The Donaldsonville chief., 1922-10-21
THE LEGION CONVENTION.
Thousands of Ex-Service Men Roy ally
Entertained in New Orleans.

The American Legion held their
fonrth annual convention in New Or
.ans beginning last Monday and end
me- today, with many thousands Il
cx-service men, from every state ana
territorial possession Of The Cn11eu
States in attendance. A check kept
bv the railroads entering the CIes7
cent City, indicated that over 3esoVo
persons had come to the metropolis
Of the South for the big event.
New Orleans was in festive attire
and gaily bedecked with flags and
bunting as she extended the hand
of greeting to her patriotic guests.
The ex-sodliers were given near
ty welcome by the hospltable people
of New Orleans, who virtually turned
the city over to them and did every
thing in their power to make the ne
roes of the World War feel at nome:
An elaborate program OF amusement
and entertainment was prepared Tor
the men, and they were kept ION the
go" every hour from morning until
late at night, during every day OF
| the convention. Before and after
the business sessions the visitors
were kept continually on the move
taking part in the many features
of entertainment which had been ar
| ranged for their benefit and they
seemed to enjoy it all.
The convention proper was held
in one of the immense sheds Of the
Dock oBard, on the river front, which
was specially fitted up for the occa-
sion.
Among the most important busi-
ness transacted by the convention
was the adoption of a resolution by
| removal by President Harding of
Brigadier General Sawyer as chief
coordination of the federal hospital
ization board. Another resolution,
| favoring drastic universal service
4ftaw, and another, instructing the Of
| ficers of the organization to continue
the fight for an adjusted compensa-
tion bill until it it enacted into law
The convention placed itself on rec
ord as favoring the bonus and as
being opposed to the pension system
as suggested by President Harding as
a substitute for the bonus.
At the closing session yesterday
Alvin OWsley of Denton, Texas, was
elected national commander of the
Legion and Rev. Father VIM. D.
O'Connor of Cincinnati, national
chaplain, Lemuel Bolles was reap
pointed national adjutant, and he an
nounced thte retention Of Russell G..
Creviston of Marion, Ind, as his as
sistant. Judge Robert A. Adams was
reappointed judge advocate; Robert
H. Tyndall, national treasurer and
Eben Putnam national historian.
| San Francisco was selected as the
vention, from October Is to 10, 1923
i Among the notables in attendance
at the convention were, Samuel
Gompers, head of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor and K. M Lands
; head of the baseball farternity Both
delivered addresses before the meet
ing. Mr.. Gompers advocated the
establishment of an understanding
| between the Legion and organized
labor, whose interests he said were
practically identical.
| Gen. John J. Pershing, who com
manded the American army in Eu-
rope, arrived in the Crescent City
Thursday and was given a tremen-
| dous ovation by the people and the
visiting legionnaires. He delivered
a strong patriotic address before the
convention Thursday.
On Wednesday there was a mon
ster parade said to be one of the big
gest ever witnessed in New Orleans.
There were over 10000 men in the
line of march and music was fur
nlshed by over 100 brass bands, and
the marching heroes were cheered
to the echo by the multitudes of peo-
pie who assembled all along the route
of the parade.
| The U. S. cruiser Birmingham, six
torpedo boat destroyers and three
naval seaplanes comprised the naval
contingent at the convention. The
cruiser and the. seaplanes are the
same that visited Donaldsonville dur
ing the fair last week.
The eX-service men from this citv
who attended the convention are DR..
DIT. Martin, DIR. Chas. Dugas. Rich
ard Stakelum, Gordon Gisclard, HUI
bert Richard, Rocco Savoia and Saliva
tore Mistretta. Drs. Martin and Du-
gas made the trip to New Orleans last
| Monday in one of the seaplanes which
| were here for the fair and covered
| the distance in fifty minutes. The
Donaldsonville legionnaires report
tnat the convention was big affair,
that they were royalty treated by the
people OF the Crescent City and that
they had the time of their lives.