The sun., 1919-03-23
Lieut.. Col. Theo-
dore Roosevelt,
Representative in
This Country,
Tells What Re-
Gently Formed Or
ganiza,tior'WillDo
- ARTS, defended from this van
- guard of her foes during those


city OF every American soldier who
crossed the seas the seat yof the Peace
Conference, the four year capital OF
the Allied nations, IL is only fitting
that Paris, too. should be the scene Of
q gathering OF American soldiers who
are to undertake the work OF pcr-
petuating the spirit of their now &C
complished task.
Paris is for the Amerioin soldier.
the marine, the beloved godmother
among cities, and to the men who have
served in France It will be Aood omen
that tho first steps toward the institu-
t1on of q permanent union Of their
comrades were taken there.
In any event, the organization OF q
society of American veterans Of the
world war, including both the MEM
hers of the expeditionary forces and
their less fortunate fellows whose
service was limited to the camps and
cantonments of this country, Il now
well under way. A meeting of officers
and enlisted men was held in Paris on
March Is, 16 and II, following a pre-
liminary informal meeting a month
previously, and Ideut.-Col. Theodore
Roosevelt has arrived in this. country
for the purpose of completing arrange
ments for the organization meeting
which Is to be called here some time
IN April.
First Steps TO Organize.
swbile the idea OF such n society has
existed in a more or less nebuloB state
81 the mind of almost every man who
carried his pack up the gangplank of
transport and various organizations Of
IT. local character have sprung into
being in several localities, the first ac-
ton toward the formation of u thor
Cughly representative body was taken
by a group of National Guard and Re-
serve Officers who had been ordered to
Paris by General Headquarters for a
conference with certain officers OF the
Regular Army and the heads Of sew
oral sections Of the staff.
Among the men who met In Paris on
February 10. were Lieut.. Col. Theodore
Roosevelt, Jr.. then in command of the
Twenty-siXth Infantry of the First d.
vision; Major Eric Fisher Wood, n for
mer Yale athlete, who will be remem-
pered as the author Of 1.-THE Note
Book of an Attache," in which he de-
scribed his experiences in several OF
the. belligerent countries before the en-
try of the United States into the war;
Lieut-CoI. Bennett C. Clark Of the
Eighty eighth Division, son Of the
Speaker of the House Of Representa-
tives; Lieut.. Col. William ]. Donovan
OF the 165th Infantry OF the Rainbow
Division, for many years an officer OF
the famous Sixty-ninth New York:
Lieut-Col. +. w. Llewellen Of the
Twenty eighth Division, formerly Ad-
tutant General of the State Of Wash
ington: Major G. Edward Buxton OF
the Second Army. formerly connected
with the Providence Journal, and a
number of others representing ten in
fantry divisions. the Service of Supply.
the general staff and practically every
grand division Of the expeditionary
forces.
Akin to Grand Army.
The majority of the National Guard
and Reserve officers who thus hap
pened to be together for an official pur-
pose had long shared with thousands
of other soldiers of the American
forces the hope and desire that the
officers and men who are about to re-
turn to civil life after serving In the
present war, whether with the combat
units, in the Service Of Supply or at
home, might sooner or later be united
into one permanent, nationwide or
ganization, similar In general charac-
ter TO the Grand Army of the Republic
or the United Confederate Veterans,
and composed OF all parties, all creeds
and all ranks. who wish to perpetuate
the relationships formed while in the
military service.
!, They appreciated that one OF the
principal obstacles to the initiation of
such a movement was the difficulty OF
assembling at one time and in the
came place a gathering of individuals
Who would be even approximately rep
resentatIve Of the whole army.
Therefore It appeared TO them that
the fatcse- their presence ia Paris pre-
scented an unusual opportunity to ini-
tate the first steps OF such a move
inent, an opportunity which was I'M
likely TO be repeated and which they
ought not TO let slip. Several meetings
were held by them during the recesses
Between their official conferences TO
consider the situation.
II was finally decided that although
L-tfey were by no means either widely
Chosen enough or sufficiently numer-
Gus to warrant their actually launch
ing an organization, they were never
theIess representative enough TO make
Il proper for them to act as tempo
tary committee for the gathering to-
sether from the whole army a body
OF several hundred national guard and
reserve officers and enlisted men who
you'd be of a character to command
cie confidence and support OF all off,
Gers and men from all States and all
units, and who would act as deputies
from the a. Il. r. to n caucus for the
discussion and formulation OF tenta-
tive arrangements which might later
result In creating a satisfactory per-
nnanent organization.
Temporary Onicers Chosen.
IL was assumed that among the
duties or such caucus would he 20
study the possibility OF a tentative
constitution, TO consider a name for
the organization and to make arrange
hnents whereby all units and all terri
tories could duly elect delegates to a
great convention which would be
clothed with full power and authority