The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-08-31
AMERICAN LEGION
CONVENTION
I Continued from first page }

some facts that have been hidden Il
the bushes of censorship, since nh
early days of is. He was up in tn
front with the Goth Division. He cam
to tell the audience of ex-soldiers, ant
their families and friends, how tn
boys of the I'd division acted unde
fire and Sire water" And he did.
The basis of his talk was chiefly o.
the feats and conditions of the New
England division, Of General Clarence
lR. Edwards, the father of the Goth, {
man he has come in contact with
through his vocation, for 90 years. He
told of the unfitness of many of tbs
boys to 20 into trench warfare, of the
privations suffered by them. Gen. Ed
wards declared Mr.. Sibley, insisted
on the rights of the doughboy, and
that is where he got himself in trouble
with the higher army officials
Those lads under General Edwards
went on from July Is to August 4
in 1915 until their horses dropped dead
till the eyes of the lads bulged out
till their cheeks cayed in, and per.
formed feat that / have never seen
and which you could hardly believe
"They never told you about those
things, but they did them" he de-
clared.
The censorship Oft. S. mail during
the war was a joke, and to impress
this fact upon the minds of his audi.
ence he related one or two expert
ences he had with the department.
Mr. Sbley said of the dissatisfied
ex service men: They feel their
Uncle Sam didn't give them a square
deal, and they want it. 1t is dan.
gerous thing TO have existing, such
spirit as this, and if possible we should
remedy it,"
He laid stress upon the fact that
the government is having great diff
Guilty in securing recruits for the army
and navy, simply because most of the
young men who return from the
service were dissatisfied with eondi.
tions there, and they've told all the
others. To strengthen the military
power of his country in the easiest pos
sible manner Mr.. Sibley believes that
person to become an American citi.
zen should be more than born in this
country. He must earn his or her citi-
zenship by public acts of accomplish
ment. This, Mr.. Sibley suggested,
should be brought about by adding
another amendment to the eonstitu
tion of the United States.
In closing he paid deserved tribute
TO the general of the 26tlI which
gained hearty ovation from his audi
enee Mr.. Sibley had told how Gen.
Edwards during the presidency of Viii
liam II. Taft had been promoted over
the heads of a number of army Off
GERS because of his ability and ambi
ion. and assured the people that the
failure of the government to decorate
him was not an oversight but the work
of these longtime enemies. From
Barre Mr. Sibley was going to Bos
ton to attend tonight the farewell
reception to the general, ordered to
take command OF brigade in New
Jersey and break affiliations with the
department in Msssachu
sets. Wishing TO relate to the gen
eral the warmth and favor manifested
in Barre BY the membss Of the legion |
as well as the rest Of the audience, |
Commander Thomas asked those who |
wished him TO do So 10 stand up; and /,
not one in the house remained seated. |
Pleased at this manifestation Mr.. |
Sibley recalled phrase in the gen.
erals letter, in which he hoped TO be
able To address Barre people under |
pleasanter conditions than at present,
and to this Mr.. Sibley added, Per
haps March 4th would do. il isn't so
far away
Commander John NJ Thomas Of the
state organization and president Of
college, opened the con
yention by introducing Chaplain
-haunoey Adams OF DANNY, who gave
PRAYER. Mayor Frank Y. Langley in
behalf Of the city Of Bsrrs. welcomed
he legion. The welcome vas brief
lut cordial
Before Mr.. Sibley vas introduced
he committee on resolutions 10 serve
Turing the convention vas appointed
Is follows: Chairman Nortoa Of Mont
,elier. +. W. Gibson Of Brattleboro.
liajor X. Nelson Jscsson Of Burling-
on. Charles =. No,ak Of Rutland,
seorre DeMcren Of Barre. Robert stew
n Of Bennington and Dr > 2. Tiernsy
4 ST. Johnsbury.
Later in the evening four men we're
hosen 10 form q finance committee O.
rork with The state hnsnes oaics