The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-11-01
Great Demonstration At
L e gic n Convention
When Grizzled Hero of
the World War Is Intro
duced By Pershing =
Nation Joins In We'll
come

come
Kansas City, Nov. 1.-Marshal Foch,
principal guest of honor for the day,
entered the Legion convention hall
from side entrance and went to his
box amid cheering just as the conven-
ton was called to order today He
! was proceeded by a guard of Ameri-
cans, holders of the congressional
medal of honor.
Kansas City. Nov John ]. Persh-
ing. commander of the American Ex-
| peditionary Forces. today extended on
| behalf of the American Legion and
! his own native state, Missouri, for
NAL welcome to Marshal Foch, of
France, commander in chief of the al
! lied armies.
81 cordially greet you," said Gen
! PerShing, in an address delivered be-
! fore the national convention of the
i Legion at which the French COM
mander was guest of honor, mot only
recalling the affectionate relationship
of other days, but also recognizing
the patriotic unit that has grown out
OF those associations and the com
mon purposes chat exist to uphold
more faithfully those things that lie
at the foundation of this great repub-
| lie of ours.
IN. le Marechal, the American Le-
gion is particularly honored by your
| presence here among us. We ex-
tend an equally cordial welcome to
that intrepid leader of Italys victor
| ious armies that crushed the military
autocracy of Italy, General Diaz and
to the representative of the brave
Belgian army. whose courage defed
the staggering blows of German mill
tarism, Gen Jacques. and the great
| captain who commanded the British
! naval forces whose victories on the
sea made the land victories possible,
| Admiral Beatty.
american people everywhere wait
TO do you honor. Personally. | am
extremely delighted to extend to you
| he greetings of the American armies
| hat crossed the sea to fight beside
YOU. | am also hOnored to speak for
my friends and neighbors here in Mis-
souri, and accord you a most sincere
welcome to this grand old state where
| was born and where lived in boy
hood
General Parshing then turned his
attention to the legion and praised its
campaigns for AmericaniSm and kim
lred ideals. He urged the Legion to
| continue its efforts to bring into be-
| ing a military force. representative
If the people which in any future
var will escape the results of unpre-
)aredness that you suffered. He urged
hat the Legion bend its efforts also
| oward obtaining all possible relief
| or incapactated veterans of the war.
| He predicted that great good would
! ome from the conference on dis
| armament in Washington and that an
agreement would be rea ached which
would lessen the chances of war
FOch's Address
The text Of Marshal Foch's address
before the American Legion conven-
ton follows:
Officers, commissioned Off
GERS and Soldiers of the Great Amer
lcan Army:
MY dear comrades of the Ameri
can Legion:
81 cannot tell you how great is my
satisfaction at finding myself amongst
you, yalient soldiers of 1918, to live
again our glorious memories Three
years ago, on the first of November,
! 1918, the entire American army in
France took up vigorously the pursuit
of the defeated enemy and did not
halt until the German surrender.
THE hour OF glory for the Ameri-
can army, proper elimination for
military effort prodigious alike in its
intensity as in its rapidity. One and
all you have had your share in it.
You may well be proud
I'm responding in mass to the call
to arms of your government, in equip
4 ping, training and organizing your
selves as rapidly as, possible you had
in view only the purpose to take your
place as soon as possible in the line
of battle.
Achievements of Army
I'm numbers: Eighteen months after
the declaration of war by the United
States on Germany the American
army had passed from electives OF
I9 500 officers and 125,000 men to 1SO,-
officers and 3,500,000 men.
Efforts of organizations: If in
the month of March, 1918, you had in
France but six divisions, six months
later you had Al, of which 81 en-
gagged in battle,
4 Efforts in instruction. In order to
have officers, non commissioned Of
DIfcers and men rapidly trained you
Cont inu<d Al NN3o 81
N M l,I X & .Rs 4 s