The Coconino sun., 1923-06-15


| invitation to address the convention
made ringing appeal to the Legion
to help promote the Boy Scout work.
This is an opportunity, he said, for
| the real Americanization work. Le-
gionaires can be especially effective,
if they will, because the boy is nat
urally hero worshipper and the sold
Ter is his hero. In Arizona there are
10000 boys available for Boy Scout
work and only half of them have been
reached. The speaker said if every
Legion post in the state would get be-
hind the work it would mean the real
ization of close to a hundred per cent
program.
DR.. L. B. McMullen, president of the
Normal school, gave an inspiring talk,
stressing the fact that the job the
boys went across to finish isn't fin
| ished yet. There is mopping-up,
| cleaning-up work to do. We have to
settle down again, to reduce the war
fever, to get back to normal, to help
restore normal conditions and get back
to our everyday lives again, living
| together as useful and fine citizens.
Commander Stoddard then announc-
ed that he had hoped Governor Hunt
would be present to address the con-
vention, as scheduled, but no word
had been received from him, and as
the train was in without bringing him
it would have to be taken for granted
he was not going to be here.
Mr.. Stoddard then delivered his re-
ply to Governor Hunts recent pub
lished attack on him. This is reprint
ed in full elsewhere in this issue.
When the commander had finished
it became evident he had the hearty,
| probably unanimous support Of every
delegate. Joe Liebermann of Winslow
announced his post had unanimously
endorsed Commander Stoddard some
time ago. Mr.. Baxter of Phoenix de-
clared the department is behind its
commander at all times, to a man, in
any stand he may take.
Then Commander Stoddard read
National Commander Owsley's tele-
gram Of comment on the governors
failure to recognize the Legion in the
Colorado river conference. This tele-
gram is reprinted in this issue.
Past Department Commander Bert
Clingan Of Phoenix got a hearty burst
Of applause when he laid down his
pipe long enough to give the boys a
short talk. This stuff about the Le-
gion dying cut, he said, is nonsense.
When it dies out it will be when the
last man who fought in the late war
is laid in his grave. (And voice
from the audience announced that will
be $50 years from now.)
Mr.. Clingan declared it is the bus
mess, the vital and paramount busi-
ness of the American Legion to mix
in politics. 1t must be done, however,
is a duty. He said that very likely
during the next few years the reins
of government and other important
positions of trust will be more and
more taken over by ex-service men
and women.
r. S. Breen was scheduled for an
address, but left town on Wednesday
for the south on business trip, and
had not returned.
Tuesday Forenoon
First, "Star Spangled Banner" by
the 25th Infantry band, then an i'm
passioned, eloquent invocation by Rev.
w. Fl. Zook of Flagstaff, and more
patriotic selections by the band, in
which the delegates Justify pushed
their voices.
A touching event was the standing,
silent prayer offered by the entire
gathering to "our departed brothers. !"
Governor Hunts telegram received
! late the preceding afternoon, announc-
ing that he could not be present at the
convention, was read by Commander
/ Stoddard
The latter read an inspiring letter
from National Commander Owsley.
/ Bert Clingan of Phoenix, chairman
of resolutions committee, presented
| his report.
The Fireworks
| This was the moment for which ev-
1 eryone had waited. In the lobbies, on
| the street, the main topic of conver-
sation was the Colorado river pact and
the attitude of Governor Hunts leg
| islature and his later hand-picked con-
ference in defeating Arizona's ratifi-
cation of the pact.
/ In no single instance had delegate
in these informal conversations evinc-
/ ed any other desire on the question ex-
cept that the Legion endorse the pact,
without reservations. They were also
/ practically unanimous for strong cen
/ suring Of the governor for his attitude
4 on the pact.
Therefore, it was known that when
the pact came before the convention
in resolution form, it would be en-
! dorsed.
And it certainly was, amid the
| greatest enthusiasm the delegates had
shown on any matter, with wild ap-
plause and without a dissenting vote.
In fact, the resolution as it origin
4 ally came from the committee on res
/ olutions was strengthened by an
amendment offered by Val DeCamp of
Jerome and Harold Baxter, command
er of the Phoenix post, tried to make
4 it even more emphatic by adding an
other whereas, declaring that under
the state constitution it is unconstitu-
tional, illegal and impossible for the
! governors project for the state to
build the dam to be carried out and
it is equally unconstitutional, illegal
and impossible under the laws of the
United States for Arizona to use the
waters of this state without ratifica-
ton.