REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. GEO. A. NEWMAN, BURLINGTON, VT., August 10, 1915. Adjutant General, Grand Army of the Republic, COMRADE: The rules and regulations of the order require, and I have the honor to submit to you, and through you to the commander in chief and the Forty-ninth National Encampment, my annual report as inspector general. In assuming the duties of the office with which Commander in Chief Palmer saw fit to honor me, for which honor I thank him now publicly as I have already done personally, I consulted the rules and regulations for information as to the duties required of me. My predecessor in this office, Comrade Levi S. Warren, very kindly wrote me giving some of his experiences of the previous year's work, which information I found of great assistance in getting the work started. Through the regular routine I recommended to the commander in chief for appointment a list of comrades for assistant inspectors general whom I considered efficient, and the reports received have proved to me that our assistant inspectors general are very loyal to the order and devoted to its best welfare. Owing to the amendment to the rules and regulations by the Thirty-sixth National Encampment, in 1902, leaving it optional with the commander in chief and the department commanders regarding inspections, and as Commander in Chief Palmer did not call for any inspection, I decided not to call for the statistical tables from department inspectors, yet I received eight. Therefore, with his approval, I mailed to each assistant inspector general a circular letter with seven topics for their consideration and views as to the general status of our order. My object was to find out, in a general way, what my comrades of the order were doing, and what was being done for their welfare, and why so many comrades were out of the order. From 44 departments which should have reported I have received 34 reports regarding the following questions put to the various de partments: 1. Will you state general efficiency of department officers and interest of comrades in all G. A. R. meetings, camp fires, etc.? All reported efficient officers with great interest in the work. The comrades seem to be more interested in camp fires than in regular meetings, except in large cities where posts are larger. 2. Do you have in your department permanent headquarters? Twenty-one departments reported permanent headquarters, 10 reported no permanent headquarters, and 3 made no answer regarding this subject. State, was prominent in G. A. R. circles, and held many positions staffs of department commanders. He died April 25, 1915. In conclusion, I desire to thank the assistant inspectors genera all departments for the generally excellent manner in which t have performed their duties. I also wish to express again my thanks to Commander in Ch Palmer for the honor of my appointment, and hope that his next v to our good old Vermont may not be in April, but later, when State is clothed in all of her summer beauty. And to you, Adjt. Gen. Newman, I desire to express my thanks your many acts of kindness during the year. Respectfully submitted in F., C. and L., C. E. BEACH, Inspector General, G. A. R Past National Patriotic Instructor Levi Longfellow, of 1806 Vine Place, Minneapolis, Minn., has prepared an excellent and most helpful manual for the use of post patriotic instructors, a copy of which should be in the hands of every such officer. Information in regard to this little book can be secured by writing him at the above address. See to it that the official reports from your department be forwarded to me at University Park, Colo., not later than July 31, that I may have time to make out my report to the commander in chief, and let these reports be not merely certain required statistics, but be full of suggestion and personal experience and observation. My comrades, our time for work is but short, the evening time is coming, our country needs us as much as ever. Let us redouble our efforts and so faithfully and lovingly labor, that when, at the setting of the sun, we bring up our work for inspection it shall meet the approval and receive the commendation of our Great Commander in Chief. Yours in F., C., and L., C. A. BROOKS, National Patriotic Instructor, Grand Army of the Republic. And on May 1 the following: DENVER, COLO., May 1, 1915. MY COMRADES: The rapid passing of the years reminds us that our stay her is not for very much longer, and this should be to us an incentive to greate activity. A comrade, in a recent letter, bemoans the fact that advancing ag has unfitted him for the activities of former years, saying that his work i done and that he is "idly and uselessly waiting for the final muster out. This is a serious error. Over half a century ago we gave ourselves in consecration to our country, bu when the war had ceased, a greater duty lay before us, and until the las moment we have a most important work to do. Let us not sit idly down in ol age, but, with Van Dyke, say: Let me but do my work from day to day Always remembering, "Four things come not back: The spoken word, the spe arrow, time past, the neglected opportunity." Says Lyman Abbott: "The invisible makes the nation. The nation is no made great, it is not made rich, by mines and forests and prairies and wate powers. Great men make a nation great, and the qualities that make me great are invisible." And to us of the Grand Army of the Republic is given the work of instillin and developing those qualities so essential to the life of our Republic. I would offer some suggestions in regard to our work, and at once confes that for these I have freely appropriated the valuable ideas given me by com rades all over the land. I make no apologies, but thank these comrades. Our Memorial Day-our one sacred day-is near at hand, and we shoul endeavor to secure its observance in the proper spirit and manner. "Memorial Day is a sacred day to every true patriot-to every man, woman and child with a grateful, country-loving heart. In particular should ever patriotic instructor be alive with interest during memorial week. He and ever other comrade possible should attend the patriotic program at school and en courage both teachers and pupils in the presentation of such exercises. In many communities the citizens are coming to take the initiative o Memorial Day. In country school districts the school mistress is the leade in such service. Whether this is done by teachers, citizens, or the old comrade themselves every bronze-button man possible should be present. Patriotic in structors will, if of the right spirit, find much to do in connection with Memoria Day. Local conditions must guide him in his activities. ་ It is a good time to lead our young people to feel how goodly a heritage ha been bequeathed to them by their fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers Though we have a hundred good things in our country to one that is bad, there are, nevertheless, evils among us that call for even greater courage than that which led us into battle. Every daily paper from the city tells the story in big headlines. I do not need to call further attention to the vice and crime, graft and greed of bad men-sometimes women-in our fair land. If these evils are to be fought, if what is good is to triumph over them, the battles must soon be waged by our Grand Army now being trained by the teachers in our schools. Every Grand Army patriotie instructor who has in him the desire to serve his country in these later days will undertake in every way he can, both by precept and example, to place high ideals of citizenship before our young people." From every Grand Army post there should go a singeing protest against the growing tendency to a desecration of this day by sports of various kinds and other merrymaking. Let it be a day of solemn yet happy memory. One excellent idea is that we endeavor to enlist the cooperation of county superintendents of public instruction and by their aid secure not only invitations to address the public schools, but also a place upon the progranis of the teachers' institutes. As a rule the teachers throughout the land are ready to work with us in the matter of patriotic instruction. In our larger cities and in centers of foreign population very effective work is being done in connection with the various missions. It is cheering to see the enthusiasm with which these aliens enter into our patriotic exercises. I inclose an excellent manual for flag-salute exercises, prepared by Comrade Dr. John Grass, of Denver, which is quite extensively used in Colorado. Comrade Grass very gladly gives permission to have it reprinted and distributed freely in every department. Let us get busy, and keep busy, my comrades. Let us make the office of patriotic instructor an essential factor in the future life of the Nation, holding ever before the young the highest and holiest ideals of manhood as essential to the best citizenship. Yours, in F., C., and L., C. A. BROOKS. National Patriotic Instructor, Grand Army of the Republic. These have brought to me many words of kindly appreciation, for which I am grateful, indeed. In some of the departments there seems to be not only a lack of patriotism on the part of public officials, but an absolute disloyalty. In some places in the South the birthdays of Lee and Davis are legal holidays, the pictures of Lee. Johnston, Davis, and others are given prominence in the schools, while Lincoln, Grant, and others of our heroes are ignored. Memorial Day, except to a few who wear the little bronze button, is utterly unknown, and by very many, especially young people, the Stars and Stripes are the symbol of cruel injustice and crushing defeat. Read this extract from a San Antonio, Tex., paper of February 20: Washington's Birthday was observed at Bowie School yesterday afternoon by the presentation to the school of a bust of Albert Sidney Johnston by the sculptor, Pompeo Coppini. The bust was originally presented to the Daughters of the Confederacy and by them was presented to the school. Mr. Coppini made a short talk, in which he lauded the South as his adopted country. “I have recently designated this as my adopted country,” said Mr. Coppini, "This I did not do until I came South. I lived six years in New York and felt no desire to become a citizen of this country, but when I came South I said, 'I have found my home.' Mr. Coppini said he had been referred to as "the sculptor of the southern cause" and that he hoped to gain an inspiration that would merit the name, Maj. Moye Wicks made a talk especially to the school children, in which he reviewed the history of the South and the causes which led up to the Civil War. He explained that the war was thrust upon the South by the North after the Secession of South Carolina by Federal soldiers taking possession of Fort |