The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-12
HARRY AYERS HEADS
 ALABAMA DIVISION. AMERICAN LEGION.
Convention Adopts Resolu- tions lndorsing Admiral Sims Recent Utterances
 in Speech in London


 in Speech in London
 Florence, June 11.-(Special. )---At the final and business session of the American Legion convention in the Elks home here today Harry M Ayers, editor of the Anniston Star. was unanimously elected depart mental commander of the Alabama division of the American Legion Montgomery was selected as the meeting place of the department in 1922 without dispute. Other offi~ cers elected were as follows:
 Vice commander J. Fred Johnson of Florence; historian, Thomas owen of Montgomery; chaplain, E. B. Col Her; national committeeman, Frank Nixon of Birmingham alternate com mitteeman, Harwell Davis of Mont gomery. The following members were elected on the executive com mittee: Bill James of Cullman, Mar ion Rushton of Montgomery, James Sibert of Gadsden, Horace Wilkin- son of Birmingham, Chambers of Troy, Arthur Greenwood of Blr- mingham, Woolsey Finell of Tus. caloosa, Williams of Montgomery, A. B. Camper of Florence, and W. E. Mickle of Mobile.
 Due to the vacancy in the pres idency of the national organization, caused by the death of the late r. to urge E. J. Winsletl of Dadeville for that office. He is at present national vice commander.
 Miss Chambers Speaks
 Miss Chambers of the national Rel Cross headquarters made the only formal talk outside tile legion busi- ness session. She reported that there were 3,700 Red Cross head quarters established in America at present for the relief of ex-army service men and that 14,000 claims had been made. She stated that the main purpose in appearing before the departmental convention was to urge that all local posts assist in keeping alive and useful the Red Cross work.
 Reports of various committees took up the greater part of the busi- ness session. The committee on res olutions was the first and most ex- citing part of the business. Among the resolutions unanimously passed were the following:
 Thanks to the citizens, clubs aad all factors of Florence for a sue cessful and highly enjoyable annual convention and for the hospitality shown the delegates; resolutions sent to the President of the United States and other officials urging the completion of the Wilson dam and Muscle Shoals project; asking the governor of Alabama to recom- mend that the legislature in next session readopt the amendment for exemption of eX-service men from paying poll tax with the addition that 1t should be for all poll taxes which sum could not exceed S36 for each man urging the bureau of war risk insurance to extend the time for reinstatement until January l. 1923; calling on Congress to ge. Grover Cleveland Bergdoll from Ger many, and to sign no treaty of peace until this act was accomplished . condemning the recent speech Of Harvey as a vile and vicious state ment A minority resolution was unanimously adopted that the United States soverpment secure the release of Captain Fitzpatrick from jail in Russia.
 A vote of thanks to Matt Murphy, Evins. Rushton and Crenshaw for efforts in making brief in the poll tax case was adopted.
 Want Stacker List Published
 Heated speeches were made urg ing that the press give fullest pub licity to the government stacker list. A resolution was passed to this ef- feet asking that the papers print the list and that it be made law that it be published by the probate judges of Alabama.
 Arguments heated up the conven tion when such notables as Attorney General Harwell Davis General Steiner Frank Dixon. Horace Wtl- kinson, Monty ullman and others de- bated the following proposed resola- tion:
 Be it resolved by the American Legion, department of Alabama, in state convention assembled, That we approve and indorse the recent speech of AdmiralfW. s. Sims at luncheon in London on last Tuescay in which the Sim Fein element m the United States were denouncedi { that we congratulate this distin- euished American officer on his cour- ageous exposition of Americanisn,, aggregation of misled, misinformed, ungrateful malcontents
 Be it further resolved. That we protest against any disciplinary measures being taken against, Acs miral sims on account of said speech and that the department adjutant be and is hereby instructed to send q copy of this resolution to the Prest- dent of the United States, the Secre- tary of the Navy. and to Admiral w. $. sims"
 some Opposition
 Some of those present seemed to oppose the resolution. The opposi- tion in the main was not to the spirit of the resolution in commend- ing Americanism but 10 the fact that it would be misinterpreted by the Irish element of the American cstf-