CONTENTS edge, R. F., Senator Chavez' office__ -usi, Eugene, Reserve Officers of the Naval Services.. ss, Arthur Barton, Federated Organizations for Bataan Relief_ vereaux, Victor E., national service officer, Regular Veterans Associa- vo, Charles A., Col., Adjutant General, District of Columbia National 29 44 s, Hubert S., Congressman from the State of West Virginia. rrison, Gilbert A., American Veterans Committee_ we, Mrs. Walter Bruce, National Symphony Orchestra Association_ terstein, Lincoln W., vice chairman of the American Veterans Com- vinson, Ruth, American Women's Voluntary Services- e, Mary J., legislative chairman, National Women's Relief Corps. rkman, John J., Congressman, from the State of Alabama. 11 18 R. 1128. To incorporate the Regular Veterans Association. R. 2538. To incorporate the Mothers of World War No. 2.. 09. To create the National Symphony Orchestra Trust Fund Board.. 10. To incorporate the American Veterans Committee___ 05. To incorporate the National Council of Negro Veterans 295. To incorporate the National Committee for All War Widows_- 395. To incorporate National Association, Rainbow Division Veterans 1574. To incorporate the Reserve Officers of the Naval Services_ 650. To incorporate the National Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to he Grand Army of the Republic... 1939. To incorporate the Military Order of the Purple Heart___ . Res. 146. To incorporate the Ladies of the Grand Army of the III CORPORATION CHARTER BILLS MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 1946 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 3:20 p. m., the Honorable Harley M. Kilgore, presiding. Present: Senators Abe Murdock, William A. Stanfill and J. G. Sourwine, counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee, Also present: Senator Raymond E. Willis. Senator KILGORE. The committee will come to order for consideration of S. 1650, entitled "A bill to provide for the incorporation of the National Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, organized 1883, 62 years old." (S. 1650 is printed in the appendix). Senator KILGORE. Those of you who want to make statements will please come up and sit in these chairs so the reporter can get them easily. We will be delighted to take anything you have to say on this. Mrs. Love. This is the past national president of last year, Mrs. Smith, of Rhode Island; and this is Past National President Mrs. Luchsinger, of Wisconsin; and I am the legislative chairman and also a past national president from Kentucky. These other ladies are members: Two from Indiana, one from Ohio, and one from Wisconsin. Senator KILGORE. We will go ahead and get the testimony. That is the really important thing. What is your name? Mrs. LovE. Mary J. Love. Senator KILGORE. Of Louisville, Ky.? Mrs. LOVE. Yes. Senator KILGORE. There was a corporation formed under the laws of the State of Illinois under the name of the National Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic. Is that right? Mrs. LovE. Yes. Senator KILGORE. You ladies are asking that this become a corporation chartered by Congress as a nonprofit corporation. Is that right? Mrs. LovE. As a Federal charter; yes. STATEMENT OF MRS. MARY J. LOVE, LEGISLATIVE CHAIRMAN This little résumé gives a little outline, which I think I sent you in the letter I mailed to you. I understand that due to the fact that the Senate feels that there were so many organizations wanting to be federally chartered, it 1 would take an appropriation and an organization to sort of lo after them. Now, our organization has been in existence for more than years, and we have done our welfare and patriotic work for the 63 years, along with 18 years prior to that before the Grand Arm of the Republic asked us to become the auxiliary, which was in 188 We have gone for more than 60 years without any supervisio What I mean to say, our work has been such that we have not need supervision by the Federal Government, and that we have done o welfare, our patriotic work for not only the dependents of the Gra Army of the Republic, but Spanish War veterans and World W veterans. This little résumé in that leaflet showed that we raised more tha $200,000 for blood plasma. The reason we are asking for this, and we feel that it is not moment to the Congress but it is to us, simply for the fact that th Grand Army of the Republic has, I think, about 200 members lef When they go out of existence as an auxiliary to the Grand Arm of the Republic, someone may question our right to that name. Our organization has taken into it what they call "loyal women that is, women who have no affiliation with any patriotic group They were in the Spanish-American War and in the World Wa They have no affiliation with any veteran, and yet they are patrioti and want to do that. In our organization as "loyal women" they are permitted to joi us, and consequently our organization is going to just go on foreve so we will not ever go out of existence. We feel that just this idea of granting us a Federal charter will be safeguard and also prestige, and until the American Legion Auxiliar reach their peak in membership, we will be the largest patrioti organization in the world. For that reason we feel that it means little to the Congress, and yet it means a lot to us. Senator MURDOCK. Are you a corporation now? Mrs. Love. We are incorporated in the State of Illinois which, of course, is all right as far as we are concerned. But we feel we should have recognition and the prestige like other big patriotic organizations: The American War Mothers, incorporated nationally; the American Legion, also. Senator KILGORE. The American War Mothers are not incorporated nationally. The American Legion is incorporated nationally. The War Mothers are not. They have a bill pending. Mrs. LOVE. That is World War II. Senator KILGORE. No. Mrs. LovE. The American War Mothers have a headquarters here in Washington and have had for a good many years. I understood from their national headquarters and national leaders that they were incorporated for a good many years. I feel that we should not be classed in the same class as these newer organizations because we have shown what we can do, and proved it. They are just promising to do something. Senator MURDOCK. What more could you do with a national charter than you have accomplished under the State charter? Mrs. Love. Perhaps nothing. But the idea, you realize, of being connected with a national organization, there is just a little more prestige. Senator MURDOCK. The Federal Government is really not equipped, as I see it, to give proper supervision to corporations, I do not care what kind they are, or what their workings are. We are just not equipped to do that kind of a job. With the very splendid record you have made under your State charter and your great accomplishments, it is rather difficult for me to understand why you should want to change your status. Mrs. LovE. Because there has been a good deal of question, both locally and among other organizations, and so forth and so on, that we feel we want it and we feel that we cannot see where it is going to be such a burden on the Congress to grant it. As far as your not being equipped to supervise it, and so forth, if that is the only reason why, we feel that you are not going to have to supervise us. We never had to be supervised and we feel that it is just a matter of your committee approving it. We have a good many Senators on the Senate Judiciary and in the Senate who are favorable to us. Senator MURDOCK. I think that all Senators are. I do not want you Tto think for a minute that I am not favorable to you. I simply take the position that the granting of corporate charters is, as I look at it, particularly a State function rather than a Federal function. Incorporation of companies has long been the business of our States, and they are equipped to supervise; they are equipped to check. It is their business. Now, there is a constant agitation from the States that the Federal Government is encroaching on their prerogatives, on things they have long done and done exclusively. I am just thinking out loud now. I may even vote to go along with them. But I think that wherever we can get away from that criticism and allow our respective States to do these jobs, the better off we are; and with an organization such as yours, with its great record of achievement, I should think you would take a pride in the fact that you have done it the way you have done it and leave it as it is. Mrs. LovE. Absolutely, I agree with you. But the American Legion is incorporated nationally, federally, and they are not encroaching on the States' rights. They each have a department in the various States over the Union exactly as we do. Senator MURDOCK. I do not say that they encroach, but the States have frequently accused Congress of encroaching on what they consider States' rights. Mrs. Love. We are a national organization. The only reason it happened to be incorporated in the State of Illinois is due to the fact that the national secretary for a good many years lived there and she 'elt that we should have some sort of protection, so she took it out in hat State. I agree with you that what we should have done long ago is to have aken care of this, but we did not appreciate the fact. Senator MURDOCK. I do not suggest that. I think you have done splendid job, and I can see no reason at all for any charter other than he one you have now. |