The Alaska daily empire., 1921-07-27
Two Hundred and Fifty For mer Service Men Are
 Going to France.
AMERICAN LEGION TO
 SEND BIG DELEGATION
Every State and Every Divi- sion Will Be Represented
 on the Trip.

members of the American Legion who will visit France in August ant at the invitation of Presl lent Millerand will represent every section of the United States and ali arms of the fighting forces in the war. Every state will have it's quota and ii possible every combat divl- sion will have representation, says an announcement by the Legion.
 A fixed quota. based on Legion has been allotted to each state Not all who have asked to be included can go but it is the purpose of Franklin D'Olier, the for lner national commander of the Le- zion. who is in charge of the pil- grimage to make the party "a cross section of our former fighting forces" Selection of the members is in the hands of the state organ izations of the Legion.
 Visit Battiefieids
 Details of the tour in France, which have just been made public show that the Americans will visit again the principal American battle fields. attend various dedicatory and will be entertained at numerous receptions.
 The party will sail aboard the steamer George Washington on Au- gust 3 and will return about the middle of September. The principal events of the visit will be the dedi' cation at Flrey of monument to the American army. which is the gift of the French municipality and the people of Lorraine; and the laying ol the cornerstone of the new bridge "Pont Roosevelt over the Marne al Chateau Thierry. d
 Ceremonies at FIirey
 President Milleran6, Premier Bri- and and the marshals of France. are to be present at the cere monies at Flirey Flirey is familiar ground to the A. k. F. It is situat- ed in the old Foul sector, which the American troops took over in 1917. The village itself is only 2,000 yard:; from the old front line of the sector which was held at one stime or an other by 17 American divisions.
 Another reception of note to the Americans will be by the little town of St. Die in the old Duneville sec tor, also long held by Americans. St, Dies claim to special attention in light of the Legion visit rests on the fact that in St Die stands the house in which the coatinent of Am erica received it's name. It is the one-time abode of Waldsee Muller the Alsatian monk, when he wrote the letter suggesting that the new world take the name of the Italian Amerigo Vespucci.
 Foch Be "At Home"
 Marshal Foch will be "at home to the visiting LegiOnnaires. He will receive them in the house in which he was born in the town of Taubes in. the Pyrenees mountains.
 There will be receptions to the pilgrims at Paris, Bordeaux, Toul ouse. Lyon, Metz and Strasbourg. Al Verdun the party will sleep in the citadel.
 At Rheims the veterans will attend the presentation of the 5000, 900 franc gift of the Carnegie founda ton to the city library there. At Blois. St. Jeanne D'Arc will be hon ored. The Legionnaires will witness the dedication of a statue to the French heroine which is the gift of the Joan. of Arc committee of New York.
 Under the terms by which the Le- zion accepted the hospitality of the French government. the expenses of the expedition will be borne by the delegates themselves or by the Le- zion organization.
 Tribute to France
 MT. D'Olier says that the proposal for the visit has been received with such enthusiasm by the American veterans as to constitute a striking and spontaneous tribute to France as a former ally.
 "The American veterans feel that the forthcoming expedition marks the entrance of the Legion on the stage of international affairs and that it will tend to knit more close ly a mutual understanding among veterans. not only of France and the United States. but of all Allied coun- tries" he said It shows that in the hearts of Americans who wore lIle uniform there surely dwells an affection for France and the poilu. It is noteworthy that many come from men who did not see foreign service daring the war" ha