Evening times-Republican., 1920-09-27
American Legion Meets in
Second Annual
Session.
SOCIETY SHOWS
GREAT EXPANSION
Growth Of Organization Remarkable
Many Impor rtant Problems of Vet
Grams to Be Disposed Of Before
Convention Adjourns -commander
D'Olier Points to Work in Preserv-
ing Law and Order.
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
Cleveland. Sept. 27.-More than
1000 delegates assembled in the Hip
podrome Thcater this morning when
Franklin D'Olier, national comman-
der. called to order the second annual
convention Of the American Legion.
The floor of the theater resembIed
one Of the big political conventions.
state standards and pennants desig-
mating seats allotted to the various
delegations.
Commander D'Olier presented Rev.
Francis J. Kelly, of Troy. n. Y. the
fighting chaplain" who delivered the
invocation. Following the national
chaplain. Mayor William S. Fitzger-
aid welcomed the visitors and dele
gates in behalf Of the city.
!, The morning session was devoted
to routine business.
The convention adjourned at noon
to witness the parade this afternoon
70 approximately 10000 former SER
vice men and women, the feature Of
the three days convention.
Two Questions Bob Up Eearly.
One of the first important matters
to be presented before the convention
after the preliminaries was report
Of the credentials committee, which
was in session to decide two ques-
tions which, after protracted debate,
failed to end in q solution at a meet
Ing of the executive committee last
night.
These are: Shall each department
be allowed only its five delegates -at-
large and one additional delegate for
each 1000 paid-up members, or shall
it be allowed one additional delegate
for each 1000 paid-up members. or
major fraction thereof?
Shal the posts in foreign countries
be allowed votes in the convention?
Pending decision OF these two
questions. the voting strength at the
convention ranged between Loaf and
1.156.
Legislation For Soldiers.
How the case Of. the service
men, and particularly the disabled,
has been championed in Washington
during the past ten months was
shown by the report Of John Thomas
Taylor, chairman OF the American
Legion legislative committee.
In all 473 bills were presented to
the sixty-sixth congress that vitally
affected the veterans. High lightsiin
the legislative accomplishments of
the legion are:
The Sweet bill, increasing the al
lowance to disabled men from $50 to
$50 a month: the obtaining of $46,-
100000 for disqualification for the dis
ablef; increase in pay Of vocational
training students from $50 to 500 a
month; investigation Of the methods
Of the federal board for vocational
training leading to Improvement;
laws to expel and exclude aliens who
are anarchists.
Among the bills that have passed
in only the senate or house are the
Wasson bill, that improves the war
risk insurance act, and the adjusted
compensation bill.
For Law and Order.
The greatest single service Ameri-
can Legion members have rendered
their country is their ''virile stand
for the maintenance Of law and or
der" Franklin D'Olier, national COM
mander of the American Legion. told
the second annual convention of the
legion at its opening. session here to-
day.
I'VE quickly served notice in nc
uncertain terms upon those wild
radicals who would by force attempt
to injure those very Institutions we
had risked our lives to, protect,''
Commander D'Olier said. 1--WE stated
plainly we were ready for them and
could meet their force with far
greater force sufficient to stop them
instantly.
During these present days of un-
rest and readjustment, the American
Legion and the stand Of the ex- SER
vice man for law and order is the
greatest possible insurance policy oul
country could possibly have, and the
only insurance premium the ex-ser-
vice man expects in return is simply
fair play from that government with
which he played so fair"
Great Expansion of Legion.
How the American Legion has ex-
panded since the close Of the first
national convention last November
| from a loosely knit structure of 3,47s
posts in fifty departments to a world
wide organization of approximately
$500 functioning posts in all states
the District of Columbia, FIVE outly.
| ing American possessions and ter
| foreign countries, was set forth IL
the report Of Lemuel Bolles the ma.
tional adjutant, to the Legion's
second annual convention herestoday
Meantime pursuant to authority
granted at the first convention tn,
Woman's Auxiliary of the American
Legion to which mot'@ars. wives
daughters and sisters x-servic,
men are eligible, has bee. zanizet
on a temporary basis, he -. orted
Units chartered number 1850. Au
thority has been granted for tn,
holding of department conventions O
the auxiliary where one auxiliar!
unit has been chartered for ever.
two Legion posts in state. There |!
expectation that this convention will
make provision for the calling of ,
national convention of the auxiliar.
for the perfection of permanent or