The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-09-27
1000 LEGION
DELEGATES
HEAR GAvEl
Floor of Theatre Resembles
Big Political Convention as
Comm ander Franklin
D'Olier Raps for Order.
PARADE IN AFTERNOON
(By Associated Press)

(By Associated Press)
CLEVELAND. O., Sept. 27.-More
than 1000 delegates were in their
seats in the hippodrome theater this
morning when Franklin D'Olier. ma
tional commander. called to order the
second annual convention of the Am
erican Legion. bordering in import
ance the national sessions of the big
political parties.
The floor of the theater resembled
one Of the big political conventions.
state standards and pennants desig-
mating seats allotted to the various
delegations.
Commander DOlier presented Rev.
Francis ]. Kelley. of Troy. n. Y. the
lighting chaplain" who delivered the
invocation. Following the national
chaplain, Mayor William S. Fitzgerald
welcomed the visitors and delegates
in behalf of the city. Then. in order,
came tho report Of the national COM
mander, the report Of the executive
committee on the convention program,
naming Of convention committees. an
nouncement of the time and place of
the meeting Of these committees. and
the reports of the national adjutant
and the national treasurer
Parade In Afternoon
The convention prepared to adjourn
at noon to witness the parade this
afternoon of approximately 10000 for
mer service men and women, the fea-
ture of the three days convention.
One of the first important matters
to be presented before the convention
after the preliminaries was a report
Of the credentials committee. The
committee was in session early today
to decide two questions, which. after
protracted debate. failed to end in a
solution at a meeting Of the executive
committee last night.
Many Problems.
These are: Shall each department
be allowed only it's five delegates at
large and one additional delegate for
each even 1000 paid up members. or
shall it be allowed one additional dele
gate for each 1000 paid up members
or major fraction thereof?
Shall the posts in foreign countries
be allowed votes in the convention
The credentials committee COM
prises one member from each recog-
nized department represented at the
convention. including all states, the
District Of Columbia, Alaska and
Hawaii
Whether an additional delegate
would be seated by states having a
major fraction of 1000 paid up mem
bers affected 90 votes The question
of the seating of delegates or their
proxies from foreign countries or out
lying territorial possessions Of the
United States involved Sc votes.
Voting Strength Large.
Pending decision of these two ques.
tions the voting strength at the con,
vention ranged between LOAF and
1.156. Legion organizations in Mexico
Panama. Philippine Islands. Porto Ri
co, Argentina, Belgium, British Islands
Canada. Chile, China, Cuba, France.
Guatemala. Japan, Poland Samoa and
Santo Domingo were involved.
The executive committee decided
last night that representation in the
convention should be on the basis of
paid up national dues August 2S. last,
which on that date. totaled S1S,6S0.
There was strong objection to this rui-
ing by many states particularly New
Jersey, where 1t was said the men,
bership had been increased by elev-
enth hour effects from $4,000 to So,
600. National dues for moro than ],
100000 men have been received now.
it Is said. r. G. Creviston director OF
cdIloA lol lilS lSSlOll, Sdlu IllGC
more htan 100000 men have joined
the legion.
1t is regarded as certain that pay
ed in tie convention
Championed at Capital.
How the case of the ex-service men
and particularly the disabled has been
championed in Washington during the
he eh1 b,-
port of Thomas Taylor, chairman of
the national legislative committee.
In all ATS different bills were pre-
- sented to the 60th congress that vitality
affected the veterans. The legislative
committees duty was to see that
action was taken on them.
Among the bills that have been
passed in only the senate or the house
are the Wasson bill that would I'M
prove the war risk insurance act, and
the adjusted compensation bill
Legislation Pending.
Other legislation that is pending
covers such subjects as hospitaliza
ton, aviation. land settlement, Off
GERS retirement, sedition, aliens, i'm
migration Americanism. civil service
slackers and war risk insurance An
instance of what the legislative com
mittee accomplished is furnished by
the case of the provision made fol
the wars disab bled. The siXty-fiftl
congress appropriated approximately
S150,000,000 for the disabled. Since
the establishment of the Legislative
committee in Washington. the 66tf
congress. appropriated s35S,545, 900.
Reduction of war risk insurance pre-
miums. an issue to be brought before
the convention, will be opposed by
members of the war risk bureau The
opposition of the bureau will be
based on what members feel to be the
unsound business policy involved
The convention will close Wednes
uay with the election of officers, an6
adoption of ritual for initiation into
the legion. The most prominen,
names mentioned in connection with
the nomination for national COM
J mander are F. w. Galbraith of Gin
cinnati; Milton J. Foreman of Hi
nois: Emmett O'Neil of Kentucky
and Hanford MacNider of Iowa.
The greatest single service Ameri
(CoDfipOed f,a Pe 90 T.yelye)