pathy plea, giving the impression that ad
same principle has not been encouraging.
vertising revenue in some manner helps wounded veterans or provides an oppor
gives nothing in return for its endorse
A striking example was the California Legion Monthly, which began publication some months after the Pacific Legion, the American Legion publication for Oregon and Washington, was in the field. It was printed on high grade paper, made pro fuse use of illustrations and several col ors on its cover. Every member in the state was assessed 50 cents toward this publication. For several months the magazine apparently prospered, but it soon was found that it was being sus tained by subscription money and not by
ment, neither service, subscriptions nor profits. Such publications are inherently
advertising revenue, and when the first source was exhausted only bankruptcy lay
dishonest, and thrive on donations.
ahead. The result was that the legionnaires
tunity for other disabled men to make an honest living. Solicitors for this sort of publication usually call in uniform, even today flaunt ing service stripes and citation ribbons, generally purchased in army stores. A second type is the privately owned
organization publication which seeks no financial aid from the American Legion, the V. F. W. or D. A. V- W. W., and
One publication of this type, printed outside the city of Portland, and with a bonafide circulation in that city of not more than 50 subscribers received adver
of California had to meet an assessment of approximately $4000 to make good the
obligations incurred by this publication
tising approximating $10,000 from the business men in that city last November
and December. It is such ventures as this, known to the
experienced newspaper man, that raise in his mind an immediate prejudice against any veteran publication. is not to be blamed.
And he
MAGAZINE SENT FREE
A third type of veteran publication is the privately owned venture controlled by a central publishing corporation, which in turn for the right to use the name of the American Legion in soliciting busi ness, sends the magazine free to all mem bers in the territory covered The cor
poration, to the best of my information, is now issuing the Iowa Legionnaire, the Ohio Legionnaire and the Hoosier Legion naive, all news print publications issued
weekly or semi-monthly. The fourth class of veteran magazine
before its suspension.
In the state of Washington at the pres ent time an attempt is being made to es tablish a state newspaper by the officers of the American Legion, who feel that a magazine published in Oregon cannot serve their needs as well as a newspaper published in their own state. The first issue was to have been printed on Janu ary first of this year- It has yet to make its appearance. The problem is that of all organiza tion owned publications. Because of the semi-political nature of positions in the business and editorial end of such publi cations, few men of real ability care to become identified with them except for salaries which the organization cannot afford to pay. The result is mismanage
ment and costly errors made through lack of experience and business judgment. There is a fifth type of magazine of which I desire to speak in closing. This
is the organization owned and operated publication, subscriptions for which are
is the privately owned publication which
included in dues paid by members.
has the endorsement of an organization, asks that organization to assume no finan
The
American Legion Weekly is a national
exemplification of this class of magazine, and is at last on a money-making basis. The experience of the American Legion with state publications operated on the
cial risk yet guarantees it service and a
heavy percentage of publication profits. It is in this class that the Pacific Legion falls.
[27]
It is a magazine which, to all in
