The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-03-24
BANQUET AND BALL
AT LEGION MEETING
(EY WM. A. EIIISl


of the fourth annual convention of the
American Legion would be complete
! without an account of the supmtueus
banquet held in the garden grill Of the
Royal Poinciana hotel. Promptly at
+ 1880 the guests of honor. followed by
| the invited guests, filed into what is
probably the most famous breakfast
garden in all America, if not in all the
world.
! The long colonnade was lined on
both sides with magnificent palms and
tropical plants, which together with
the soft green plush Of the carpet
I gave one more the impression of a
walk through q softly lighted park
than passage-way to a dining room.
| In an alcoye almost hidden by palms
! just outside the entrance TO the grill
was an orchestra-the well-known
Broadway Jones negro orchestra
which furnished music throughout the
evening. One of the songs which
proved very popular was iowa" sung
by the entire assembIage in honor of
the national commander. whose home
, state is Iowa,
Everybody Sang.
All during the meal everybody Joined
y in singing the songs that weN SO pop
lllar during the war and one song that
brought a cheer from everyone was
the old favorite, 'All We Have to Do
Is to Sign the Payroll and We Never
Get a Col Darn Cent" All the dis
tinguished guests We're presented and
spoke with the highest optimism and
enthusiasm of the future of the legion.
/ In speaking of the banquet the Palm
Beach Post said of Vice-Commander
! BeTry's speech:
George l.. Berry, national vice
commander, spoke with the power of
a man inspired and his words were
greeted with the wild shouts of the
men and women heartily in accord
with the statements made as to the
intention of the American Legion to
have the readjustment of the com
pensation bill He reviewed the ideals
of the legion and said. We have no
secrets. We have only one ism and
that is Americanism. We expect the
statesmen to give us q square deal!"
AS soon as the applause died so that
he could speak Commander Lowry
said: Now all you backwoods crack
ers, if you can't go home and instill
some Of this pep into your local post
and make the coming year a record
one, you had better join sewing cir
| cle!"
Gratitude of France.
Henri Dubrey expressed feelingly
! the gratitude which France feels to-
ward America and was frank to say
that all France recognized the fact
that to America alone France owed
her national life. Mr.. Dubrey is
famous soldier who has won all the
decorations the allied countries have
to offer and the son OF another equal
~ distinguished soldier, but tears
came to his eyes as he thanked the
national commander beside whom he
fought in the dark days OF II. He
said the American soldier OF all the
allied soldiers was the bravest, in fact
too brave for his own safety. He
pledged again and again the support
OF France if America should ever need
her.
Cocoanut Grove Ball.
After the banquet came the grand
legion bali in "Cocoanut Grove"
Strung between the giant cocoanut
trees were long ropes of rose colored
lights that gave to the pavilion a fam
tastic, almost fsiry-like appearance.
Stands OF the same colored lights
looked as If great luminous flowers
had sprung from among the palms at
the touch of some magic hand.
Dreamy music by Armelina's hotel or
chestra added to the spell woven
Ia
whole party had been transported to
some far-away tropical world Until
far into the night the dancers con-
tinued and when the last bars OF the
music drifted out over Lake Worth,
none was there who could say that
the bali had not been a complete and