Evening star., 1922-10-21
LEGION DELEGATES
QUIT CRESCENT CITY
Fourth Annual Convention
Closes After Election of
National Officers.
H0NoRs FOR DC. DISTRICT
Watson B. Miller and DR.. Kate
Waller Barrett Win
High Posts.
H0N0Rs FOR DC. DISTRICT

NE" ORLEANS, OCTOBER IL
Trains departing last night and to-
day were loaded with returning dele
gates and visitors to the fourth an
nual convention of the American
Legion, which closed its five-day
convention here yesterday with tho
election of Alvin NJ. Owsley of Texas
as commander-in chief to succeed
Hanford MacNider. and other officers.
Gen. John J. Pershing. who ad-
dressed the legion convention Thurs
day and made a brief talk yesterday
to the legion women of the auxiliary
ernoon for San Antonio. Tex. Men,
bers of the Interallied Veterans Fed
Grafton. who remained over for the
legion convention after the closing
of their annual meeting last week,
left for Memphis last night.
Upon the recommendation of Com
mander Owsley. the national eXecu-
tive committee reappointed Lemuel
Bolles as national adjutant. Mr..
Bolles announced that he had re-
tained Russell G. CreviSton of Marion,
Ind, as his assistant
Oyvsley's War Record.
The executive committee also re-
appointed Judge Robert A. Adams
judge advocate, Robert II. Tyndall,
national treasurer. and Eben Putnam,
rational historian
Col. Owsley. new national COM
mander Of the legion. was reared in
Denton, Tex. He is thirty-four years
old. having been born June II. 1888.
He first attended Terrell School.
ia private institution here. and wl1e n
it became the North Texas State
Normal College he attended it for
one year before graduating. He grad
uated from Virginia Military Insti-
tute in 1909 with honors.
The following year he became COM
mandant of cadets at Rugby Military
Academy at New Orleans, a prepara-
and during the same year he took a
course in law. He entered the law
department of the University of
Texas the following year and was
licensed to practice in 1911. He
graduated from the University of
Texas with high honors.
/ On completion of his course in
Texas University. Owsley returned to
Denton to practice law with his
father.
He was elected to the Texas legis-
lature and served year before he
was appointed lieutenant colonel on
Gov. James E. Ferguson's staff in
1914.
Fought at DricOurt.
Mr.. OUsley was elected county at
torney of Denton county in 1915. but
when the United States entered the
world war he resigned his position
and enrolled on May 2, 1917. for the
Leon Springs officers training camp.
During July. while student officer.
the s6th National Guard Division of
Texas and later. when the 1920 In
fantry was mustered into federal
service, he was assigned to a COM
mand as major.
He sailed for France on July 4.
1918. and on the arrival of the 36th
Division in France he was appointed
assistant divisional adjutant. and
later made division adjutant.
On October l. following the cap
ture /of Dricourt and the key to
Stetienne by the 36th Division he re-
colonel. Col. Owsley represented his
division at the Paris conference and
later was on official duty in Scotland,
Ireland and England.
Mr.. Owsley was appointed assistant
attorney general of Texas in 1920 and
was assigned to the court of criminal
appeals. He held that position for
year, resigninG in January. 1921. to
accept the position as head of the
American Legions Americanization
elected national commander.
DR.. Barrett Heads Auxiliary.
Election of national officers and
speeches by Gen: John ]. Pershing
and Kenesaw NJ Landis featured the
closing session of the American
Legion auxiliary convention, which
was held In conjunction with the
legion national convention.
andria. Va, was elected national
president on the first ballot with 239
of the possible $50 votes. Mrs. Don
aid Macrae of Council Bluffs. Iowa,
received 126 votes; Mrs. o. D. Oil
phant of New Jersey, Sc, and Mrs.
william H. Cud dworth of Milwaukee,
90. a motion WAS adopted making
DR.. Barrett's election unanimous.
DIR. Barrett. who Is sixty-nine years
old, Is a national figure in women's
activities. She had four sons and three
srandsons In the military service and
was active in war camp work dur
ing the war. She has been abroad
twenty-five times as representative
of various women's organizations and
government committees. She was
sent to Europe in 1908 by Theodore
Roosevelt on the immigration COM
mission. She was sent again In 1914
to Europe and the near east to make
a survey ofconditions of alien women
in the war-stricken areas. In 1919
she was sent abroad by the War De-
partment to investigate hospital con-
ditions Of wounded soldiers. She was