The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-15
ROOSEVELT DENIES
AMERICAN LEGION =
PREFERRED WOOD
st. Louis Caucus Refused
Straw Vote to Be
Taken
=
TURN DOWN CHICAGO
Declares Legion Was Non-Partisan
and No Poll Was Taken at the
Convention
TURN DOWN CHICAGO

Emphatic denial that the American
Legion has declared it's preference
for Major General Leonard Wood as
presidential candidate was made by
Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roose-
welt, Jr., of the organizations exc
cutive committee, and by Major C. w.
Wickersham, chairman of the New
York State delegation.
Both had just returned from the
national caucus Of the Legion in St.
Louis and were indignant over re-
ports published in newspapers based
upon statement issued by Charles
H. Duell, Jr., New York State del
egate at large, Mr.. Duell asid that an
informal poll o the St. Louis caucus
showed $50 of 1925 delegates to be
for General Wood.
"a certain gentleman has violated
the ethics of the American Legion by
returning here and giving out false
statement" said Colonel Roosevelt
GAS a matter of fact no poll was
taken and certain st. Louis news
paper which attempted to take such
a political poll was stopped and re-
buked for the attempt. The Amer
lean Legion is non-partisan and nom
political and no such political man
oeuvre as a poll could be allowed.
Regarding the question of prohi-
bition, that was not taken up by the
caucus, either The New York state
dol
other building away from the caucus,
did by a unanimous vote place it.
self on record as being in favor of
( light wines and beer.
"Two things stood out prominently
at the caucus. One was the rejec-
ton by unanimous vote of Chicago as
a meeting place, because of Mayor
Thompson. The other was that the
men rejected unanimously all
resolutions tending to give them in
creased pay, either six months,
OF otherwise The Legions placed
itself on record as demonstrating
the fact that it is not for the sol
diers' personal benefit, but for the
benefit of the country.
"There was wonderful type of
Americanism displayed in the caucus.
1t was a gathering of fighting men
in peace time with splendid healthy
bodies and splendid healthy minds.
Above all else they showed that they
were thinking not Of themselves but
of their country. There was no
ticeable lack Of sectionalism. All
were pulling together and all went
on record as opposing Bolshevism in
any form"
Mai. Wickersham issued separate
statement to the same general effect,
in which he said:-
"It is particularly unfortunate that
any aspect Of political flavor should
be given to the American Legion
meeting, which was essentially nom
political and non-partisan. This was
evidenced again. and again, not only
by the rebuke administered to the st.
Louis newspaper for trying to obtain
a straw vote on presidential candi-
dates, but also by the unanimous ac-
ton of the entire caucus in voting
that no post of the American Legion
should have the name of living
man and in its resolutions condemn
ing Bolshevism, demanding the de-
portation of aliens who escaped mil
itary service by withdrawing their
first papers, demanding an investiga-
ton of the pardoning of conscientious
objectors, and the giving to them of
honorable discharges and full pay,
as well as it's action in unanimously
voting against resolution request
ing the payment Of additional sums