SAN FRANSISCO, October 4 -- The American Legion concluded its first big convention since Pearl Harbor today with the election of Paul H. Griffith of Union-town, Pennsylvania, as new national commander, and chartered a course for the coming year within the framework established by its out-going leadership.

The veterans, in their final business session, took the following principal actions:

1. Endorsed the proposal for a single department of national defense, a unified command, and a separate air force.

2. Demanded retention of atomic secrets by the United States.

3. Gave advance warning that it would seek to have Congress rescind the controversial veterans on-the-job training law, keeping alive its feud with the Veterans Administration over the $200 training subsistence ceiling.

Adopted a resolution favoring legislation to "correct labor management chaos," calling for compulsory arbitration in labor disputes and accountability of labor unions.

5. Endorsed universal military training similar save in the training period requirements to that advanced by the War Department.

6. Took a position opposed in general to a World War II bonus "at this time," and refused to support pensions for World War I, vetcrans 50 years of age.