The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1920-10-01
EG|ON SESSION
CHEERS FRANCE
lame of Ally in War Brings Great
OutburSt.
LAW AND ORDER is KEYNOTE
Commander D'OIier Reviews Work
Accomplished in Year at Annual
Meet i'm Cleveland Notice
Served on Wild Radicals.

Cleveland, o., Sept. 28.-The great
est single service American Legion
members have rendered their country
is their "virile stand for the main
tenance of law and ORDER" Franklin
D'Olier, national commander Of the
American Legion, told the second an
nual convention of the Legion at its
opening session here.
"We quickly served notice In no un-
certain terms upon those wild radicals
who would by force attempt % injure
those very institutions we had risked
our lives to protect" Commander
D'Olier said.
'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 or un-
rest and readjustment, the American
Legion and the stand of the ex-service
man for law and order Is the greatest
possible insurance policy our coun-
try could possibly have, and the only
insurance premium the ex-service man
expects in return is simply fair play
from that government with which he
has played so fair"
More than 1000 delegates we're In
their seats in the Hippodrome theater
when Commander D'OIier called to or
der the convention which borders in i'm
pOrtance 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.
Ovation to France.
Commander D'Olier presented Rev.
Francis ]. Kelley of Troy, N. Y, "the
fighting chaplain" who delivered the
invocation. Following the national
chaplain, Mayor William r. Fitzgerald
welcomed the visitors and delegates
in behalf of the city.
An ovation to France was the fea-
ture of the opening session Of the con-
ventiOn.
l. r. McQuigg, department COM
mander of Ohia, started the demon
stratiOn when, in his reply to the adj
dress of welcome by Mayor w. S.
Fitzgerald he referred to France as
one of the great friends of the Amer
can Legion. The cheering began and
calls were made for Francis e. Drake,
commander of American Legion post
No. 1, Paris. When he appeared the
entire assembly stood and rendered
applause.
Reviews First Years Work.
Commander D'Oier in his address
said in part:
To-day we are assembled together
in our second national convention,
where you are to receive reports as to
the results accomplished by the ma
tiOnal organization during this first
year of our existence, and based upon
these results, to determine the pol
icies of the Legion during the coming
year and to elect national officers to
administer your organization and to
put into effect your decisions.
Throughout the length and breadth
of this land the name American Legion
stands for the highest ideals and most
wonderful spirit of unselfish service
shown by every man and woman in
the army, navy and marine corps dur
ing the world war.
"The rapid growth of the Legion
has been phenomenal.
Upholds Law and Order.
1.-THE greatest single service we
have rendered our country was the
yirile stand for the maintenance Of
law and order.
"The first official act of this admin
istration, after the close of the con-
ventiOn, was to call conference in
Washington to consider the deplorable
condition of the disabled men. AL
though the war has been over more
than a year, government compensation
to disabled men was SO inadequate
that many men were objects of private
charity.
Sat this conference practically
every state in the Union was repre-
sented and work begun one Monday
morning ended in actual legislation
passing both the senate and the house
before the end of the same week.
"As result of this legislation there
ia now being distributed to disabled
men $1OO,OOO,OO0 more each year. And
the reason this legislation was passed
was because the American Legion put
its requests before them so plainly
and so forcibly that congress knew
that our requests were Just and had
the backing not only of ex-service men
but the public as Well"