The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-09-27
LEGION OPENS
BIG CONVENTION
More Than 1000 Delegates
Were Gathered in Cleve-
land To-day
D'OLIER TELLS OF
"VIRILE STAND"
Against Wild Radicals Who
Would Attempt to In
jure Institutions

tilei seduS III tHe nipPoui oHle IHedttt
to day when Franklin D'Olier, the ma
tional commander, called to order tht
second annual convention of the Ameri
can Legion. The floor of the theatre
resembled one of the big political con
designating seats allotted TO the dele.
gations.M /.
Commander D'Olier presented Rev
Francis J. Kelley of Troy. n
Y, 'the fighting chaplain" who de.
livered the invocation. Mayor Will
liam S. Fitzgerald welcomed the visit
ors and delegates in behalf OF the city.
Then, in order, came the report of the
ational commander, the report Of the
executive committee on the convention
program, naming the convention com
mittees, announcement of the time and
place of the meeting of these commit
tees, and the reports of the national
adjutant and the national treasurer.
The greatest single service American
Legion members have rendered their
! country is their "virile stand for the
maintenance of law and order the
national commander told the cOnveu.
| ton.
I'VE quickly served notice in no un.
certain terms upon those wild rqdicals
who would by force attempt to fnjure
those very institutions we had risked
our lives to protect he said We
stated plainly that we were ready for
them and could meet their forces with
far greater force, sufficient 10 stop
them instantly.
During these present DAYS Of un.
rest and readiustment. the American
Legion and the stand OF the ex service
man for law and order ia the greatest
insurance policy our country could pos
sibly have and the only insurance pre-.
MUM the ex.service man expects m re.
turn is simply fair play from that gov.
ernment with which he has played so
fair
How the Legion has expanded since
the close of the first national oonyen-
tion last November from a foosefv.
knit structure of 3,T42 posts in so de
partments 10 world wide orga MIA.
tion of approximately D,s00 functioning
posts in all states, the District OF Co.
lumbia, five outlying American pos
sessions and ten foreign countries was
set forth in the report Of Lemuel
Bolles. the national sdjutAnt.
The womens auxiliary, to which
mothers, wives, daughters and sisters
Of service men are eligible, has been
organized on temporary basis. he
reported Units chartered number
1859 Mr.. Bolles report expressed the
hope that the convention will provide
the necessary authority TO permit the
development OF the womans auxiliary
TO that place OF dignity and importance
to which il Justly is entitled =
The service division Of national head
quarters. the report continued, has ob
tanned the adjudicstion of claims az
gregating more than 81 100000 in favor
OF ex service men This sum il but a
tithe of the total claims the Legion /
has settled in favor Of veterans. since /
national headquarters has handled /
only complicated individual cases |
Service bureaus have been set up in \
every state and service officers ap /
pointed in more than 5000 posts 4
From these offices majority Of the 4
claims have been handled.
These claims have been Of endless
variety, including back pay, bonus lS60
payable on discharge, liberty bonds
paid for but not delivered. allotments
and allowances and insurance
One OF the material advantages OF
in the Legion Mr. Bolles
said, j. indicated by the fact that rec
or5s show that incoming claims from
non members are as great a. ever,
while there has been a marked decrease
in the number of claims filed by
legionaires. indicating that most
Legion members have squared their sc-
counts with the government
Aside from the interest on the
100000 y NJ c. A. fund. national
headquarters only source Of revenue
has been national dues and profits from
he sale of emblems The latter
amounts to nearly 100000. The
Legion has been obliged 70 institute
several court actions to protect itself
10 be sole manufacturer and seller Of
Legion insignia. The American Legion
Weekly. the report states. has turned
fron the loss to the profit side Of the
ledger and promises shortly 10 wipe
Dut al the previous deficit
The credentials committee was m
ession early to decide two questions
Shall each department be allowed 4
,nly its FIVE delegates at large and
me additional delegate for each even
600 paid-up members or shall Il he
Illowed one additional delegates for
sch loo paid.up members O major
rsct,on thereof
shall the posts in foreign countries
v allowed votes in the cons ention.
Pending decision of these two ques
ions the voting strength al the con
ention ranged be- w cen .0f1 and ]. l.l56.
Iccio organizations in Mexico Pan
ma he Philippine Islands Porto Rico. I
Belgium. the British Isles. ,
anada. chile. China Cuhha. France.
'ustemsls Japan. Poland samoa snd
into Domingo were involved
The executive committee decided /
hat representation IN the convention /
hould b ~ the basis of paid up ~ ,
ional dues August . last which On ,
bat date totslled sls6sn Ther- Wss !
,rong oblection 10 thi. ruling by 3
lany states. particularly Neu Jersev- !
here il was said thr membership Rad r
ern increased ~ eleventh heur rhrrf :
-cm 22efo 20 7snG0 Nsiiansl dres .