Slump

The rolls of big veterans' groups are going down. Since 1946, the American Legion has dropped from 3,325,000 to 2,725,000 members, the Veterans of Foreign Wars from 1,500,000 to 1,250,000. These figures represent net losses in a rapid turnover; V.F.W., for instance, lost 1,250,000 members and found 1,000,000 replacements.

The Legion bravely compares its 18% decline to the 28% loss suffered in the comparable period after World War I. Organizers say that demobilized men join the veterans' outfits, get married, drift out of contact with their organizations, then renew membership after a few years. They hope the veterans-organization picture will be brighter before 1960.

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