The New York herald., 1921-09-27
The American Legion Tour.
Colonel Simmons Tells Of Dissatis-
faction With Commander Emery.

To THE New York HERALD: Referring
to letter from III. r. Maher about the
American Legion's tour: There were,
believe. nine delegates from New York
State on the so-called official French
tour Of the American Legion, and Mr..
Maher was not the only buck private.
spoken as ! in denouncing the un-Legion
attitude of Commander Emery toward
very large percentage Of those who
accompanied him on the trip. However,
excepting Mr.. Maher ! do not know
the attitude Of the other four because
/ have not talked with them since my
return.
But the revolt, for such II actually
was. was by no means confined to the
New York State delegates. 1t was quite
general. One hundred and FIVE of the
delegates returned together on the Leo
poldina. In an interview given out at
Indianapolis on September 81 by Mr..
Emery and printed in the Washington
Herald on the day following the Ma
tional Commander admits that seventy
eight members were not satisfied" That
at least a majority of those on the
Leopoldina were far from satisfied with
the treatment they had received should
have been evident to Mr.. Maher from
the fact that the members by q prop
erly recorded vote at a regularly called
and organized meeting on the steamer
voted against permitting Mr.. Emery to
preside; while on top OF that majority
there must have been some Twenty-Five
or more who refrained from voting.
As to my own movements, Mr.. Maher
seems to be just about as well informed
about them as he is about the feeling
among the delegates. The official tour
as originally designated consisted OF
ten days trip from Paris back to
Paris. via Blois, Bordeaux. Pau. Tou-
louise. Lyons. Strasbourg. Metz and
Rheims. with certain other stops en
route. This was later modified to in
clude a second trip from Paris to Brus-
sells and Ostend. Belgium. with the al
tentative of a trip from Ostend to Lon
don. the entire party to meet at Havre
for embarkation to New York. While
It is true that I did not leave Paris
with the rest OF the party on the morn
Ing OF August 13. Joined them al
Strasbourg on August IS. intending tc
carry on back to Paris. That ] did not
do so Is chargeable to the refusal OF
Commander Emery's manager to permit
my wife and daughter to ride with me
as far as Metz. less than three hours
distant from Strasbourg.
In view of what / afterward learned
of an outburst against the headquarters
staff among the delegates at Lyons and
still later about the utter lack Of con-
sideration for most of the women who
were left to fight their own battles af-
ter the official tour left Paris on August
13 was not surprised at what had
happened to me at Strasbourg. BY the
time I got my family back to Paris
however, II was too late TO complete the
last leg OF that journey but I did go to
Brussels and Ostcnd and back to Paris
on the same special train to which Mr.
Maher refers.
Yes. the train was quite all right
especially the car bearing the sigr
III. @. Co." Headquarters Company
but the unfortunate part was that that
particular car was looked upon much
as the Chang Phenak or albino elephant
Is regarded by the Siamese.
EDWARD A. SIMMONS.
NEW YoRK, September &c.