Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-15


proceedings are, therefore, looked forward
to with interest.
1t was President Roosevelts expressed
desire that the several national bodies
should "get together and form one grand
organization of soldiers of the with
Spain and of the instruction in the Philip
pines This desire. expressed by the Presi-
dent in his remarks at the encampment at
Detroit two years ago. had great weight
in bringing the negotiations, which had
been hanging fire for long time, to sue
cessful fruition. President Roosevelt is
said to be active member of prosper
Gus camp of Spanish War Veterans III New
York.
The District delegates to the st. Louis
encampment will hold a meeting this even
ing, in conjunction with the newly elected
officers Of the Department of the District
of Columbia and matters of local interest
which are TO be brought before the encamp-
ment for action will be discussed. One of
the most important of these Will be the IN
auguration of a campaign having Tor It's
purpose the election of Maj. Fred S. Hodg-
son of this city to national office, prefer
ably senior or Junior vice communicating
chief. Maj. HOdgson recently vacated the
position of commander of the Department
of the District, which he filled with credit
two terms 1t is expected that he will re-
ceive votes from the New York. New Jer-
sey and southern delegations, besides the
solid vote from the District of Columbia.
Proposed Military Museum.
Another matter of local as well as gen.
eral interest which will come before the
convention is the proposition to have estab-
lished here military museum, or museum
of war, which was favored by unanimous
vote at the Detroit encampment in 1902.
bill appropriating $4,000 for this pur-
pose was introduced in the lower house of
Congress at its last session by Representa-
= William Hughes of New Jersey, VINO
Is himself an active member of camp OF
Spanish War Veterans in that state.
Gov. w. T. Durbin of Indiana, Senator
Charles Dick of Ohio, Lieut.. Gov Curtis
Guild jr, of Massachusetts and other
prominent men who are also active mem
bers of the organization will take I'M
portant parts in the proceedings OF the
united body.
committee on legislation will be APP
pointed, to be composed largely it is said,
of Spanish War Veterans resident of Wash
ington, to succeed the present committee,
which is composed of Past Commander-ln-
Chief NJ. Emmett Urell, Maj. Fred. S. Hodg-
son, Capt. Lee NJ. Lipscomb, Capt. L. c.
Dyer and Capt. ]. Walter Mitchell.
Capt. j. Lyon King, member of the
national council from the District of CO.
lumbia, and who was recently appointed
member OF the encampment committee on
rules and regulations by COMMANDMENTS
Chief English, will attend the national
meeting and support the local measures
which will be brought up for action.
Capt. Robert II. Wood, one of the repro
sentatives from this city and member of
the council of administration of the De
partment of the District, will go to St
Louis to champion the cause of the elderly
clerks In the government departments,
whose tenures are said to be threatened by
the Giliett age retirement bill, now pending
before Congress. He will urge the national
body to take action condemnatory of that
measure, and also to take favora BILE action
on the war museum and other projects of
local importance.
Regarded as Most Important.
Speaking to a Star reporter about the APP
preaching encampment Capt. Wood said:
The meeting to be held next week in
St. Louis by the National Encampment of
United Spanish War Veterans will be the
most important in its history. Since the
encampment last year the different organ
izauons have been trying TO consolidate.
and the good work has progressed 10 such
an extent that three different bodies ANAL
gamated last April and are now under one
head. When the proposition to consolidate
was first talked of deep chasm existed
which promised to engulf all of the organ
izations, but when the committees from
the different organiZati tons began to con-
struct the united bridge they built slowly
and well, and so thoroughly was the con-
struction that only one organization re-
mains without the fold, and where there
was once discord, now regneth peace and
good will.
The various committees will make their
reports and new officers will be elected
whose terms of office will begin on the LIST
of January next.
Bills Before Congress.
MANY bills pending before Congress will
come up for discussion. and two OF them
greatly concern this city. The first is the
proposition 10 build home for soldiers to
which those who served In any war shall
be admitted. 1t is proposed TO locate this
home in this District, and is to shelter and
feed all ex-soldiers and sailors who may
come 10 Washington in quest of work,
looking after pensions or sightseeing and
who expect to remain only a few days The
home will take the place of the soldiers
temporary home on Sd street and will be
conducted in similar manner by the gov
eminent instead of by the Grand Army Of