Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-11-10
GOOD Time AT
KANSAS CITY.
TWO LOCAL MEN ATTEND
AMERICAN LEGION
CONVENTION

convention of the American Legion at
Kansas City last week. They were
George Silbernagel, Jr., and Victor
Pettric, both members of the Talbot
Montgomery post in this city. More
distinguished men appeared at Kan
sas City that it can ever be hoped to
entertain again and both men feel
that their time there was well spent.
Kansas City was entirely turned
over to ex-service ben," Mr.. Silber-
nagel told The Pilot on his return.
st was a mass of human beings NOV
ing in all directions and filing the
streets at all times. In endeavoring
to reach my hotel, the taxi driver had
to leave me three blocks from it and
the rest of the way had to be fought
through "a mob. On one corner |
happened to see a large group of Of.
ficers and doughboys playing ring
around the rosy with traffic cop.
There were occurrences such as this
in every part of the city.
Finds Indians
Every available accommodation at
the hotels, private homes and apart
ment houses, was taken up. | felt ex-
tremely fortunate to obtain a comfort
able room at one of the best hotels.
It's corridors and lobby were filled
with men who slept on the floor. One
morning on opening my bedroom
door, found three Oklahoma Indians
parked outside, their shirts and col
lars hung On my door knob.
81 do not believe there will ever
be another convention of this sort at
oh, atr,s Of
will be present. 1t was possible for
me to obtain a seat in the great hall,
accommodating 100000 by reaching
there at 800 a. m. and waiting until
900 for addresses and the program.
Marshal Foch could speak no English
and as his address proceeded in
French it was rather amusing to
watch the great audience. Everytime
he paused for a second, the assem-
blage would break out in a roar of
applause, everyone thinking it the
proper time to applaud"
The news letter of the American
Lyon which The Pilot received short
ly before/going to press, gives an ex-
cellent summary of the convention
and we print it in full.
Leader Is Young
Thirty-two years old and the leader
of million fighting Americans. That's
the record of Hanford MacNider, of
Mason City, Iowa, the new national
commander of the American Legion
elected yesterday at the Legion's an
nual convention.
MacNider was elected by acclama-
ton. Following his election he was
carried to the platform by the Iowa
delegation. He said:
'.You know that the strength of the
legion is in the men you represent
in your posts at home, not in the ma
tional headquarters. There is where
the legion is and there is where we
shall try to reach. We must build
this legion of ours so big, so fine, so
strong, keep it so clean and straight
and American that when we ask for
things for the eX-Seryice man, for the
disabled man and for those who are
financially disabled, our communities
will say: If the legion is for it we are
for it. For that service and with a
pledge to you of every economy and
all measures possible for constructive
progress, | stand at your command
The vice commanders elected were
H. Nelson Jackson, Burlington, VT;
1J6OTS6 La Duty, VI lcnHSSScc, nay :
mond o. Bracket of Massachusetts;
John A. Mccormick, Colorado; Charles
NJ Kendrick, California. Rev. E. A.
Blackman, of Kansas, was elected ma
tional chaplain. Mrs. Lowell Hobart,
dent of the Women's Auxiliary of the
Legion.
New Orleans Next
New Orleans, La, was selected as
the next meeting place. That city has
pledged 100000 for entertaining the
Legionnaires there during the 1922
meeting next autumn.
The presence of the distinguished
military mmanderS-Foch, Jacques,
Diaz, Betty and ershing-brought the
gaze of the world on the Legion's
great meeting. Their addresses in the
convention started the Legionnaires'
enthusiasm on a rapid ascent.
AT the opening session the Legion
men honored their late commander,
Fred w. Galbraith, Jr., with memori-
al service John G. Emery, the retir-
ing commander, set off a roar of ap-
plause when he declared that the peo-
pie of the United States demanded AN
adjustment of the economic balance
and the man who did not.
The Legion's growth financially and
numerically was shown by the annual
report read to the convention by Ma
tional Adjutant Bolles. 1t was report
ed that 1850 new posts had been add
ed during the year. Mr.. Bolles out
lined the Legion's campaign to assist
unemployed ex-service men.
Major General lie Jeune, command
er of the Marine corps; General Rob-
ert Mcbride, vice commander of the
G. A. r.. and George l.. Berry, official
representative of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor, were speakers on the
opening day.
Dazzling Spectacle
The reception for Foch when $4,000
men in navy blue and olive drab, sill
houetted by red fire. stood on the
steps of Kansas City's new $4,000, 900
war memorial in Union Station plaza