BRITISH LEGION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22268, 22 May 1934, Page 9

BRITISH LEGION

DISSENSION IN THE RANKS SENSATION AT CONFERENCE PRINCE l DECLINES INVITATION (United .Press Association.). (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) > • ■ LONDON, May 20. At .the conference of the British Legion at. Weston-Super-Mare there was consternation when the president (General Sir Frederick Maurice) read a letter from- Prince: George declining an invitation .to attend owing, to the unfortunate prominence given to reports of apparentattempts to create dissension in.'the. : legion's ranks, General Maurice said he- could well undersand, when the executive was. being publicly attacked, that Princes of the Royal House would hesitate to give the slightest appearance of taking sides in" a matter of which they had no knowledge.. The only possible step .was. to jnforni Prince George that the legion was as united as ever -in, its' loyalty to the King, the Court, and the Royal Family. - The audience cheered this statement vociferously. .Maurice later said they were all heartily ashamed of the incident which bad prevented Prince George's presence. •• Such things must not recur. Despite-grave statements about its work the legion had.no secrets. ' A resolution endorsed the executive's recent dismissal of the editor of the league- journal, and expressed confidence in" the executive. . - Prince. George's non-attendance disappointed thousands who. flooded the town tosee Him review 20.000 ex-service-men. .This-is-the first occasion since the'foundation of the legion on which no Prince.of .the. Royal House has been present at the conference or. rally. STORMY MEETING OF'"REBELS." '*&£:'?* ■■,-■■' .; '.v..LONDON, May. 20. - /The Times says that the incidents to which General Maurice referred hung heavily over - the conference's preliminaries.;- ' •-: A meeting of so-called rebels the previous night proved stormy and ended in an- - 'anti-climax . with >.; overwhelming majorities declaring that the legion was -democratically- controlled and expressing regret at convening the meet">E- ' . r - General Maurice lost no time in bringing the matter to a head. He quoted extracts fr6m : certain Sunday papers 'alleging that the legion for a long time had ; Deen going downhill. 'The member'shlp'had dwindled by hundreds of thousands despite * the" secrecy observed. General Maurice ecoUted'this as absurd, becaustka; certified statement of meraberahip w*s circulated every year.. He indignairtly refuted "the gross' personal attacks on Sir John Brown,-who,- it was suggested, had : received a knighthood for selling ! his comrades' interests at a deputation to the Prime Minister and the Minister ofr Pensions, whereas General -Maurice himself led the deputation and did not consult 'Sir- John Brown beforehand. ' ■'-' H\ ■■:.---■ ■ ■:•"« Sir JolnV Brown announced that he was:-launching'legal proceedings to vindicate his personal honour. ': General; Maurice ; announced that the membership: was 342,000, an increase of 16>000 since last year;: ' ; ; -