly all expense in buying news, pictures, features, and some cartoon art work. The photographic room established by this division in 1929 has continued to prove a great saving, as well as a means of expansion in the distribution of pictures. During the last year a total of 5,592 pictures, up to September 1, were made at national headquarters at cost, and distributed, a figure impossible to have attained if the pictures had been purchased at commercial studios. A saving in the cost of distribution was made in sending, in interview form, to be used by the 10,000 posts of the organization, 35 articles to department adjutants for remimeographing and distribution to their posts, and by them to newspapers in their communities. This, perhaps, has been the most effective kind of publicity, at smallest expense. The method of distribution, made by department headquarters, rarely involved extra postage, being included in regular mailings with department bulletins. Each of the interviews, with space for the local post official to fill in his name, dealt with national objectives current at the time. The following statistics show the extent of the publicity work for the year, in the distribution of material not otherwise covered in the foregoing: Newspapers and wire services Weekly news service___ Special releases exclusive to wire services_ Released on child-welfare conferences (with 2,887 mats) Special releases to all newspapers, State by State: _words 130, 000 __do____ 21, 000 do. 51,000 _words__ 5,000 Pages of news exclusively for 1 State--sent occasionally with news service_ 23, 000 _words__ 9,000 National officers' publicity to newspapers: 156 different date line mimeographed speeches of commander mailed to newspapers up to Sept. 8, 1930_ -words 312, 000 Mats and biographies, with letter giving information regarding arrival, etc., sent to newspapers in all towns where speeches were made. 4,400 mats of national commander were distributed, including those sent to Legion publications. 650 mats of Legion officials, other than national commander, sent to newspapers and Legion publications. Sunday newspapers: Articles written specially for 100 Sunday newspapers-- (910 photographs sent to Sunday papers and picture syndicates.) Magazines and trade publications: Articles written for 447 magazines and trade publications__. 5, 500 words 19,000 (The magazines to which these articles were sent included: 268 4, 200 5, 592 Fidac Review: Articles submitted specially for Fidac Review_. Photographs made at national headquarters and distributed_. Legion publication material (list of 290): Weekly mimeographed service to Legion publications besides news service) ‒‒‒‒. -words-- 141, 000 Press association (86 members on Sept. 3): Matrices distributed to members of press association___. _mats__ 5, 044 words 41, 600 Hospital news service: Weekly hospital news service to hospital list ---words-- 221, 000 SPEAKERS' SERVICE Fourteen speeches, from 1,000 to 2,500 words each, written and distributed to speakers' list of 4,100. Speeches were on following subjects: Armistice Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, national defense, safety first, junior baseball, Boy Scouts, Legion round-up, Legion birthday, universal draft, Legion membership (2 speeches), Government insurance, 1930 Legion program. NATIONAL CHILD WELFARE DIVISION OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE [*Indicates that the national child-welfare committee member is also the Legion department child welfare chairman in this State] Sherman Child (Minnesota), national chairman; Edwin E. Hollenback (Pennsylvania), vice Chairman. GENERAL MEMBERS Area A.-John D. Crowley (Massachusetts), chairman. To serve until December 31, 1930 (one year).—*Israel Bernstein, Portland, Me.; Harry W. Dudley, Tilton, N. H. To serve until December 31, 1931 (two years).—*H. S. Dorsey, New London, Conn.; Dr. H. H. Armington, Providence, R. I. To serve until December 31, 1932 (three years).—John D. Crowley, Cambridge, Mass.; *C. Russell Little, Fair Haven, Vt. Area B.-Dr. Samuel A. Loveman (New Jersey), chairman. To serve until December 31, 1930 (one year).-Dr. Samuel A. Loveman, Toms River, N. J.; *William T. Lyman, jr., Wilmington, Del. ; *Dr. Edwin J. Nixon, Petersburg, Va. To serve until December 31, 1931 (two years).-Miss Helen G. O'Neill, Washington, D. C.; William F. Schohl, Buffalo, N. Y.; Miss Mary Louise Price, Huntington, W. Va. To serve until December 31, 1932 (three years).-*Rev. J. Monroe Stick, Baltimore, Md.; Edwin E. Hollenback, Philadelphia, Pa. Area C.-Hugh E. McClung (Alabama), chairman. |