Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-18
SEEKING HIGHEST
STATE LEGION POST
PhiIadeIphia Delegation Refuses
to lndorse Any One Before
Today's Election
VI. G. MURDOCH HEADS LIST

= 8pcci0t Dispatch to Euentn0g Pubhc Lcd0'r
\ ALLENTOWN, Pa. June 1S.-Sevcn
candidates have entered the lists for
\ Pennsylvania department commander
the highest state Office Of the American
{ Legion to be filled at the second state
csntonment, which convened this morn
ins,
William q. Murdock, Of Milton
Northumb berlsnd county, the present
state adjutant. heads the list. HIS
! name was presented to the conference
Of the Philadelphia delegates in the Y
M. G. A. last night. but the delegation
voted to hold itself free of pledges IN
favor of candidates. for any department
Office.
Two dictionaries were suggested at the
conference for the Office Of vice com o
rnAnder-David r. Simpson. of Walter
NJ. Gearty Post No. 315, and Thomas
Moore, of Frankford Post No: I'll.
There is n strong sentiment IN the
Philadelphia contingent in oehalt OF
Simpson.
Colonel David J. Davis. of scranton
chief of staff Of the Twenty elghtn
(Keystone) Division. has an organized
(, movement under way for department
commander, and Is strengthened by me
backing of the Chester countians. he
is nm influential figure in the National
Guard of Pennsylvania.
s Two Booms From Smoky City
From Pittsburgh come two booms-
one for Eric Fisher Wood. erstwhiler
national adjutant of the Legion, ana
Charles s. Shade, chairman OF ,,i Ihe
Allegheny county delegation. Inc
Wood candidacy will be weakened
through the fact that this asplraht M Ior
2 Legion honors recently organized tne
campaign Of General Leonard Wood IN
WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA for the Repub =
lican presidential nomination. as the
Legion itself SHES at factional party
Asher Miner, of Wilkes Barre :
Colonel Joseph Thompson. of Beaver
Falls: Lyell Spangle. Of Williamsport,
q state vicP commander, are all more
than receptive candidates.
There are more than 800 delegates
here today. The cantonment consists Oh
III delegates, IA of whom come from
Philadelphia. There are an equal mum D.,
her of alternates. post commanders ana
most adjutants in Allentown for the can =
tonment. -,
Officers for the state department will
be elected this afternoon. The Phlla e
delphians will meet in conference imme-
diately after the morning session.
The Philadelphia delegation got down
tn business last night and voted to
support in the cantonment an amend l.
mint to the state constitution calling
for the organization of vigorous county
committees in any county IN when
three fifths of the posts vote In tavol
of such committee. This proposal was
brought before the conference in th'
form of a report submitted by specia
coanmittee headed by Eugene Hene. OF
Post No. 1888.
~ Philadelphia Recommendations
The principal provisions OF tn
Amendment which will be supported oN
the Philadelphians are:
That membership in the proposed
county committee shall be mandatory
unon all points when three ffths of the
posts in the county vote TO have a
county committee.
That county committee shall be
organized sixty days after such ratiti =
cation by the requisite number of posts
insthe county.
That it's officers shall consist of a
chairman, such other officers as are ad =
visable and an executive committee.
That it shall approve or disapprove
all financial appeals made by posts to
the public.
THAT it shall pass upon all applica
hons for charters for new posts within
!, the county.
4 \ That no resolution of any post shall
. 4 binding upon any other post or on
the county committee unless ratified by
u the county committee.
4 That it may assess the membership
not to exceed twenty five cents per
member for the purpose Of maintaining
& the county organization.
That failure of a post to comply with
the mandate that it shall join the county
/ committee shal be ground for recon
mendation for its expulsion from th'
Legion.
Only One Post Expelled
Incidentally. National Commando,
Franklin D'Olicr, who attended thu
Philadelphia caucus. declared that dur
ing the life Of the American Legion only
one post-a Connecticut unit-had beer
expelled by the national committee.
"'It is the policy of the nationa
organization, he explained in reply Il
an inquiry from Thomas Moore Pos
No. 2i1. with reference to the dis
cipline of posts, to abide by the recon
mendation of the state department. -
The Henry II. Houston Post No. 3
through its delegates. Millard y
Brown. delegation leader. and Nevr
DIETRICH. sought to curtaH the power
of the county organization which wa
vested in it by the proposed cOnStitu
tional amendment. But this efFor
failed, and the committee report wa,
adopted by a good majority.
Just how much support the propose
can gather from other large counties i,
problematica. The Allegheny county
contingent is split but it is expected
TO back up a plan for "A county com
mittee, with proper safeguards
IAN issue in Philadelphia relative tt
post in the Overbrook section wa
injected into the conference Car
Sachs. the vice chairman of the count,
committee and chairman Of specia
committee to consider the claims of tn
Thirty fourth ward cx service men
recommended that the question be de
termined by the county organization
which would be established in accord
ance with the changed constitution
This group of petitioners for charte
IA headed by John V HOran