Evening star., 1922-09-29
JUDGE J. v. W|LLETT.
NEW c. A. R. Chief.
President Harding's Father
Choice of Veterans for
Surgeon General.
COMMANDER EX-SAILOR
0roo Cooe nnor, T:,r,~
COMMANDER EX-SAILOR
Organization Sees Doom as Time
Thins Ranks-Brothers Meet
After Fifty-Three Years.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
!: DIES MOINE.S Iowa, September 29.-
Installation Of officers elected yester-
day, and the adoption of resolutions. was
all that remained for veterans OF the
Grand Army of the Republic to do today
before .adjournins their fifty-sixth an
nual encampment
The resolutions committee worked
until late last night going through the
many resolutions offered and expected
to have it's digest prepared when the
delegates convened.
The election of Judge J. w. Wilett Of
Tama. Iowa, as commander-in-chlef Cf
the Grand Army broke precedent of
fiity-siX years standing. He is the first
veteran who served as sailor during
the civil war to be chosen lOr this eX-
allied position.
IF we gobs will only be patient. we
will come into our own yet CONNIE nted
a civil war sailor. who served with Ad-
miral Farragut, following Commander
Willett's election.
Among the other national officers
Marion. Ohio. father of the President.
as surgeon general. other officers in
clude Rev. J. H. Eppler of Gary. Ind.
chaplain in chief. The newly elected
chaplain Is victim Of blindness as
result of injuries received in the civil
war.
Following the election of national
officers came the selection of Milwau-
kee as the fifty-seventh annual en-
campment city, the annual address of
the retiring commander-in-ch chief,
Lewis S. Pitcher of Brooklyn. n. Y.
=, l.., RI me mo
rials.
President Checred to Echo.
President Harding's name was
cheered by the veterans when his
message expressing regret that pub
lie duty prevented his attending their
reunion was read by Gen. Pitcher.
please express my great interest
and hope for the long life and happi-
ness of every one of your COM
rades" the President had written to
Gen. Pitcher.
Senator II. o. Bursum of New Mex
ico author of the increased pension
bill before Congress. was accorded
vote of thanks and an ovation of ap-
plause when he predicted the passage
of the measure by the House within
ninety days.
Alice Cary Risley of Columbia. Mo-.
was elected president of the Grand
Army Nurses Association at tie
business session held this afternoon.
Juliaette Smith Of Fort Wayne, Ind.
was named conductor.
Other Officers Named.
Mrs Lola S Elliott OF Des Moines
was elected national president of tie
Daughters of Veterans, and Mrs. Pris-
ella L. Thayer, senior vice president
The newly elected president of the
Woman's Relief Corps is Mrs. Marie
L. Basham Of Des Moines.
Sons of Veterans elected Col. Frank
Shellhouse of Indianapolis command
chief. Fred V. Bell of Massa-
chusetts was elected senior vice COM
rnander. and R. W. Bubb of Seattle,
Wash, junior vice commander.
Eva J. French of Monterey, Calf,
was elected president of the Ladies Of
the G. \. r.
Commander Pitcher in a speech yes
terday replied in Il measure to the
attack upon Abraham Lincoln made
by confederate veterans in their meet
ing in Richmond. Va. last June.
Answers Slur on Lincoln.
'The recent venomous attack upon
Lncoms character, made under cir
cumstances which gave it wide pub
licity," he said. does not lessen the
worlds estimate of his worth. 1t only
tends to awaken the slumbering ami
moeities and rudely disturb the feel
ing of peace and good will between
Federal and Confederate which had
begun to prevail throughout the ma
ton.
Good may come of it, however. if
it ,awakens all lovers of truth and
the fatherland to scrutinize more
closely the character of the instruc-
tons in the department of American
history that is given in the public
schools of the land"
! Brothers Meet After 81 Years.
In 1869 two brothers left their par
ents, eight other brothers and f1ve
sisters and went out from A little
farm in Fountain county, Ind. each
to shift for himself J. w. Miller was
twenty-five and his brother, A. H..
twenty-three, and both had fought
through the civil war.
Yesterday the two. together with
third brother. Joe. who was nineteen,
when they left home, met here at the
G. A. r. National Encampment for the
first time since that parting in In
diana fifty-three years ago.
Joe lives here, but did not know his
brothers were coming. A. H., now
seventy-six years old, arrived Mon
day with a delegation from Parsons,
Kan. and the two got together. Then
]. W., now seventy-eight, came in
from Portland, Greg. A. H. didn't
know him. but Joe spied him. and let
out a whoop heard for blocks.
G. A. II. Looking for Successor.
The Grand Army is looking over
the ground for successor. With the
time rapidly approaching when no
more veterans of the civil war will
be alive to carry on it's work, the
question "of an heir apparent seems
to be unanswered, and the comment
of the retiring chief,
Lewis S. Pitcher, is: 1t is in the
hands of the Almighty to decide upon
whose shoulders this work shall de-
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