The Washington herald., 1921-11-03
MADE
CHIEF OF LEGION;
HONOR FOREMAN
Veterans Unanimously
Elect Iowa Banker Ma
tiOnal Commander.
Especial to The Washington Herald.)


KANSAS CITY, Mo-. Nov. a.
Hanford MacNider. lieutenant colo
mel of the Ninth Infantry in the
world war and a banker of Mason
City. Iowa, today was unanimously
elected national commander of the
American Legion. an office for
which he had twice previously been
defeated.
After his election the title of
past national commander, together
with all the privileges that go
with that Office. was conferred by
unanimous vote of the convention
upon Col. Milton J. Foreman, now
major general of the Illinois Ma
tional Guard and . former State
legion commander. Almost until
the hour of voting Col. Foreman
was looked upon as one of the
most formidable candidates for the
office of national commander.
The following rational vice COM
manders, representing the army.
were elected: Nelson jackson. of
Burlington, -yt: George L. Berry,
of Nashville. Tenn. and Charles s.
Kendrick, of San. Francisco. Ray
mond o. Brackett, Of Marblehead.
Mass, and John A. Mccormick. of
Las Animas. Colo, were elected
national vice commanders repre-
senting the navy.
The Rev. Earl Blackman, of Cha
nette. Kans.. a minister of the
Methodist Episcopal Church and
known as the Kansas fighting
parson." was elected national chap
lain. He is known as an expert
pugilist and gained his reputation
when as chaplain with the Thirty
fifth Division during the war he
offered to lick any man of his own
weight-1s0 pounds-in the outfit.
The election of MacNider came as
a surprise to all save the members
of the State delegations which at
early morning caucuses had swung
their support to him. He had come
to the convention with the firm an
nouncement that he did not intend
to become the Bryan of the le-
gion." and refused to permit his
name to be placed in nomination
unless he was assured of victorious
support.
This assurance came early in the
morning when a number of Eastern
delegates, including the large votes
of New York and Pennsylvania as
well as some Southern States.
pledged him their support at the
end of all night caucuses. There
was a great deal Of opposition to
Foreman's candidacy in the Eastern
delegations and this is said to have
been further strengthened by the
fact that as chairman of the Foch
reception committee in Chicago he
had named Mayor Thompson on
that committee.
The new commanders speech of
acceptance and thanks was brief.
The strength of the legion Is in
the men you represent and not in
the department and national head
he said. I'VE are going
to make this legion so big and
straight and clean in dealing with
the problems OF Americanism and
In caring for our disabled com
rades that the folks at home wilt
say. IF the legion is for 1t, we are
for IT."
Comdr. MacNider Is a Harvard
graduate and served as lieutenant
with the Second Iowa Infantry on
border service. At the outbreak of
the war he entered the oficers
training camp at Fort Smelling and
was commissioned a second lieu
tenant August Is, 1917. He ar
rived In France in, September. 1917.
as an officer of the Ninth Infantry.
Second Division. and was promoted
until he attained the
rank Of lieutenant colonel. He was
IN command Of his regiment during
part Of the time II tok part in the
Aisne. Aisne-Marne. the Mihiel and
offensives. He was
wounded ut st. Mihiel.